GOVERNMENTS CONTRASTED. 27 



ery body must either become a hypocrite or a kuave. At last an 

 eruption bursts fortli througli this repression. Peoijle ai"e assassin- 

 ated, poisoned, put away mysteriously. Now it is Russia, now Ire- 

 land. Nobody knows who is safe. The community is as moral as 

 a peuitentiar}-, and every body is trying to break jail. A Puritanic 

 sabbath reigns, but it is over the corjases of a Saint Bartholomew. 

 Such is the logical termination of a community governed by pater- 

 nalism. Beginning with dictation in morals, it ends in crime. 



Pass now into the other community, whose one compulsory rule 

 is the equal liberty of all. Everything is natural, and spontaneous. 

 There are all kinds of morals, as there are all kinds of people. 

 There are different standards as to purity, and every body has his 

 own opinion. Do you ask if they do not make mistakes, if there 

 is not immorality ? Suppose we grant there is. But there is also 

 crime, you say. But the distinguishing feature of this community 

 is equal liberty ; that everyone should have his own business and 

 mind it. And in doing so, they have a clear idea of tvhere their so- 

 cial duties begin and leave off. They find they cannot all be pater- 

 nal to one another, but must be fraternal. In discarding morals 

 from their government, they are all doubly jealous about crime. 

 They will brook no trespassing. Each having his own rights knows 

 those of his neighboi's. Perfect liberty makes perfect order. 



How now about the morals ? For the sake of illustration, we 

 have conceded these were bad. It is impossible, however, to con- 

 ceive of a low state of morals under such a government. For when 

 force has withstood force, and order prevails, the best ideas of liv- 

 ing must come to the top. Liberty is the very breath of truth. Nor 

 is this all. Under a defensive government, every intlividual is the 

 source of sovereignty. Not until people are integers, until they are 

 separate, can they come together and co-operate. The people now 

 standing separate, being free and independent, must, of necessity, 

 voluntarily asssociate anil co-operate As they do so, their govern- 

 ment for defense falls into disuse, as being unnecessary and expen- 

 sive. As co-operators, they finil that a unity of interest leads them 

 to where, by each working for all, all will, in turn, be working for 

 each. This is the .solidarity of mankind, brought about \:y the free 

 and independent interchange of the parts. Which kind of govern- 

 ment would the reader choose to live under, — that which beirins 

 with saints and ends with demons, or that which begins with tlie 

 average inilividual and leaves him a saint ? In a word, that of pa- 

 ternalism, or that of ciiual liberty. Such is the problem which pro- 

 liibition presents to us. 



