Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-04-09
Written for the Spirit of the Age.
a few Arguments in favor Of Liquor.
NO. III.

NO. III.
MIR. EDITOR In this letter, | invite YOUR
attention to the social effects Of ardent spir-
its. You know there are a great many fine
orchards in the country. These produce
more fruit. than the owners can consume in
the natural state. Now would you have all
this surplus fruit lost? You know brandy
IS easily made, and is always valuable. A
great many families make most of their mon
ey In this way. 1t is true, now and then,
all these families lose some Of the members
thereof by Drunkenness, but had they not
better lose one every year than to lose the
apples z 1t Is also true, that sometimes the
neigllbors get together and drink a little too
much, and sometimes fight, and once in a
while some one gets killed, but all that you
know is u mere accident"-men ought not
to drink too much. These things arise from
the abuse, and not from the use Of the bless
ing. But then, look at the good it does
Who could get his corn husked, or his logs
rolled, or his potato hills made without IL
quor. Now sir, these men are indebted to
liquor for all these things. And then you
know, people get sick sometimes, and some
times one dies. In such a case the people
! have TO sit upsall night" Who can stand
! II without q little liquor. With some spirits
}the young folks can get rve1y aid pass off
1.-THE time much better. And then when the
funeral comes off the preacher and the breth-
rem generally need a little, and one can get
it without sending so far for it.
The most of these people make a little
more than they need at home, and the sur
plus sent to town on Court days, when must
OF the men and some Of the women too have
to go and stay all day, and they need a lit
tie to keep them bright. It is generally
old IN the street by the On .rt, and the man
returns with the cash In his pocket. And
this IS not all. You know some folks will
do wrong sometimes any how, and will
abuse the blessings of providence. These
get drunk and remain in town all night
Though this seems to some folks a great evil.
there is a bright side to this also. You
know town folks think themselves so wise
and fine that they become proud. Now
those men, who stay all night in town, are
very apt to learn the town people that coun-
try folks know something too-they give
them some lessons in morals. And they are
apt to have q row and fight, get bruised and
lose blood bat WHIP would not bleed for the
Liberties of BIS country? They are pretty
apt to be indicted for the row and the law
yers make something by it, you know, and
all this keeps money IN circulation. If the
fellow has no money or property, the State
foots the bill, and by that means the treas
ury keeps empty, and all the evils arising
from too much money in the treasury are
avoided. And then if there is any left, it
can be sold by those men who are qualified
with a good moral character, and have OBJ
tanned license to retail to gentlemen and sots
You know sir, this is such a particular bust
ness, this Office Of liquor seller, that every
body cannot do it. A good moral character
must be proved in open court and then the
court gives him license to sell liiqaor. These
men support their families in this way. and
make drunkards and keep up lively times
besides.
This business Of making and selling liquor
does a great deal Tor the country. There is
no telling how things would go, if there
was no liquor. [ don't hardly know what
good the Courthouse and jail would do
without liquor. In fact, there would be but
LITTLE tim in goifsAs Court if there was none.
| will close for this time. In my next I will
continue this subject a little further. Yours
truly. G.