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Michigan Temperance Advocate

Michigan Temperance Advocate image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
September
Year
1841
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The Ia6t nuinber of this paper contains the following on polilical acüon in reference to temperance. "The excise law of this State needs a thorough and radical revisión. By whom will ihia be accomplished? Certainly not by the maker or vender of intoxicating liquors. For this reason alone no ballot should be past lor sucb an one, even though he possessed every qther requisito qualifjcátion. We cheerfully accorijto in'uny who are thus engaged, virtues which adorn poor hunmnily, a strengthof intellect and an honesty of purpose of a high and pomnianding order, and yet we could not conscientiously vote tbr them." We understand that three position3 are either expressed or mplied in the extract we have made, 1. That no ballot ought to bc cast for a maker or vender of intoxicating liquors fot a legitilative office, because he will not be t favor ofrdicaliy and thoroughly revising the excise law of the State. This is right. 2. That raany of the distiJlers and rumeelles ppsses8 "an honesty of purpose oía high and cotnmanding order." If by ''horiv esty of purpoae," the writer incans . ality in nieeting their pecuniary engagementF, this may to acertain extent be'alluwed, although it may well be questioned, vhoiher rumseller8 and distillers are more willing to pay thcir debts, or do pay then better, than farmers, or blacktsmilhs, or me chanics generally, But the word8 of the writer evidently. meant something more. Tbey ïmplj that many rumtsellers and distillers are at heart benevolent, philanthropic and public epirited in their connections with society. No "pur poses" short of these can be said to be of 'ahigh nnd commanding order." Now ihia positiun we deny. It miglit have been true foruierly, but it isnot now. There is not a distiller or rumseller ia Michigan who does not know, that he is ruining his neighbons, destroyiug their health, deadening ali thei moral fedings, impainng their intelleclual poweis, nnd fitting them for every evil word and work. They carry on their vocation witli a full kuovvledge of these resulta of it, sulely for the sake of ga in- of profiting by others' loss - of becoming happy by rendering otheie miserable. They know their vocotion is a continuad curse to society.- And yet the only Temperance paper in the State pnblicly accords to many of this class of human destroyers, "virtues wliich aduin poor liumanily," and "an honesty of purposa of a high and commanding order." 3. By mentioning makers and vendors of intoxicating liquors, as improper persons to be eupported for the Legislature, the reader is left to draw the conclusión, that a lemperance man can, properly and cousisteutly, voto for a rum-Drinker. The article is headed, "Politics," and ireats of the dutiea of electors so far as temperance is concerned, and while the writer takes the ground that the maker and vender ought to be excluded from the Legislativo Halls, he saya not a syllablc about excluding the rum-Dmiker. The fair conclusión is, that he thinks Pemperanco men may consistently vote for those who use intoxicating liquorsNow ogainst such a conclusión we feel obliged to protest. We conceivo such a course to be inconsistent, absurd, and suici-, dal. We have already given our views óf it pretty fully, and may say more hereafter. In tltese few remarks, we have stated the position8 mentioned in that light in which we suppose the conductora of the Advocate in tended they ahould be viewed. If wo have mistaken them, we shall be happy to fae 6Ct right in the next number of tho Advocate.