The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-04-04 00:00:00

PETITIONS TO KEEP PUBLIC-110USES OPEN ON

SUNDAY.
To the Elitor qf the" Obsereir."

Sin,—From some of the expressions used by your en?.
respondent, •• H," I should conclude that his letter wag
made up from the vocabulary of the tap, or drinking
saloon; for one would expect to find in such places the
elpressione "angry man," "weight. blows," ke. But
be thin as it may. I an. not disposed to quarrel with hint
at the terms he use.. All I require
', .
eon the subject of intoxicating drinks, and although I
• . •ve but little time at my disposal for writing letter.
sissy s•-• •set, I feel disposed to deny myself of • few
upon the that the subject may be properl
hours' sleep. in Or.. • I would suggest to your corY-
and
tdentst he
thoroughly v enuet,ieltity Airs have the bea-
eu .-'lying the subect lb -
respondents
careful consideration, end let your re.- Arefl
fit of the results. The subject should be, t.
the letter of •• H," in your journal of the Met Mat, ..,I
eating drinks good for the human system ? " In ....•tieMIS
would draiv the attention of your readers, in the first
place, to the definitions of the words "publican" and
'victualler," as given by your correspondeot. He states
that a pablican signifies a servant of the puth..le and (tie
state, Cod that victualler means butcher, baker, a,. gro-
cer. These ere rather fanciful definition,s it lookea et
through a modern (mit of glasses. I am not, holm's.;
I disposed to quarrel with him for so pertieetarising the
trade, especially as regards the latter definition. The
word publican. as originally used, denoted,. tax collector,
an office filled by men who were not alwaye the very best
of characters, and the power entrusted into their hand.
was in consequence abused. These office-holders beeline
ultimately to lie regarded as the greatest impostors with
which the public laid to deal, and the name, publican, by
which they were known, was regarded as synouynema
with sinners. Hence the often repeated expression in
the scriptures. " publicans and sinners." lam still in.
dined from persoual experience of the trade to regard
these Words thus unite.l as binding as a marriage con-
Meet, and I sey to your readers as long as the public-
hrhoieu,seseerywe.yiter,i,, ias3c:77,ll,lere;tedlw,hi,t,lni.s:ginsinuc,hwchtiatiu:h.
victualler. I always thought
disease, " Let no man " attempt to " put'
all ac say
in reference to the ss.-rd
that the term simply meau: one who could supply, ores.
permitted to supply real refreali7leot to the traveller, in
addition to the useless saul and body destroying drinks ;
but your earrespondent (who no doubt ka;°we more ebout
the trade teen I do) has given his own defiiition, one I
am willing to take so for an butcher and bis!rer ere elm-
eerned. I:very domestic might be called a ba.:nrin thu
sense here used ; bat every domestic is not necessa.••lY •
butcher. Your correspondent acknowledges be is,
therefore I must believe what he says in this respect, for
statistics confirm his statement. 50,000 human beings
are annually destroyed by the drinks doled mat over the
counter, sod mire than half a million others need only
a few more drops tfr finish their career. So that you
perceive, Mr. Editor, your correspondent is eot sere,:
when he calls himself a thatcher. Your correepoudeut
then gives another fact which is already patent to the
public, viz., that " the publican pays heavily for the mo-
nopoly he enjoys in trade," but is it not an estonishieg
fact that we never hear of a publican giving up the heal-
Iles. through failure to meet these enormous taxes, now
for the want of eastern? Ile may change his residence
for a more convenient or commodious one, but never'
' after once embarked, can he be peisuaded to give aphis
• house of gain until he has secured the necessary means
• of living retired. Ile can then iodulge in a risk in his
I own vehicle, with his own coat of arms engraved upon its
panels. Fools' pence bought it, who would Itevethough.
' it? Then, again, we there for the lira time whet noble-
. hearted fellows these publicans are, ready at any hour of
the night to seerifice their comforts, give up their tinitee,
to entertain the stranger. even if found without the mesas
to pay for the comforts received ! The weary traveller
efrethed—the homeless bomed--:the horses stabled, and

..,. ....., -- ,
the deserted taken such care of and so kindly tended
that one almost longs to be the guest of such lovable,
tender-bearted fellows as are to be found in public-
. .. -. .

houses, But let your own paper of the 'dist nit speak
for itself in reference to this matter. Under the head
"Brierley Hill," I !Ind a publican charged with an assault.
Complainant (Warsley) had a customer in his house that
he Was asked to take c ire of, and wanted to go the de-
Ilidant's (William W. Bright, publican) house, and had
something to drink. Defendant (Bright) struck Wardey
(his guest), knOck A him down, and kickod hint to such
an extout that lie Was unable to follow his employment
for a time. Let your readers judge of these harmless,
lovable fellows, who are no pathetically described by your
correspondent " H." I do not wish to say one word
aoainst them as individuals, but the traffic in intoxicat-
ing drinks I hope I shall always be found to noses war.
ning voice against. I blush for the effrontery and want
of candour in your correspondent 'II." in telling us
Oat Bo Exchequer entitles them to carry on their train
on that d,ts' (Babl'ati.) for the comfort! the happiness !I
d
-'tip the instruction of Ilk fellow-men
un ren--2 !II
mi not iq
otitle I. I could then give
I only wish they Wore R...'
-tudies and my daily
them my earnest support. Bat es.. .
might have
experience prove that your correspondens .• to
said with more truth that the Etehequer permits tile...
carry on their trade for the misery, unhappiness, sada.
moralisation of their fellow-creatures. The last point
which needs a word in reply is that which represents me
as libelling the working classes., Allow me to say that I
ass always prepared to pocket hard names when seeking
the interests if my fellow-men, but may I ask your cur.
respondent to limit his efforts to the contradiction of the
statements advancied, if untrue, and then he can witli
greater propriety deal in hard names, if necessary.
In conclusion, who is the real friend of the working
stun? Is it the proprietor of the public-house—the gin
palace—and drinking saloon ?—Slen who are studiously
engaged in planning fresh scenes, and in rendering their
inside rooms more attractive by the additions of paper,
glass, and colour, music and dancing. and In some in.
staires descending to the encomagement of the gratiti.
cation of the lowest passions in order to induce the poor
and easily-led working man to spend his hard-earned
wages "for that which satisfyetti not," to the ruin of
himself, and the misery and wretchedness of those who
have to depend upon him for support. Or is it the die.
interested one who warns him of the danger of these
transitory attractions, and enables him by his encourage.
ment to shun these paths which lead to such misery, de•
pricing some of life, souse of reason, many of character,
and ill of peace? To shnn these drinks, which are not
only worthless in themselves, but fatal in their results
to the moral, social, and spiritual well-being of the
working man.

Yours truly,