Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-06-21
gettsrs TO tbt aeupIe
In which the Author meets his Readers at their
own Fireside.
10 THE VOTER.-NO. TX.

required to find and provide, in his or her
sad Ordinary, good and wholesome diet and
lodging for travellers, and stable, fodder, corn
and pasturage for their horses for and during
the term Of one year." How many licensed
Ordinaries in this State provide "good and
wholesome diet and lodgings for travellers ?"
Not one Of the ordinary ordinaries in our
knowledge. True Hotels, invested with the
damning authority Of retailing liquid ruin,
may, and perhaps do supply other " COM
forts" for man and beast besides liquor by
the gill. But what are the accommodations
provided at the county and village licensed
stencil pits Z Do you find wholesome diet"
there2 No +; a whiskey cask, two or three
decanters, n pine board fora counter and half
n dozen green glasses And all this sacred
~ guarded by n red-eyed State officer whose
moral perceptions are-just as the moral per-
ceptions Of such characters should be. AND
yet we hear Magistrates and wise men pra-
ting about the necessity Of such modern bells
for the convenience Of the travelling public
and insisting that the Law compels the Court
10 grant license, TO the devil even, If Dives
and Cerberus swear no is n fellow Of good
moral character and not in " slender credit"
The law itself, as bad as it is in every sec
ton, ia daily perverted and wrenched from
the purposes designed in its enactment the
intent Of the Law originally was to provide
Inns, places where travellers might rest, but
under modern administrator they are rab-
bling pest houses and a curse as well as a
disgrace to a community making any pre-
tensions to either religion or morality.
Again, in case Of breach or noncompliance
with the requirements Of the bond, "it shall
and may be lawful for any person, in the
name of the State, to sue for and recover the
-1A--r. Ill Iu-I - L,lC 10 4h1g .rGn
and the other half to the use of the State"
Now, if any person has the curiosity to try
an experiment let him sue any one Of the
scores of legalized dram-sellers in the State
for not complying with his bond-they are
all nearly TO a man, liable to be sued-try
the experiment and what will be the result ?
You will find the old adage verified the Gus
toms Of the people become the peoples law.
Not one in ten would be convicted, though
they kept nothing nearer like " fodder" and
" lodgings for travellers" than a broken Jug
and q mashed tin cup. Two many Of those
who sit on the Bench and pronounce upon
the law are too deeply in love with rum and
rot.gut whiskey 10 take any steps for the de-
molition, OF injury even, of these legal " in
situations" so essential to the comfort of the
travelling public.
Again, the law requires the Magistrates Of
each County once n year at least, at the first
Court held after January first, in each year,
to " rate the prices of liquor, diet, lodging,
fodder, corn, provender and pasturage to
be taken by ordinary keepers in their res
pcctive counties and every ordinary keeper
shall within thirty days after such rates are
settled, cause the same to be set up in the
common entertaining room Of such ordinary,
and there kept until the rates are again al
tered" If the keeper fails so to do he is La
BILE to q fine Of Forty Dollars, to 90 to the use
of the county. Hal p~erjured Magistrate.
why did you not "truly and faithfully per
form" all duties pertaining to your Office p
Why did you not price "~liquor" for the
government Of that wretch you clothed with
authority to erect his snare in public places
that ne might make dimes WHITE he damned
your fellow-men ? The law requires it, and
yeu solemnly called God to "help you" and
bear you witness that you would faithfully
discharge the duties Of your Office. Enough
of this; we have read and re-read this infa.
nous Law and have given you, my dear Git
izen, the main features gifts provisions. VIZ
can find no redeeming trait in aliits sections
IL is wrong IN motiUe, impolHic IN its opera
tioRs, 0~trocjouS in principle and deUittsh ~
conception.
Would to God our Courts would faithfully
study the bloody history of the Rum trath,
before the time arrives for granting licens
again if so, instead of draping the living
curse in the tinselled robes Of Responsibility
they would 60 down to the darkest cavern
in the filthy bells ofinfamy and guilt the
would search the lowest sinks infestlng sc
ciety and there, where the vile, the abandon
cd and the outcast shine in shameless iniqu
ty, and a fostering humanity rots in its ow
--.--.. 1a-..1aN.aa dalaak tho pnOCke
shirt in oil that gibbering horde who is til
most proficient in crime, and adorn his bri
zen brow with the insignia of authority
go forth through the wales of the green cart
TO blight and then destroy forever, strongme
and feeble women. Then, instead of sele
ting villages where little children roam I'll
streets, or public places away in the vii
woods where the happy farmer dwells, the
would select som gloomy desert where I'll
flower blooms not and where the ayengin
wrath Of an insulted Deity has been painte
on every hill, plain, vale, forest, blade an
field in the lightning colors of the mo-
blighting desolation and where some blaC
tower Of Death lifts its grim walls, drippir
with the green dews of a fostering pestilenc
its affairs in the inner penetralia should eu
send up n sickening incense of murdert
blood where the blessed sunlight of Heave
should scorn to simmer, and instead of i
golden flash the Internal and lurid glare
the blazing realm should fall blindingly upC
the writhing faces Of the maddened host;
where every tree should be q trembling Upa
dropping death from it's withered leaves e
cry breeze a hot Simoom like the deadly bla
Of the pit ; and every rill q Stygian flood
inundate fields and homes: there erect the
gdlized office and bid The State Officer sell I
body bhlghting, soul damning fire n!
The fungi Of r~ottenness should breed
every glassl Night should be robbed of
wonted stiffness by the shrieks of the Il
mingling with the unearthly laughter of t
living The cursings, and wailings, Al
crashing discord Of the Rum murdered V
tins, as they reel on the brink ofan enterr
flood Of anguish, should shout a shrieki
alto to the grooming bass ofthe ancient dan
edl Wailing anthems and wild respon.
should vibrate through the rayless corrid
Of the Temple Of Blood, and the idolatrC
pilgrims crowd, and fight, and iostle, a
sing, and curse, and yell, and die at the GA
of the pitt The bones of the sacrificed
gion should bleach along the beaten hirhv
leading to the Temple, and g%rinning SKI
should look out Of hollow eyes on the see
Accursed should be craven on the stones
pave the pilgrim path, and over the
should be written in the blood Of the s
poured out at tho shrine Of the Rum d
"TnE RoAD TO HE'LL" Truth and Jus
would not be outraged, and men would
be allurod TO ruin as now.
We are not done yet, my dear Citi1
we must await till we meet again. Bear
us for we hate the curse we fght-hel