Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-03-28
What Courts Have Decided.
LBY PRESS COMMITTEE OF LOCAL

OPTION LEAGUE
Editor Argus: The supreme courts
have passed upon the legality and
equity of closing the saloons and pro-
hibiting that business. Herewith is
a single case.
In the case, that of Crowley VS..
Christensen, 1877 U. S. Rep. sc, the
same court, per Justice Field Ia
staunch democraD, said in answer to
the usual personal liberty" claim
made on behalf of the saloon keeper:
st is undoubtedly true that it is the
right of every citizen of the United
States to pursue any lawful trade or
business, under such restrictions as
are imposed upon all persons of the
same age, sex and condition. But the
possession and enjoyment of all rights
are subject to such reasonable condi-
tons as may be deemed by the gov
erning authority Of the country essen
tial to the safety, health, peace, good
order and morals of the community.
Even liberty itself, the greatest of all
act according to ones own will.
1T is urged that, as the liquors are
| used as beverage, and the injury
| following them, if taken in excess. is
voluntarily inflicted, and is confined to
the party offending, their sale should
be without restrictions, the contention
being that what a man shall drink.
,,;4l. l.
properly matter for legislation.
There is in this position an assump-
| ton of a fact which does not exist,
| that when the liquors are taken i'll ex-
cess the injuries are confined to the
party offending. The injury, it is true,
first falls upon him in his health
| which the habit undermines; in his
| morals, which it weakens; and in the
self-abasement which it creates. But,
| as it leads TO neglect of business and
waste of property and general demon
| alization, it affects those who are i'm
mediately connected with and depend
ent upon him. BY the general concur
renee of opinion of every civilized and
Christian community, there are few
sources of crime and misery to society
equal to dram shop, where intoxica-
/ ting liquors, in small quantities, to be
drunk at time, are sold indiscrim H.
ately to all parties applying. The sta
| tistics of every state show greater
tamount of crime and misery attribute
BILE to the use of ardent spirits obtain
led at these retail liquor saloons than
TO any other source.
There is no inherent right in a cit
izen to thus sell intoxicating liquors
by retail; it is not a privilege of cit
izen of a state or of citizen of the
| United States. AS it is a business at
tended with danger to a community, it
may, as already said, be entirely pro-
hibited, or be permitted under. Such
conditions as will limit to the utmost
its evils
In the license cases, 5 Howard GAG
u. S. Rep 504, 593, G32, Justice Nc
LEAN. one of the judges of the United
States supreme court, said in sustain
ing the right to prevent the importing
lof intoxicating liquors:
|"Any elimination of the revenue
larising from this exercise of local
lpower would be more than repaid by
the beneficial results. BY preserving
las far as possible the health, the safe
lty and the moral energies of society
its prosperity is advanced"
In the same case, Justice Grier said
EFF loss of revenue should accrue &c
1.-THE United States from a diminished
consumption of ardent spirits, it will
be the gamer by thousand-fold in the
health wealth and happiness of tao
people"
LOCAL OPTION PRESS COMMIT
| TEE.