The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-30
TRIBUTEPAID TO COMMON LAW
Speaker Shows Connection
Of Law and Liquor Traffic.
Mr.. Sanford of Toledo Speaks For
Money to Fight Dean Bill--States
That Liquor Men VIII Control Con-
stitutlOnll Convention.

/ w opAiit ii0i VI btpNN at Nilt l4BNbl III
VI. E. church last Saturday night,
before a large crowd. Rev. Barnard
of the Free Baptist church presided
over the meeting. Mr. Sanford OF
| Toledo rapid fire orator and a hard
working foe of the liquor men, was
the first speaker of the evening. He
said that each period of n state OF
nation was confronted with a prob
lem and the problem before the state
| of Ohio today is the solution of the
| liquor question. lie proved to the
| people that local option and prohibl-
tion was not question of taxation,
as taxes had not been increased. 1t
was not a question of business, as
| the dry communities were prosper
| Jus. 1t Is not a question of personal
| liberty as the law refuses any such
| Ideas. Mr.. Sanford emphatically ex-
| claimed that the question before the
people was. HAS any man or body
Of men the right to commerclali2e
the weakness of my brother so that
Jut of that mans ruin he may make
| money!"
He said that the passing of the
Dean bill in the legislature would
mean the liquor men gaining the con-
| troll of the coming constitutional con-
vention and that they would then
make the laws To fiji their own pock.
ITS with gold regardless Of the wrongs
imposed on the common people. He
spoke for money TO finance the fight
against the Dean bill and to defray
the expenses of the meeting.
The well known temperance work
er, John G. Wooley. delivered the
principle address of the evening, with
the liquor question as his subject,
setting forth an argument in an eX-
tremely clear light that was new to
| the average man. The first part OF
his address greatly appealed TO people
of a literary turn of mind and de-
| monstrated Mr.. Wooley's oratorical alb
ility. The phase of the question he
put before the people was the con-
nection that the liquor traffic has
| with the law, the common law, which
Is the safety of the people. He dwelt
| on this question for some time, trac-
| ing the origin of the common law
back among the Britons, how it has
been corrected, supplinented and it..
progress. First, there existed the
crude form of laws among the people
not yet civilized. Then came legal
fiction, then the organization of con-
science, then statutes and written con-
stitutions, and these laws lead the
| race that today domintes the earth.
race tht today dominates the earth.
The greatest inheritance of the
Anglo-Saxons Is the common law. The
| majesty of the law, OF all the human
pheno nina, Is the most incorrupu-
BILE. Her seat is in the bosom of God
| and her voice is the harmony Of the
| world.
The safety of the people is the
highest law written in every statute
| and constitution formulated by man
Is the liquor traffic safe and is 1t q
violation of our laws? The mere fact
that the United States census re-
port show that there are 10000 0O(
people in our country is as many rea-
sons why the liquor traffic is not
safe and is a proof that 1t Is a viola
tion of our laws. "The man who
drinks takes on all peril is so old
that 1t provokes a smile when utter
ed.
THAT the use of alcohol Is moi
safe is showed by the strict obser.
vance of prohibition among the raj
roads and steamship lines or wher,
human lives are ntrusted to men,
Here the speaker told many stories
to illustrate his point "When lif'
and beer clinch, beer stabs life In tn,
back. Alcohol Is n saturated vision
of failure and the cochroach of I'M
man industry. Drinkers have no sens
regarding the conservation of energy
Science not religion and prohibition
proves infallibly that the drinke
slumps In the battles of strength.
prohibition must be accepted b,
the people, II can not be forced NJ
on them without ,henr consent
Here the speaker outlined the pro
gress of prohibition. at started 10
years ago in terms of the individua
and is now in terms of states an
nations. The beer lord is on hi
knees asking TO be allowed to live
He cries, "Charge me more. despis
me more, restrict me more but le
: me live" Mr., Wooley stated tina
the present license system has give
rise and has encouraged the liquo
l traffic.
"The temperance movement up
e this time has been religious. Morf
r reformers expected to see a sudde
e relief by meals Of a religious revivf
$ but today it Is a business move
] ment and can be figured out in do
Y lars and cents. Prohibition receive
X its impetus from the religious plan
: of our fourfathers. The democracy
,. dayri ngs with reform. The peop
e have reverted back TO the ol
e British maxIum "The majesty of III
g law is the safety OF the people"
e Mr.. Wooley did not trouble h
Q audience with cold, uninteresting sta
tistics, which are hard to understan
but kept the people interested wit
= true illustrations as examples OF h
Z statements.