Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-01
AS TO HUMAN RIGHTS.

1t Is Il EeCullHT interpretation WHiSi
is placed on Liberty" and Persona
Right" when the claim is made tina
these two bulwarks of human free
dom are attacked and injured. IL no
destroyed, by legislation making II
difficult. IL not impossible. to obtain
liquor. II it were possible for mar
to injure only himself. and no other
by the use of ardent spirits. the claim
might be defensible, but. mo man
liveth unto himself" No matter what
he does, his actions. in some way or
other, affect his neighbor for veal
or for woe. although this may not be
Immediately apparent Man Is gre
garious animal; his Creator intended
that he should be so, and when he
sets himself up In opposition to the
divine plan, he will find himself In
volved in difficulties sooner or later.
A man can not drink without re-
ducing his moral. mental and physical
status, just in proportion as he In
dulges And this general restriction
of ones energies can not but have an
injurious influence on those around
him. No one has a right to do any,
thing that will lessen his. or her,
capacity and value as a citizen, or
make of him. or her, an objection
able factor in the community. And yet
that is just what the use of intoNcat-
ing drink invariably does. Oc-
casionaIly we find a man whose con-
stitution is such that he can keep
Just about so" week in and week out.
and we are invited to consider this pers-
on as an illustration of the allegation
that a man can drink when he wants
TO and let it alone when he wants to.
and that drink never need hurt any
body II only taken in moderation.
The trouble with this sort OF argument
is that there is no sufffciency in fact
for a basis. No man, no matter how
rhlegmatic his temperament, no
matter how strong his nerves,
can steadily indulge in drink
and perform his duties as
citizen with a clear head and a
steady hand. even II he never entirely
loses his wits. OF what real value is a
man as a citizen, a business man and
father of family. IL he keeps his head
befoggcd with alcohol, perverting his
Judgment and making 1t difficult for
him to properly transact business, al
though he may not be incapacitated
from making some show at 1t? The
men who keep just about So" spend
a fair fraction of their time in saloons.
They may say they go there to attend
TO their own personal affairs, but what
can be the ouahty of the business that
is transacted in an atmosphere rSeeking
Hith fumes of alcohol? A former
citizen of Salt Lake occupied 20 years
ago an env;able position here In COM
there was no reason why he should not
have continued to retain his commercial
and social standing. But he was a
steady drinker and though 1t Is not
known that he was ever drunk, yet
years OF imbibing have finally left his
mind utterly incapable Of transacting
any business. His work was soon taken
by others, and continued with profit,
Sooner or later a man goes down and
out who drinks and keeps it up. No
man ever lived yet who was able to
stand up before John Barleycorn. and
there never will. The medicf men tell
us that 30 per cent of all diseases of
the liver and kidneys. 60 per cent OF the
diseases of fashionable life. so per cent
of all imbeciles and epileptics 60 per
cent of the inmates of penitentiaries,
jals and work houses, and 30 per cent
Of pauperism are caused by alcoholic
drinks. No wonder it is pointed out
that Man drunk, Is a beast and a
brute: man sober. in possession of his
faculties unimpaired. is king of crea-
ton And in the face of this. and the
known records of our courts and penal
institutions. men have the assurance to
claim that it interferes with 'sGod-eiyen
liberty" and human rights" to shut off
-'-e supply OF the noxious stuff. and to
forbid them drinking. It. A rather pc
culiar definition of liberty which claims
man has the right to ruin himself.
body, mind and SOUL and drag others
down with him into the abyss-an in
terpretation which. If admitted as IegI,
innate. would ruin any nation in time.