The Yazoo City weekly Whig. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 18??-1855, 1853-07-01
Yazoo member Of the Central Com.
Yazoo City June e5. 1853.
To the Legislature Of the State Of
Mississippi.

\ 4AAASSsSsOe1NkSAs
The undersigned. your fellow-citizens o
the State of Mississippi. impressed with thu
alarming evils growing out of the retail 0
spirituous liquors. beg leave to call the at
tention of the Legislature to some of The
evils incident to licensed dram-shops, and
to invoke its assistance for their suppression
We believe it to be the duty of every
Government to protect its citizens in the en-
joyment of life, property, and reputation
and universal experience has demonstrated
that the retail of spirituous liquors, has beer
the cause of greater sacrifice of life, more
destructive of property, and waste Of repu-
tation, than all the other causes combined.
Under the influence of the constant allure
ments held out for dissipation. men fall VIC
tins to the curse of intemperance, who
would otherwise not only become useful in
their respective stations, but ornaments to
society. Intellect, fortune, and reputation
are gradually undermined, and eventually
life itself becomes sacrifice to habits of
fashionable dissipation The criminal sta
listics of every State in the Union have prov
en- that nine-tenths of the murders and other
felonies committed, may be traced to the
uso of intoxicating drinks procured at the
dram shops, whilst the Hospitals and Poor
Houses are every where filed with eviden-
ces Of the blighting influence of this habit
apon health and prosperity.
Large sums of money have been very
properly expended by the State, in our Com
mon School system, designed not only to
inform the minds. but to improve the NOR
ais Of the rising generation; and yet. whilst
with. one hand. the Legislature is holding
out the means Of instruction and usefulness,
with the other is sowing the seeds of vice
and corruption, by its license system, and
the present, as well as future generations,
will eventually reap harvest Of crime, pow
erty, and degradation. Better, far better
would it be, to abolish our Common Schools
and permit our children to be raised up in
virtuous ignorance. rather than undermine
their morals, and crush their prospects Of
usefulness BY the fell destroyer, which is
permitted to assail them in every village and
at almost every cross-road in the State.
To cultivate the mind and improve the
morals of the people. Ito encourage indus
try, and restrain the commission Of crime,
adds to the wealth and prosperity Of the
country. and to the permanency Of is inst,
tutions; and therefore properly become the
subjects Of legislative enactments; and hence
laws are enacted for the prevention Of dis
ease. and to restrain The sale Of unwhole-
some drugs. Our own State has enacted
laws to protect the public health. go
prevent contagion. and % punish The
crime Of administering poison. = and vet. q
The face Of he salula4y restraints dictated
by . wise and humane policy. tie most ruin.
GUS, because the most fatal and seductive q
poisons. are daily and hourly dealt ont ae'
cofding 70 law, and contrary u law n young
ind I'D. lich and poof. bond and pros
ducink consequences destructive ~
/ only q tie health. tie morals md ihe