Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-01-27
PRopR1ErY PLANS, N. c., Jan. 8, 1853.

PRoPRIETY PLANS, N. c., Jan. 8, 1858. ,
Mr.. SPIRIT OF THE AGE Dear SRI
hope you will pardon me, if | intimate to You
that the business in which you are engaged,
and the principles and organizations you so
ardently advocate, and which you so earnest
ly strive to sustain, are all a humbug yes,
worse than that a perfect farce. And yet
such is the case, as is most clearly shown by
| the following conversation which accident
| ally had the good fortune to hear, while at
| Court the other day in a neighboring county
and which, for your benefit, | now propose to
give. The conversation alluded to, origina-
ted, Gas I understand in this way: Some
person had made application to the Worship
full Court for License to retail spirits !; not
Spirits of the Age, but ardent spirits, in a
neighboring town and while the court were
hesitating, lest they might infringe upon the
interest of another very worthy gentleman
who was engaged in the same laudable bust
ness in the same village, a very prominent
officer of the court interrupted its otherwise
quiet deliberations by offering the following,
as | conceive, overwhelming argument IN Ia
vor of the applicants request Said he, May
it please the Court, | think you ought to
grant this man license to retail, for we have
but enc retail shop in that town, and we have
to pay too high for our liquor, Let us have
two shops, and we can get our liquor cheap"
Upon which the Court forthwith granted the
man hiA request. Well, after the court adj
~journedA we all went down to tf bff hMRtfe Mt Ace, /
can assure you that he keeps the best fires
of any Landlord | have visited this winter,
and | don't blame him, for it a very wooden
country over there, anyhow. But as | was
going on to say, we met around the fire,
smoking cigars and talking about first one
thing and then another, when, all at once,
Esq. w. said "Sherif L., what made YOU
plead SO to-day for that fellow to get license
| never heard a Sheriff make such a speech
In the Court House before in my life" Oh.
said the Sheriff, 81 want to raise all the tai
| can. It's for the public good I'm after
But, says he, | think the law is wrong, fol-
:, the county has to pay all the cost that orr
: ginates from all the little fights and misde
! meanors that result from intemperance, ant
| think the county, and not the State, ough
! to receiFe the tax collected in that way
We'll, says ESQ. d., 1--WE had just as vel
q give every body license that wants them, fo
d people Ylll drink any how, in spite Of crea
: ton @nd let the people have decen
n P9aeesy go for it; for if we don't, they viii
o go to adlrty place for they are bound t
n nave iS some where. Don't you think 50
Y III. L. "Ohi yes" says DR.. L. 81 thinl
It's exactly right, for men will have it, an,
e III no use trying to prevent them. Why
Y said thelDr, this thing oftrying to put dow
n drinking by law, and all these d-m Temper
|, anee societies, and such, are all gone to he
r long ago II there is any such a place.
e well, the DIR. being such a learned man. an
a expressing himself so positive, convinced u
Y all tnatf there is any hell, which was th
v only thing about which he seemed to hay
il any oouot, you are advocating a thing tina
It Is N that direction. The DR.. did not tell u
e "nat sort OF a place it is, but from his look
r when bespoke theword, it is a horrible plac,
So we all concluded that the business /;
% Whlcn you are engaged is a small business
n and thought as you live a good ways of
J. and have not an opportunity of seeing til
d gentlemen, | would just write you this lette
N TO let you know how matters stand. No
IS you may rest assured that yours isa low cal
" ing, Tor these men are smart, high-Larnt me
b ana cannot be mistaken: three of them al
& officers OF the court and the other is a Do
e Tor. Oh, but you get ashy, do you ? and sa
r that IT the principles and societies you adv,
cate are all gone to hell, these men will soc
Sc follow for the purpose of joining them, {
e. your Well, / am sorry that | have insulte
n you, for | can assure you, that | have wri
ten this letter out of the kindest of feeling
d. but am happy to inform you that you al
le mistaken again, for I know one of them to
Or q member of the church, andI have no doul
We 6ut that the other three are very pious me
ID 30 think, upon the whole, you had bett
quit your unlucky business and turn yol
tie attention to something better calculated
Sc suit the taste of the learned men of the ag
Id mot the Spirit of the Age but the age v
- live in.
/ desire now to close my first Int 7 hone n,
if my last letter, by again assuring you that
80 is intended for your good, and in SO doing
if subscribe myself, most respectfully your OBJ
1r dent servant and humble benefactor.
to CONSISTENCY.
Il