INTRODUCTION. 



Tli(! prospority, safety and liappinoss of society (kponcl larcjoly 

 upon tlio industries, trades and liabits which its people encour- 

 acjc and foster. No industry or traflic that is essentially or 

 inherently evil and injurious, can he a blessing to the comnmnity 

 whennn they are tolerated, however rich the profits they secure 

 to tho.se engaged in them, or however large the revenue they 

 hrinyj to the f'overnnient that leiijalizes thoni. No habit whoso 

 indulgence is necessaiily and inevitably damaging to health and 

 morals can be beneticial however pleasurable and desirable it 

 may be to those who are addicted to it. 



While it is true that men do not generally wish to do what 

 will injure either themselves or others, yet it cannot bo denied 

 that traffics, practices and habits which tend to produce poverty, 

 disease, vice and crime, are now widely }»revalent a\ the most 

 civilized lands. 



It is clearly the interest and duty of every citizen to so regu- 

 late his conduct and habits as will Ix^st promote his own hap- 

 piness, and that of his feHow citizens so far as his influence 

 extends. Moreover, it is the recognized [)rovince of good gov- 

 ernment to secure so far as possible the same end by wise and 

 just laws. It is the settkid judgment of a large and increasing 

 chiss of persons in our country, that the only true and effective 

 ]iational policy regarding the li(|Uor tratlic is to prohibit it. Jjy 

 a similar couise of r(!asoning, the conviction is rapidly taking 

 hold of all thoughtful and consistent minds that the Tobacco 

 trade must also b(^ ))rought under government control. This is 

 clearly seen in the xast number of petitions now being i)resented 

 to parliaments and legislatures, ])raying the enactment of a law 



,_ ^ -^ Q. 



