Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-07-09
For the Spi
Friendly tek to g

IL you naQ not Openeusl s17xTA A
else would, and the sala kosSsz<sT y
been sustained by the Il hity. That
is very likely. But LET Ee how much
better it would have b9 you When
we see damage done to one, we feel
sorry but how good fnIeel when we re-
feet self is not invoIvesI When each can
lsay :" 1 had no hand inA." This would
have been the case With fou, but now it is
different with you. Yob have to feel that
it is your liquor that dt it and you have
the money in your pockE for It. i XII
nv neighbor the courtEill not sufter me
; to enter the plea that ifE had not done 1t,
: some one else would. 10, nor will it avail
: any thing for you to iead before an en-
lightened community, That if you had not
: opened your shop that sdpe one else would,
J and the same damage have resulted. 1t
: should not ease your Conscience my friend
. at all. There is another point which l
;, ;, wish to call your attenti& to, as perhaps
y ] it has never been fully presented to your
e mind. It is this. y our business is not
st profitable It is true you sell a great deal
/ of your liquors and make a large profit on
% your sales,. but did it evhrsoccur to you that
le you were not increasingin wealth Per
'e haps you are not worth more money to-day
- than you were when you began the hslsl-
a'' ness. There are your neighbors who be
+ gan when you did, one a mechanic, anoth-
Iis er merchant, another farm. another .
on lawyer, and another teacher, an Nerhaps
as if your business has not been their ruin
ed the whole of them are really saving NOR
ng money and doing better than you are.
as do not know how to account for It, r.
e, such is the fact. Now just look bacl kAu
call to mind all of the men whom. yo1 Eve
es, known engaged in the business ar ee Z
lat one of them sver beeslaas.ich efnaps
is some haze done weR fora II Dat u
The end poor gss.l 4 go safas; :.
s sure US ofthe truth ofF{e 1Sse 1s;a5 = az
5ar lar saith, " Wo unto him tha o;veth his
-, 4er neighbor drink, that ptttesb,3y hottie to
IA M him, and makest ham drunk e. ;, God
~ frowns on your business and it ca mot nros.
ION per. Again, it is not d comforhle bnsi-
;,h ness. This you are ready to at,it no
af doubt, for your experience bears teslnonv
80 80 to the truth of my assertion. WIN a1
1 unpleasant thing it must be to hA .
-. crowd of wicked, drunken men aroull
- you. Men who do notrespect your fee
,on ~, ings, or your interest. I do not say ths
all your customers are of this class, bu
+.ho many of them are, and that part makes tn
VIZ w rest uncomfortable andE you must be III
"a happy, unless you havel@t those finer fee
~ ~ ings Of our nature and don't care VIII:
~ you see or hear, nor whi is happy nor wh
III III is miserable. And my fiend there is sti
al al another thing which mus 3trouble you, an
oan ~, that is the reflection thai the world lool
psL pJn upon your business as rather beneath tI
= dignity of man. Dot consider tn
harsh. You have felt it, you have seen
Those very men who paronize you an
seem to be your best frields, would ratht
you were engaged in some other busines
They would esteem you pore highly, an
would do more for you. Suffer me to as
h;a you the following questions which you ma
nl' n answer to yourself, and I Hill close this a
az ~ ticle. l. How many of the great men
IN Il the nation were grog-sellers !? 2. Ho
.el e.l many grogsellers were ever nominated
.Ssl ."l candidates for posts of ho nor and profit
=. ''ed and 3. Why have. SO few eyer been prom
=; ,r;t ted Yours truly, G.