Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-02-20
II wont LET me- alnra-

You let 1t alone, and twill let you Alone
said o liquor seller to me, as | urged him, in
consideration of the public good, to abandon
the traffic. But it is not true. Thousands
and thousands in our State, never use intox-
icating drinks themselves they let the liquor
alone yet their suferings in consequence OF
its use by others, are very great and ought
not to be endured.
Mrs AlAra iaa-la1J~ talent
and education. In her early days, and for
the first few years Of her married life, she
was surrounded by kind and loving friends,
and had all that her heart could desire
Multitudes almost envied her, as they view
ed her beautiful mansion, her peaceful and
happy home, with her affectionate husband.
and beautiful and well-behaved children
but a sad change has come over her. That
kind and faithful husband began to visit.
with boon companions, a fashionable saloon.
He soon acquiredan appetitefo for strong drink.
The habit increased. He soon became an
inebriate-a loathsome drunkard. His bust
ness was neglected-his property wasted
his mansion sold by the sherif-his family
reduced to penury and want.
In q few short years the once hanoy Mrs.
Albro found herself the wife of a man who
seemed to take a sort of fendish delight in
abusing her and her children, and making
their life wretched beyond description. At
length, her spirit crushed by the abuse of
a once loving husband, and q body emaciated.
and sick from her privations and sufferinps,
she and her little ones are carried to the
alms-house, while the husband and father is
in prison for crime committed in a drunken
spree.
Now, Mrs. Albro and her children let L.
quOr alone, but did it let them alone?
Mrs. Albro IS but the representative of al
least twenty thousand women in this State
who, with their children, are suffering more
than language can express, in consequence
|.of the traffic in strong drinks. Yet the,
let it alone, but it won't let them alone.
Need we say such persons ought to be pro
tected?
There is another class in the commun;t,
which liquor will not let alone, though the;
may be total abstinence men.
To say nothing 0fthe interest every MAJ
has in the public morals ofsociety-the peace
happiness and prosperity of the people a
large j; every taxpayer is injured by the tral
6c, and has a right to claim protection b
law.
1t has been shown beyond all reasonabl
, doubt, from official documents, that three
: fourths of the criminal prosecutions an
= s~even-elGhths of the entire amount of pat
= perism in the land, may be traced to stron
u drink. Ofcoarse, three-fourths of the e,
pense of the whole system of criminal iuri
b prudence, the cost and interest on cost.
10 ell our lails, penitentiaries, and prisons
every description, are attributable to tn
cause. The men who pay the enormous ia
necessary for these purposes, may let liqut
~ alone, but it will not let them alone.
a The man whose ship is wrecked and Or
n, perty destroyed, because strong drink h
caused the commander or pilot to err
lg vision or stumble in Judgment may nev
st use liquor himself, yet suffers in c~onsequen
of the traffic and its use by others.
We may safely aver that there is not
- man, woman or child in the country, who
not injured, directly or indirectly, by t
traffic in intoxicating liquors.
all There is, then no truth in the decIaratic
ne IF you let liquor alone it will let you alon
,ul it won't hurt you if you don't use it.
does injure every one of US.
WestcrB CRUSADER.