Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1915-09-01
PLEADS PERSONAL RIGHTS.

PLEADS PERSONAL RIGHTS.
The ideal prohibitory system is for
some self-righteous, pharisaical busy
body to sit in Judgment Con his neigh
Dor and tell him not only what he
shall drink himself, but what he shall
set before his guests. There is prin
cipIe involved in this sort of propa
ganda. Just how far should we per-
our personal and private business?
How safe is it for the people of
state to place in the power of some
intolerant fanatic the right to regulate
their table requisites?
If proper to regulate a public's
drinks. why not it's diet? If its diet
why not it's clothes? If its clothes,
why not it's morals? If it's morals,
why not it's religion? If its religion.
why not its political activities?
One gets very quickly to a stopping
place when this sort of reasoning is
pursued. as sumptuary laws, the
extortions of sanctimonious officials
were among the things which the
Pilrgim fathers fled England to es-
cape. Let US go very slowly before
we place in any ones hands the right
to stand censor over his neighbor and
prescribe what he shall drink or
whether he shall serve light wines or
hard cider to his guests. Rutland
Herald.
The Monitor never heard the Herald
plead this personal and "private"
business and 'tIocal option" sentiment
so eIoquently as in fight for legalized
booze. This point seems to be
where the shoe pinches. Numerous
things which seem to the Monitor as
restrictive of personal rights and as
much entitled to local option as the
saloon have been restricted by the
state and the Herald has made no
noticeable effort to restrain that en-
croachment upon town and Individual
rights.
The Herald forgets that the "pub-
lies drinks" are now regulated by the
state to a considerable extent. Only
one example need be cited and that is
where the state stepped in few years
ago and told st. Johnsbury that it
must get new water supply. ST..
Johnsbury itself was satisfied with It's
water and had drunk it for years. If
the state has no power over public
drinks why this Interference? There
was no ''local option" in the matter.
The Herald cannot be ignorant of
the fact that our diets are regulated to
degree by the state and that no town
can get ''local option" on the subject
of marketing dob" veal, though some
people consider it vely fine. That the
beef and the ham the Rutland editor
consumes undoubtedly contains the
stamp. inspected and passed." by
government officials.
Can the Herald plead ignorance that
a state law does regulate to surpris-
ing extent our clothes? No man shall
wear a woman's clothes and vice versa
A certain amount Of clothes must
be wotn. Many states prohibit certain
cuts and styles of bathing suits. The
Herald has never fought for personal
liberty or ''local option" on this
point.
The Herald lapses into surpris-
regulate Our morals by state law?
Are there not several state laws which
address the individual telling him that
he must not conduct himself in an
immoral mann or. in a dozen different
ways, even though the town may
choose to allow its citizens the priv
lege or the individual considers it d
personal" right to DO so?
AS to the regulation of religion the
Herald must know that our state and
government laws make it obligatory
upon certain officials to take the oath
of office upon the Bible, the book OF
the Christian religion. Not the book
of Mohammed, Or the Mormon manual
or any other religious textbook.
And when it comes to the regulation
of political activities the Herald knows
full we'll that there are probably {
score of political activities that are
prohibited by state laws and punish
able by state laws, and that no "loca
option or personal rights" plea Of
belief makes one whit Of difference
If the sale and drinking of alcohol,
liquors was a matter of in~ividua
and local concern only, the Herald
might fight state prohibition, but 81
long as the state claims revenue from
the saloon. makes the laws governing
it and admits the thing is not good t
be open on certain days Sundays
holidays, fair days and circus days
which might readily deprive the towr
of saloon privileges for week. it Ger
tainly has the right to say that i
shall be closed every day