Year: 1867

r. l.. l. The New school Of Nuliiners.


There may be an honest difference of opin-
Ion as to the value of prohibitOry law or of
secret society. Each has earnest advocates
and mcompromising opponents. But con-
cerning the value of man who win league
himself with others in secret corclaye TO de-
wise means OF resisting or evading a liouor
law or any law there can be no dispute. No
one who has either brains, conscience or aver
age animal instincts will hesitate to brand
him as scoundrel-"a most foul and toad
spotted traitor," whose petty treason would
blossom into rebellion under circumstances
favorable to its development. He makes his
own feeble intellect the arbiter of the expe-
diency or usefulness of a law, and If the deci-
sion Is adverse to its validity, he null;fes it.
For an honest man there are but two
things to do respecting laws-to find on twhat
they are and obey them. 1t makes no differ
ence how odiOus they may be, tried by the
imperfect test of his own judgment. There is
probably no enactment in the criminal code
which is not wrong in principle and injurious
in practice, according TO some individuals be-
lief; but anarchy would result from each ones
passing and repeating laws for himself


1t may perhaps be said that the legislation
for restraining the sale of Intoxicating liquor
in this State is in derogation of the natural
rights of man, limiting as it does the enjoy
ment and control of private property. What
ever may be the opinion of individuals, this
ispo longer an open question. An issue of
this kind has been presented for the decision
of the supreme courts of most of the States
where prohibitory laws exist. 1t has been
before judges who are jealous of the least ten
dency in legislation to impair the protection
afforded to the citizen by the Bill of Rights,
and we do not think ofa single instance i'm
which the decision has been against The con
stitutionality of the law in the various forms
it has taken in the different States
Questions have been raised on a thousand
different points, and several of them have
been carried up to the Supreme Court OF the
United States. The result has uniformly
been favorable to the eonstitutionaiity of pro-
hibitory enactments. This beirg the case,
combination of thieves in opposition to the
law against larcency or OF Knights of the
Golden Circle for the purpose of overthrow
ing the government Of the United States, is
as legitimate an organization as one which
has in view either direct resistance or cum
ningy devised evasion of even a 'sumtuary
law"


We would not willingly speak unjustly of
any class of men ; but from the best informa-
tion we can obtain the secret anti-te mper-
ance societies, which already have branches
we have above described. If we are wrong,
IL with give us sreat pleasure to rectify our
mistake, for it is extremely unpleasant to be-
lieve that any considerable number of Amer
lean citizens are SO wanting IN respect for
the fundamental idea OF republican govern
ment-submission to the will Of the majority
when 1t assumes the form OF law.


1t is generally understood that these socie-
ties have other purposes besides this clearly
illegal one. They will take such measures as
seen to them besl calculated to insure the
repeal of the offensive statutes. 1t is hardly
fitting that secret Organizations should con-
stitute political force in Republic. For So
cial enjoyment or for the furtherance of NOR
al reform they are always harmless and often
of great utility, but as auxiliaries in carrying
out political measures they deserve only con-
demnation. Another avowed object of this
mystic brotherhood is to lnveigle Republicans
into taking their oaths, and ultimately to in
itiate them into Democratic degrees. OF this
we heartily approve, and wish them success.
II there are any Republicans whose love oil
rum transcends their love of righteousness
they certainly ought to vote with the Dem
ocrats. ....,s.