Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-04-29
The Right to Happiness.

An Illinois man who writes to thu
Fair Haven Era has unique views oil
temperance legislation. He say.
that God wants us to be happy ant
that when He put alcoholic and other
stimulating elements into the vege-
table world, He meant us to satisfy
the capacity or hunger we have for
them. He claims we have a right to
such happiness and that no one has
any right to interfere with the hap
piness we get in eating or drinking
what pleases us. Excess in such in
diligence, he says, brings its own
physical and sufficient punishment,
and no other is Just or merited He
intimates that even license laws
ought to be abolished, penalties in
ficted only when the seller makes a
nuisance of his business.
Now this argument may be all
right from the ego standpoint. but So
ciety, in trying to control the traffic
in alcoholic drinks, is not worrying
half as much about the man who is
or may become a slave to liquor as 1t
is about those who have to take care
of him and put up with his beastli-
ness. Society is perfectly willing to
allow a mans right to happiness.
What it insists on is that he shall
not take it at the expense of others.
AS far as the happiness in INDUCING
an appetite goes, the man or woman |
who INDUCES gets it all. while the L
punishment of over indulgence Is
shared by many, who have had none !
at all of the fun. It's not fair, and i
newer can be. =
Every person has certain obliga- a
lions in life that supersede any t
right he may have to happiness s
For instance: A mans wife and chill t
dren have right to his love and il
protection, to his manliness and good o
repute, to faith and pride in him, to n
a fair proportion of the fruits of his
income. After he has given them
these things, he has undeniably /
right" to seek alcoholic happiness" =
A woman owes her husband and y
children love, companionship and 9
sympathy, the tender graces of wo- a.
manhood, answering faithfulness, a NJ
refining, uplifting influence If she !"
makes these payments promptly, she OF
certainly is not defrauding her family III
n seeking happiness in stimulants pl
This same subject of the right peo- al
de have to happiness and of legisla- "
ion for evils of appetite and desire W.
S before us in different form. Some III
rood worshipers at the shrine of sci mi
nee think there should be legislation
or Sanitary" marriage. The idea is Co
o prevent the transmission of certain r.,
iseases and criminal tendencies a..
through the union of persons men 800
any, iiiordlly' Vi piiy Si0'iiS ui' tir
aseo' Inc pan Is u liahe 'le Is his
uance of marriage license illegal -
-ithout a physicians certificate. The ,,.h
object has been brought before one an,
: two legislatures already and will
: laid before others and President 7,4
oo'eNei' ii'' oeen peti''oi'eu ~ oe lier
ilf of federal aid in the project. Such
law passed would be as Intellectual
to its object as is the prohibition
H4o0' law
axe the evil complained of Illegal 49,.
stead of legal. 1t would not do ns.
way with it. 40,
The appetites and desires of men
ID women can never be legislated
to submission. This inherent con- A
elton that they have a right" to brin
appiness' will lead them to crafty felo
cir impulses, in some way, at what erou
er cost. We can restrict their ac- nom
ms somewhat ana we can punish rece
en- when they encroach upon the to
hts of others, by legislation, but HON
can not make them over by law light
fit the standard moral pattern. ing
rhe only way to abolish the evils isola
nplained of is to teach men and whe,
men a better definition of happi- irwin
IS than they now know When they poetj
htly understand what mental, NOR Other
and physical health is to a human 'ihof
ng, and how much of the "happi- -,
s. they have a right" to depends ton.
IN a sound mind and body. they of t
not choose to risk their chances WOOD
happiness by over-indulgence of - /,
elite. They will not choose to as tn
tract a marriage under so-called
conditions An
New
he Hearst boom in Vermont is solutl
emily all that the name implies. VIII
RI ~.