Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1845-11-06

i" Let every Man mind his own business

Lei every Mdll Iililu Ills ONH UuSllCNN'
This is good maxim, but its application is
sometimes questionable We have lately seen it
applied to the friends of temperance who try to
stop other people from drinking rum, Let ev-
cry man drink who chooses" says one, 'it is
nobodys business but his own"
Well, thought we, as we laid down the pa
per- perhaps it must be so; we cannot force peo-
pie to be sober; so as the bell rung for nine,
VIII shut up the office and go to bed.
On our way we heard great racket in low
dirty looking building; and amid the DIM the
shrl cry of murder was distinctly heard We
rushed in and found great ragged brute of a
fellow with bloodshot eyes, mauIing his wife and
children with an old rickety chair We wrench
ed the weapon from him and tumbled him into
a corner, from which he was too drunk to ex-
tricate himself speedily. We asked him what he
meant by such conduct
"Wha' is that to you" said he, "let every
man mind bis own business"
We cleared for home aud went to bed. AT
about two or three o'clock in the morning, we
were awakened by a rumpus in the street There
was loud swearing and cries of "take him off
he is stabbing me- We ran out and found two
or three young men, all very much intoxicated.
They had been playing billiards or some other
game at a gambling house till that late hour, and
having been stripped OF their money by black
legs and good deal luddIcd withaIl, they were
in savage humor, and fell out and quarrelled
by the way, We ventured to say that the places
where they had been ought to be shut up, but one
Of them Indignantly replied, ''let every man mind
his own business" SO we went to bed again
Next morning we went to pay our taxes.
"IIigher than ever" said we, chow is this ?"
co." said the treasurer, 'phe town has so
much to pay for paupers."
"Well, what made so many paupers"
cit was rum, suppose"
We asked an old citizenif nothing could be
done by striking at the root ofthe matter!
"Perhaps there might" said he, ''but then
people generally think it is best to let every man
mind his own business"
While we we're at dinner that day, poor
woman, pale, dirty, and cadaverous came to the
door. She had two children with her as hag-
gard as herself She begged for cold yictuals,
old clothes, any thing. She did not tell her sto-
ry, because she had been there frequently be-
fore, and told all to the good woman of the
house. We inquired about her case and was
told was pretty much like fifty others within a
circuit of few miles Her husband was poor
drunken scamp, who spent all the money he
could get for rum, while his wife and children
were fed in part from our kitchen. Going to
dinner we met the identical fellow in the street.
and asked him why he did not leave off drinking
and go to work. What do you think he said !
Why 'let every man mind his own business"
Having note to pay in the bank in few
days, we hurried back to the office and began to
turn the leaves of our big ledger, to see who
owed money that ought to be collected There
was Tom NOhes, owed So, marked G. IT,, (gone
to Texas Had been good, but took to drink
and ran away in debt. -
Bill Svizzic owed 7 dollars-always loved a
drop but was formerly considered moderate
drnher, used to pay for his paper since sold his
farm and went to trade-sold rum, and was his
own ldISeSl customer III tnat llHe-lell through
how good for nothing
Esckici Scig, owes S,75-oncc quite respec-
table-had property-dtad and insolvent-farm
in the possession of the man who sold him his
rum.
Bt@amin Burstcr, dead; balance against
him 9,25, for paper and adyertising-broke his
neck by a fall from his horse.
Sam CochtaH died of delirium trcmens; owes
for three ycars-lost his property by gambling
and drinking, family very destitute Can't ask
them to pay ANY thing.
Well, thought we, perhaps it is right that
every man should attend to his own business, and
let that of other people alone; but who is to pay
our note in the bank! Have we not some Jusi-
ness in this matter !-kenncbcc Jownol