Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-02
Temperance Policy in Iowa,

well take the bull by the horns,' at once
and form something like an effective organ
lzation for the purpose of securing the en-
actment of "a law for the prohibition of TIN
sale of Intoxicating drinks, except for me
dicinal. mechanical and sacramental pur
poses.
The basis Of such Il movement is TIT
ground, known to be correct and true tina
alcoholic drinks, weak or strong, or in larg,
or small quantities, are all delcterous Il
the system, and therefore dcscrvedly rank.
Ing with polsons. We have vet to find thai
man who will not acknowledge that imtem
perance is an evil. The man who stand.
behind his counter and pours out liquor to
another already Keeling under its influence,
will tell you himself that intemperancc is
an evil. That which leads to an evil is
itself an evil, and hence there arc few who
will not also tell you that tho srle of intox-
icating drinks, whether to a moderate or
excessive drinker, is an evil. To drink
moderately is an evil, because alcoholic
drinks in large or small quantities, are del
eterious to the physical, moral and intellect
ual constitution, and because their modar-
ate use leads to the more palpable OWL of
their immo1 erate use.
This grounc, therefore, may be freely
assumed, that, as all ale Jholic drinks are
deadly poisons, their use as beverage,
moderately or immoderately, is intempcr-
ance. All alcoholic drinks, from beer to
brandy, tend to impair digestion, derange
circulation, enfeeble the constitution, dis
order the brain, and cause premature de-
crepitude and death. Grant this and n
Prohibitory Law presents itself as a neces-
sity.
The result of the recent elections i'm New
YORK appear very decidedly to have opera
ted IN favor of the Maine Law. Several of
tAe best conducted papers in Texas are
boldly advocating total prohibition, except
for medicinal, mechanical or sacramental
purposes. In Iowa, number of papers
have taken decided ground on the subject.
The ''Bannner," Democratic paper pub.
$500" wv c"'Sui oit, say
Tue temperance cause ia Iowa now stands on the
right gr uai, and ii rhe proper aturule for a over
wt-.;si triu ia. b. the united If RS of persons
OF AL ial rties, the demon spirits will b. "cast
out " hist the temp3rAnce paper Of the State vas
supp SD 20 DC under wing IL fuepce and designed t.
oeneht wigs and the whig party exclusively, d;m o.
Gratis refused to give hearty suppor bat now hat
organ stands above suspicion, and strictly and ex
eusively temperance paper, with.ut airy political
bia prediotion or subseIvency, wings Gcmoearts
WIZ we with each ohcf in extending its circs!ation
ard uefulness.
+ The Dubuque Tribune SAYS:
Marry all Of our Exchanges in this Safe have had
som sblng to say, and have said it, respecting Tenn
peraIce III wa. Hitherto We have not participated
IN tn discussion. " have been alive to the humili-
attn truth that the suiJect is dangerous one. The
journalist Who speaks III favor # tue Maine Law fer
instance, is charged with making it polii a meas
ure, and Of bringing question Of morals into the
political arena. lie may denounce the law in tv.ry
issue OF bis paper, and escape these charges liz is
only when one sr:azs for it, in favor of it, that he
mmlss the namlless outrage Ut minSling temp.r-
apcc and politics
The Fairfield Ledger says:
Tho friends Of the TEN pcranc, cause in W., ara
beginning 10 discuss tbs exp9dicncy of adopting n
piohb toiy law at tie s.i,a Of our lrgiature
by that time II is b Y cd that WA will have a sob
Govcrnor-cnc who will net give bis ilence to the
cause OF ruAocrecy. So mote it be.
The Keokuk "Whig'' says s'the public
mind is ripe, and has been for years. for
the suppression of the business Of drunk
ard making" And further remarks:
IL viii se seen o the p-oc.edugs of pu9lic
lie OF our z,as, that they hay already III ,de
in tins dirrc ~ and we hav, the utmost con-
hlenee rom the sp.rt manifest and the dete,In,ua
ton CT those who have taken holi of the matter AZ
wen as the leyra'i which is exhibited in pledges of
'nateriai Rd, that the law will bs eilec uaIy en-
forced in our CRY the total aud utter suppr et
land destruction of cv,ry dGegery in our midst
luere Is wisdom aad virtue ami economy in ills
course. If the dggeris desro, ed the head quar-
es II the anti Name law forces bsken up, ard
TIE manufactures Of Aat Mane-law votes are closed
Eh2 motives for politicians to US, their il nuence
against the law, or to p!8y dJube and Gcceltful
game ceas' and with fair field and a Der PEI ple
We sna De abe ca ny tae law, by an overwhelming
Al tr.um 3hant mrj rity.
Again, the enforcement Of the p-esozt law will dis
perso TIE or OF dIuakarcs, gamblers and lJafers,
wach csngrcgate at these ID, g3erics 10 corrupt the
IN 'rs OF the cinnu ry aal eut.cs the youth uf the
lani into habits of ideuess. ss ion and crime IL
would likewis, dry up the source FROM which A ,ws
niAe-tcnt OF the criminal and pauper expenses of
the 5 ate.
l. it not then the dc'aie of wisdom, virtue and
economy to ntIibute smsl to nip this tree, SO
fruitful If dSsoatng evils AMI burdensome taxation
In the very bud. We taxed to support Doggery
manufact ired paupers and to punish liquor nstiga-
ID criminals, aud educate children robbed of
their means ard Consigned to poverty and ignorance
by the heartless dramseller.
We nfributc in our bensvoe nee, and our wives
and daughter, by their kindly ministry relieve the
wants and the suferipgs Of many innocent women
and children who are reduced to wretchedness by tho
inh hence Of lquer.
AUD last OF all, we exp,nd our money to sustain
the preaching OF the Gospel of Salvation to elevate
and cLristiapize world lying in wiakedness; while
these doggery keepers their Influence day and
night, and during the holy Sahb,th to degrade and
brutaiize cur neighbors and withdraw them frcm the
sound ard the influence of truth.
Surely these considerations should arouse all good
citizens to unite and lend a helping hand-and a
liberal hand to aid in cnfurcr the law to the utter
annihliation Of all the dran-sLops in community.
We close this subject with the following
letter from Gen. Cass, which has been re-
Gently published for the first time:
DETROIT, July Sd, 1S47
DEAR SIR Il Lave received your letter, and Ger
faniy il my experience example can lend any aid
Sn the great cause of temperance they shall not be
withheld FROM those who seek to know them l have
never tasted ardent spirits in my ife and therefore
know that the use can SO dispensed with. Probably
few men have undergone more fatigue taan L have
The most active portion Of my life was passed in a
new country, on the very verge of civilization and
much OF it beyond, and have had, too my full share
of health, might almost say have enjoyed almost
uninterrupted health, and l am therefore living
prcof that ardent spirits not necessary for phys
cal endurance, under any circumstances of toll or
tria. Would there were no living proofs that their
use Is often destructive, he who travels in that
path can never say with confidence iV g, thus far
and no farther.
1t was this conviction, which led me when Secreta.
~ Of M fh,r,, H.. -