Smyrna times., 1855-12-12
IL Is a Hard Case,H

so say the rum sympathizers when poor
uruhkafq lalis INTO the clutches of the law and
mas 10 suffer its penalty. But are there not
TWO sloes 70 this question Indeed, to begin
at the beginning, what right has any man 70
4 get drunk What right has he to throw a wa y
his brains and turn himself loose like a mad OK
upon the communityl How does he know
what he may then dol Who else can tell,-
Is he safe person to be abroada Is any one
else safe In his pathi These are questions
which ought to be taken into the account if I've
would know where the severity of the case lies.
who commit the crimes with which socie,v ;s
now afflicted! Who set our dwel]inrs on fro =,
VINO murder the innocent and defenceless o.
Whc frghten the timd as they 90 into the
street where the drunkard is reelinr and bravI.
ing toward his wretched home! Have not tho
tlm'd and unprotected as good right TO oo
abroad as any one else! And as they 90 out
and come IN have they not right TO expect q
reasonable quiet and safety in the streets! Is
not society bound io protect its weaker members
IN this respect! Does il not now pretend n
do So Wild animals are not permitted r. run
at large: Nay, even the COW and pig must not
be IN our streets, society will not bear the in.
convenience and annoyance. But who Of MI
the timd and defcnceless would not prefer to
meet these domestic animals rather than an.
counter bloated, staggering, blasphemipp
drunkard! 1t as hard case-that an; ma
should be subjected to the frights which timid
females often experience from such objects
even If the evils of iutemperance were nc
greater than these, society would have a DER.
fset right to forbid intoxication with proner
pains and penalties and thus try to abate the
! nuisance. And then if we add the well atteat-
ed ract, that three-fourths of the crime and
| pauperism in almost everv commun;tv oriso
from in'emperance. it would be hard case in.
deed II we had not right to protect ourselves
against such depreciation on our peace md
safety
And yet let man he prosecuted for so Of
fend'ng against the rights and comforts of his
feiiow-men, and there are ALWAYS those who
nave mawklsh, senseless sympathy for hin,
which oTerlooks his crime, and oyerlooks ,bo
interests, the peace, the safety of all others
And sometimes they clamor and rave ahou,
those who are engaged in executing the lovs
against such offenders as though we were the
verlest prosecutors in the world, and thew tho
most outraged victims The early martyrs sue
iered nothing in comparison with them tba
early prosecutors were mild and pitifnl COM
pared with these modern tormentors. This 10
the hIgh-tonod moral sympathy, this the ripbto.
Gus Indignation often expressed within the
pnrlieu OF the Chambers of Justice. Tho
Judge on the bench is another Jeffries Tho
Prosecuting Attorney is armed with pincbars
and knife to flOy his victim alive. The wit |
nesses for the people are pack of bloodbouuds
yeip'ng after their prey. But the hangers-on
the drunkard's companions and witnesses arc
the only persons with any signs of humanity
Iett III them. All the rest of creation aro os
though they were not. They have nothing to
10 with the mat;er-no interest at stake. no
rights to defend, no dangers TO avert. no r,ord
to say. II IS hard case. What may be said
'y The reporter of the Tribrne as beinp hard
o bear in New York is applicable here, and
cannot but call forth the remark from evnry
me: That IS, indeed, "hard case"