Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-01-13
Intemperance i'm the Cities.

The country has been surprised at the statis-
tics of rum selling in New York, and yet the pro
gress of the evil in that city, is but type Of its
progress in every large city in which free scope
is given to the mischievous traffic and its allure
ments. If Baltimore does not present as doleful
picture, it is because the evil has not vet OBJ
tanned as mature q growth as it has in New York.
If Philadelphia does not present as large proper
ton OF drinking houses, it is because the free Ii
license system with which she is cursed, has not
been in operation quite long enough to complete
its natural and inevitable results. Both the lat
ter cities are in a fair way to catch up to New
York in this infamous and destructive business,
appalling as the statistics of New York are in that
respect.
The report of the County Treasurer, by whom
the licenses are granted, shows that there are
now nineteen hundred and sixty-five taverns in
the city and surrounding districts of Philadel-
phia. These are licensed ones-how many pla-
ces are there besides where liquor is sold with
out license! The licensed taverns are in the
proportion of one TO every forty-one taxables !!
Who would have credited it, if the fact had been
asserted without the verifcation which the Coun-
ty Treasurer's report furnishes ! Yet it is Off
cial and reliable; though it has taken the COM
munity by surprise, and awakened alarm at the
fearful progress of this monster vice, We Will
not attempt to estimate the amount of losses sus-
tanned, expenses cntailed, and ruin engendered
by this multitude of drunkard- making depots /:
nor viii we attempt to depict their blighting ef-
feet upon the health, morals, energy, and happi-
ness of the communities in which they are loca-
ted. A sorry and dismal picture indeed do they
present, and one from which the lover of his spe-
cies will recoh with horror.
The rapdty with which intemperance has
grown up in cities, and the magnitude which
it has reached, have not been realized by sober
people. While they have slumbered, the enemy
has gained upon them incidentally the perni-
cious habit Of drinking-even to excess, has be-
come fashionable; and as a fashionable habit, it
is at this moment the greatest blight that ever
cursed our country-for, like the canker-worm,
it is eating out its very vitals. To attempt to
conceal this fact is worse than dIe-it is crilni-
nal.
Intemperance in the cities, fashionable and
brazen-faced as it has become, merits the atten-
ton of our statesmen, no less than that of the
philanthropists. Something should be done to
arrest its fearful ravages-no one will gainsay
tliat, puC "hat small that something be Shali
another appeal be made the sympathy and in
fuence Of association-to the eloquence and force
Of persuasion-or to the more potent weapon Of
legislative enactment ? The two former have
been tried-served their purpose for time, but
have well nigh exhausted their virtue. Thelat-
ter remains to be tried 1t is in process of trial
in two three Of the States; and the people of
at least four of the other States-among which
are New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, have
arisen in their might to stay the evil by the pow
of the law aad its ministers. We should not
be surprised to hear that prohibitory law had
been passed in either of these States. The pro-
ject will be presented and discussed in the Legis-
laturc Of each of the three States during the pre-
sent winter, and, as is now supposed, with fair
prospect Of fs'Icccss.-Sc5tt's Weeklj.i