The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-09-10
From the New Era.
From the New Era.
An Appeal to Lawyers Against the
Temperance Society.


my fee book the other day, and recall
ing the cases that had brought me the
fees, l was wonder struck to find that
fully three-fourths of my earnings had
sprung from-what think you ?-why
from those pleasant beverages, which
the Temperance folks would Danish
from use
Nearly all my fattest fees have been
in cases that grew out of liquor. Every
suit for divorce, or for separate main
tainanee, that have ever been con-
cerned in-halfthe actions of SANDER
-nme.tenths of the assaults-and- bat
terry cases-and four-ffths of those
best paid and most interesting cases,
criminal prosecutions have come from
that source.
When those delicate jars arise,
which the vulgar deem discords, be-
tween man and wife-growing at
length to such a pitch, that it takes
two pair of lawyers and a chancery
Judge to regulate them and, when
out of these discords, each lawyer,
with wizard skill, iias evoked harmony
the most delightful to his cara tune
Of one or two hundred dollars in fees
Ito what is it all owing? migrate
ful dog, if he doubts, or forgets it: he
owes it all to drink The husband
would have plodded on through life,
insipidly loving his wife, and doing
his duties, (or no use to lawyer, clerk,
or sheriff., but for the Intervention of
our friend, The Bottle. The Bottle
made him generous to those who had
no claims on him, at the expense of
those who had claims. The Bottle
made him negligent, and dashing, in
gentlemanly way delightful to his
tavern companions though now and
then rough to his wife made him
contract debts he. hardly knew how
made his house and farm get out of
order, his family to be ill-suPpIied, the
woman's heart to throb strangely, and
her cheek to grow thin and pale.
Executions would come. The
scenes, on his midnightly return,
would wax richer and richer in Incl.
dent-more and more strikjng-tiIl
she could bear them no longer and
we were called in. Then the fees !
l know an attorney for the Com
monYealth, who says, that he has
been concerned in a dozen cases or
more, of wives taking surety of the
peace against their husbands in all
of which save one, the wives declared
on oath, that the violence they suffered
was only aDhen their lords Oere in IL
quor. Now all these cases are grist
for our mill.
Eventhe plain collecting business
actions of debt, and upon accounts
VIC owe mostly to our ally, Mr.. Barley
corn. He makes debtors get behind
hand, neglect their payments, and re-
uuire to be sued. Gaming, usury, bad
bargains, ill-thrift. misunderstanding
about contracts, and many other causes
of law suits, arise out of " the cup Of
kindness" When the farmer lets his
store account run on so long, that the
merchant has to sue-ten TO one (if
that account is not chiefly for liquor)
the farmer has liquor account some
where else.
The liquor sellers themselves-what
inestimable customers they are to law
yers How vast proportion of the
bonds, notes and accounts, annually
put in suit, como from the desks of
those noble patrons ! Patrons, indeed,
they are, of Law and its kindred*
sciences; of distilIation, and its afIiI-
lated arts-physic, pauper-making,
prison.building, gallows-making, the
coffin manufacturer, and all kinds of
penitentiary work. What lawyer
would dare to offend them, or would
wish to spoil their business ? Are we
silly children, to quarrel with our
bread and butter ? Their direct Gus
tom brings me hundreds a year; and
their indirect agency has made more
than half my fortune.
Nay, as man milks the COW and
works the OK while they live, and eats
them when dead, so the good that
these noble patrons do as in their fall,
is well nigh equal to the good they do
us while they stand. For a great New
York Judge says, "that Of the tavern
keepers and retailers Of ardent spirits
in that State, during the last forty
years, more than twO thirds have be-
come drunkards, and reduced their
families to poverty" The proportion
ofthose whoJreakin Virginia is proba-
bly, greater and in the transit of a
large-liquor dealer from wealth to
poverty, is it not exhilirating to think
how many good jobs for lawyers oc-
cur? He takes deeds of trust, and he
makes deeds of trust, and multitude
is brought against him F.; throng OF
creditors scramble with each other for
his effects, and almost every creditor
must have one or more lawyers. The
whole scene, as l think over it, sounds
like the chink of money in my purse
l.