The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1859-02-23
For the Grnnd Hnren News.

Mr.. EDITOR: Twas much pleased with
the spirit Of q communication which APP
peared in your issue of the 9th inst, rel-
ative to the amount of profanity prevail
ing in your community. The structures
thereon by your correspondent, "Anti-
Swearer," in the opinion of the writer,
were most just-especially so far as those
occupying the highest position in civil so
ciety" arc concerned. The same thoughts
have often entered my mind, and have
felt as though the practice of profanity
served to degrade those persons in the cs-
timation of the more virtuous portion of
community, and even dishonor the offices
by them held, through the pleasure of the
good people, though in almost every other
respect, perhaps, they are such men as we
delight to honor. But there is one other
practice l have observed in my limited in
tercourse with the good citizens of your
village, prevailing to some extent with
those same officials and others of your
prominent men, to wit: The practice Of
stepping into the saloons and public
houses and calling for their brandy, gin,
lager, DC. Now, Mr.. Editor, l am a
Temperance man, thoroughly imbued with
its principles, and ready to throw what
little influence / possess in community on
the side Of right, virtue and sobriety; and
my limited acquaintance with the publish
ers of the News, and all connected with
that office, even to your devil" persuades
me that You are, one and all, actuated by
the same principles and motives, and dc
sire greatly to see the teeatV .C ~ SplerAa
your village, closed forever against the
traffic. But you arc convinced with the
writer that that object desirable as it may
be, can never be accomplished, so long as
the prominent men in community counte-
nance the vender, and give him "aid and
comfort" in his business. And l am in
formed that il is quite difiicult-and the
reason is well known-to get some of the
prominent Justices of your village to en-
tertain prosecution of one guilty of vi
olating the provisions Of the Prohibitory
Law, while persons engaged in the
most trivial cases of assault and battery,
or guilty of other violations of law, have
no cause to complain that justice is not
speedily meted out TO them. Now, sir,
you canneyer suppress intemperance while
such a state of things prevails. Our
State Legislature may enact most strin-
gent liquor law, cutting off the traffic in
intoxicating liquors Of every kind and
grade, and may clothe that law with all
the power that human ingenuity can de-
wise, to enable it to accomplish the desir-
ed work, and yet the provisions will be-
como null and void, absolutely of none
effect, so long as the prominent and inhu-
ential men in your or any other COM
munity countenance the traffic. 1t is for
the interest of the vender to continue the
trade, and he will do so just so long as he
is permitted, all law to the contrary not
withstanding. Now from these sugges-
tons it must be plain where the trouble
lies, and you can perceive at once what is
requisite to be done before the good citi-
zens of your village can rid themselves of
this great moral evil, which, like an incu-
bus, rests upon them, and "devours all
their fair name," and upon whom rests
the responsibility of such state Of things.
TEMPERANCE.
Grand Haven, Feb'y 20, 1859.