Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-04-30
and abuse of ardent spirits. The police power,

anu ABUSE OF ardent Splits. Inc ponce power,
which is exclusively in the State, is aione compe-
tent 10 the correction of these great evils; and all
measures of restraint prohibition necessary for
the purpose, are within the scope of that authori-
ty. THERE'S no conflict ofpower, or oflegislation,
| as between the States and the United States: each
is acting within its sphere, for the public good:
| and If a loss of revenue should accrue 10 the u.
s., from a diminished consumption OF ardent spir-
its, she will gain q thousand fold in the health,
wealth and happiness ofthe people," p. 632.
These views and opinions have put to rest all
doubts as to the consttutionality of the prohbiory
law.
Will it be said that the vender of strong drink
compelS no man to buy, or drink?-that the drink
ers free agents, and drink not Gas they have
| a right 10 do) at their own pleasure? ~
II is great mistake, to call one free agent,
over whom the love otdrink has obtained the mas
terry. He is its slave; and the slave of its keepers
SO much their slave, that many dwelling has been
striped ofits furniture, even to the bed of Sickly
wife, and the food and clothing of children, TO pay
| for The baleful cause of their wretchedness. The
drunkard becomes one, by thousand insensible
degrees long before he is conscious of the fac:
| and when once habitually so, only some overpow-
ering physical restraint, or total inability to get
| drink, can prevent his drunkenness again, if he
tastes liquor at all. And he is allured to taste
again by iudged friends, or still oftener) by the
drink dealers, who haunt every crossing of roads,
and every street. No, he is not free agent. The
Law forblds usury, because the ey-borrower
| is supposed to be at the lenders mercy. The
|
| legs power: therefore gaming is forbidden. And
the Law earnestly aims TO prevent the begin
ming OF evil, (obstare pincipis that it will not let
me, or any of you, play game of whist ping -un,
| loo, or solitaire, at the hotel racefeld, even
| without betting, Alas! no needy borrower is half
SO fast in the usurer's gripe-no green horn, with
more money than brains, is 1.-THE so fatally with
IN the gamblers clutcheS--as the drunkard is in
| the Drink-Demon'S grasp!-and IN the grasp of the
Drink Demon ally and master, the dram-seller!
| Buff the wretched SDt himself were freeman,
and wiltully and knowingly fell into excess, and
persisted in il; and thus deserved his doom are
his wife and children partners in his guilt-agen'S,
and therefore justly sharers in his ruin? Are you
not bound to protect THEN, from the terrible effects
| of the Drink Demons and the Drink Sellers al
lurement?-YOU, the guardians, the fathers, the
owners of this country? Yes! you are bound!
You are responsible for every bitter, scalding tear
Shed by woman for husbands unkindneSS, and
ruin! You are answerable, for every beggard or
phan's cry for bread, whose father has sold away
| his iamy's comforts and subsistence, to buy the
| blasting Of his iamily'S peace! You are answer
aOle-becauSe you avert these evils, and do not.
LIS nelghbors, too and society around him, suffer
| by his excuses. These make him quarrelsome: he
takes offence without cause: his contracts not
| fulfilled: perhaps he commits crime. For (remem.
berg 1t is such he that commits four fths of all
breaches of the law! Here, then, are other wide
grounds for your interfcrng even if the drunkard,
or his family, had no claim to your sympathy, and
| protection.
II is said, however,-PuniSh him for his crimes.
Lord Coke and Sir Matthew Hale tell us that
''drunkmess aggravates, not excuses crime.' But
LURES will not convict or severely punish one be-
trayed by drink into crime: unless he be proved to
have cotton drunk merely 10 prime himself icr the
deed And suppose you do hang, or imp:iSon him:
will that restore the person he has killeu, maim-
ed! BeSideS-far the most numerous and distress
ing OF his il-deeds such as the Law cannot
lay hold of: misconduct III his own family: petu.
lance-quarrelings- disgusting acts of thousan,,
sorts, making in all irlghtful sum of unhappi-
ness. In his case, pennyweight of prevention is
worth ton of cure; even if you could cure-aS
you cannot. You cannot undo the ruin he has
wrought: but you can hinder such mischiefs in Gu-
ture, by abolishing their cause.
The capital employed in making intoxicating Ii
quorS in Virginia, (says the census Of 1850 was
only about one hundred and three thousand dollars.
Mos of tie liquors used i'll the State, probably
proceed from that outlay. Considering the enor-
nous profit made by retail dealers (who sell at
from to IL cents per glass, what costs the dstl-
Ter hardly ~ cents gallon,) 1t is no wonder that
the consumers are annually live millions of dollars
out of pocket.
| Cro