Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-07-17
w. c. T.U. COLUMN.
"MlND YOUR OWN BUSINESS.

mine peesness,n said a saloonkeeper
to temperance worker. Il pays my
monies NIT de shtade ind | sells peer.
Dot vas mine peesness, und makes
DOT livin' for mine families" This
has always been the argument of the
rum vender. "You have no right TO
Interfere with another mans business.
Being citizen of the State and carry
ing on his trade in accordance with |
the laws of the State, no one has
right to Interfere
The argument is plausible, but it Is
wholly fallacious. 1t depends very |
much upon what a mans business is |
and bow he is conducting it. If it is
a business that is helpful to the COM
munity, lawfully conducted and does
not Interfere with the rights of others,
the proposition may be accepted
But II the business is such as inter-
feres with public morals, peace
health, financial prosperity or general
welfare, the community has right
not only to smeodle NIT de peesness"
but to suppress it entirely. The
community is always superior to the
individual, and peaceable citizens
have rights as we'll as Objectionable
ones. In any well-organized society
the individual must sometimes yield
that which he regards as his rights.
for the good of the neighborhood in
which he lives.
In the city of Indianapolis a few
years ago saloonkeeper moved his
business to the residence part of the
city and opened his business along
side the property of wealthy lady.
She entered suit against him on the
ground that his business decreased
the value of her property as place
of residence that it was an injury to
property holders in the immediate
vicinity, and was, in fact, nuisance.
The case was decided in her favor.
1t was carried to the Supreme Court
of the State and the judgment of the
lower court was sustained. There are
times, therefore, when we have
right to interfere with the occupa-
ton of another-when that trade or
profession becomes inimical to the
. happiness and we'll being of society.
Suppose, further, that butcher
would establish a slaughter house
next door to your fine residence and
drive in his cattle, sheep and hogs
where, as you lay in your bed by
night, you could hear their dying
groans, and by day inhale the OBJ
noxious odors of decomposition,
would you think meddling with
that mans business? But the ground
is his; the slaughter house is his; the
cattle and swine are his. Has man
the right to do as he pleases with his
, own or has he not? Or suppose that
instead of a slaughter-house he
would start a gambling or bawdy
house; would you have anything to
say? Would not your righteous in
q dignation exhaust every legal means
| W 6uRPIO6S 6uCu dOOl11AdblOAo:
Citizens have the right to protect
!, themselves against contagion. They
have a right to quarantine ones
home, or his place of business, Of
= even a whole town or city, if neces
sary. They have an equal right tx
q self protection against nuisance Of
that which is detrimental to publ,
!: morals. It will be sad day for an.
community when it has no defens'
a against a few evil-disposed men
u The saloon is both a nuisance and al
l enemy to social development.
represents everything that wei
/, ordered State or municipality shoul'
(; not represent, and every citizen is il
line with his inalienable right whel
g he uses every God-given energy TO
its suppression. 1t stands at tn
antipodes of good citizenship an
wise and equitable government. 1t
/. the adder's nest, the cockatrice'
den, where all the tabled infamies o
i; antiquity and all the denominations o
Il vice and uncleanness of the moder
s; world are Matched into merciless life
d The ideal state of society will hav
= no dramshop. The ideal man wi
3 have nothing to do with it and til
\. ideal woman never had. A ma
o. might as we'll try TO sleep comfortabl
with q half dozen Florida rattlesnake
e in his bed as expect to elevate man
kind with a dramshop attachment
" When the devil saw the world turn
- ing to Christ he invented the saloo1
~ Exchange.