, 1840-11-21
FOR THE

Mr.. Editor-The time is fast approaching
when the representatives of the people will
meet at Jefferson for the purpose of %enacting
such laws as society require. Notwithstand-
ing party politics have run very high, yet ]
do hope the members of our legislature will
consider the interest of the whole commune
ty. There is one subject, Mr.. Editor, which
ought to attract their attention. (as ! con
celve it the business of a legislative body to
reform society)a and that is, the vending ardent
spirits in the shops called groceries; that sub
Ject our Legislature took into consideration at
It's last. session, but 50 framed the law rs TO leave
1t with the county court whether it should take
effect or not, and some courts set it aside
without even a petition from the grocery
keepers themselves; and had there been a
thousand petItioning 10 that effect. it would
have been wrong in the court to hear them.
OF all the evils that alllice our American
land, that of vending ardent spirits is sure
ly the greatest; and those persons engaged
IN the nfamou traffic deserve less protection
by legislative enactments. To see a healthy.
likely, and otherwise gentlemanIy looking
man, keeping Il grocery with 4 few barrels
and bottles. and scarcely my thing else. and
his group of topers around him at his board.
some swearing and b~oaSting. others snoring
the fumes away. or just awake and calling for
another drink. while perhaps some of those
wretches have families who are in Il state of
suffering; wife and children deprived of the
necessarles 10 render them comfortable. to
go into the pockets of the dram selling GEN
try. ought to be disgusting to every lover of
good order throughout the length and breadth
of our land and im~periouSly demand legisIa-
tive interference in behalf of the most help
less part OF the community. venture To as
sert that there has not been Il grocery kept
AT any place for Il few wears. that has not To
some extent filled the pockets of the vendors
and increased the amount of human misery
and wretchedneSs in numberleSs instances
within the reach of its dircful influence; how
many little Innoccnts and their unfortunate
mothers. have been in rags while the heads of
that family has become more degraded than
the gruntInT swine. The miSerieS produced
by tolerating such establishments battles all
description. | hold 1t to be dishonest TO be
engaged IN any business that does not render
some useful or beneficial equivalent; so far
from this being the case, those fellows are
filling their pockets with the price of tears
"HA tx J. lit OlllN created
being that is not stationary by instinct NOR
ally-he is the most simple and helpless in in
fancy. and the most capable of receiving in
struction or being moulded by the influence
of education; no bounds can be set TO his
downward and depraved course, and none to
his rising in virtue and piety; it is therefore
desirable by all the virtuouS. to have a whole
some atmosphere to raise youth in; purified
from those stenches of tipling shops and their
attendant evils. Sir, more good will result
to the community by passing good laws on
this subject, than can possibly be given to us
by congress, let who will he our PRESIDENT
Our Legislature at its last session met. profess
ing TO know the wants of society. and passed
a law and left it with Il county court to saw
whether society needed the law it had made
thereby shifting the responsibility from their
shoulders where it fought to be. lam of opin-
ion that some such law as was made at the
last session would do much good, and | be-
lieve the community would sustain such a
law, and support such principles in despite of
maddened dramsellcrs and tiplers.
BEDFORD.