Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-03-30
Adulterated LIQUORS.

"11 - ~ "Jo-ooy oneS'ihg society, that.
frequent allusion to it by the press viii
be regarded as irksome or unpleasant "
did hope that our late Legislature worla
something to put a total stop to the imr,..
ton of bastard and adulterated LIQUORS ana
wines into this State. Perhaps no mors r
fective step could have been taken to arr.
the tide of drunkenness. than this: and y.
manifest fraud and injustice Of oferirr
sale liquors which are totally a cheat ard -
imposition upon the people, would have ms.
titled the Legislature in adopfinz he mos,
stringent measures to prevent their ~introdpc.
ton into this State.
We do not question the powers of the Leg.
~islature to prohibit the sale of every species
of intoxicating liquors, as a beverage. in the
State. In its essential character, the Legis.
l~ature, is the legitimate guardian. promoter
and protector of all the interests of the peo.
pie, so far as they relate to their lives, mo.
rails, peace and property. Whatever tends to
the destruction or injury of either, comes
within the authority of the Legislature to
abate, punish or remove. If, therefore, the
lives, property, peace, and morals of commu-
nifty are placed under the guardianship of the
Legislature, can a doubt exist as to the ne
cessity and propriety of prohibiting the sale
Of spirituous liquors, which have been more
destructive to all these interests, than all 9TH
er influences combinede we thfns4u~
But the day has not yet arrived, when we
can hope for such Legislative protection as
would prohibit the sale of pure Alcoholic H.
quors, which, while their improper use will
do harm, may be somewhat necessary far
medicinal or manufacturinc purposes. Wa.
| it however too much to expect that our legis.
l lators would provide a ren cdy against the
r torrent of bastard, impure ard rc,sonous Il
/, quors flowing into the ate: Tie evil j.
growing daily, and Is likely 10 increase to the
most hurtful and dangerous extent.
e The public mind has not yet been walked
up to this enormity. The honest. unsuspect-
ing people Of North Carolina. are to q great
extent ignorant of the corruption and down
right cheatery employed in the business Of
making alcoholic drinks. Most Of the CON.
plants uttered by the press against this evil.
- have been against ddulterated LIQUORS. But
the truth is, this does not embrace one half
Of the real deception and consequent injury
IS of which the people suffer. No one can call
r in question the roguery and ~vileness of the
IS act of taking a cask of pure French brandy or
If Holland gin, or wine, and so mixing it with
is other cheaper and often poisonous substances
to as to make six out of one, or more, and then
u selling it at a profit Of one to three hundred
per cent, for French brandy, Holland gin or
1g wine. We say, to an honest mind, that looks
b. bad enough but what must be thought of
the villianous course now ~practiced extensive
We ly at the North, ofputting up Alcoholic drinks
and selling them for French brandy, Holland
gin, W. |. Rum, and Port, MeGaria, Sherry
and Champagne Wines, in which not one
drop Of these liquors can be found.
At this moment there are in New York and
New England, hundreds of establishments
ne engaged in the manufacture Of liquors which
are sold for foreign brandies and wines, in
which not a drop Of imported liquor is used
or These adroit scoundrels, for we can use nc
de softer epithet which will express their real
let characters, by their knowledge of chemistry,
ne will take a barrel of mean whiskey, and by
JUS the aid of chemical agents, frequently the
worst poisons, will manufacture a barrel OF
III two of French brandy and sell it as such, by
pouring it into casks made in imitation of thu
foreign ones, stamped with the Custom House
stamp, or into old barrels or pipes bought VI
ing for the purpose. Most of the wines are mad,
+: in the same way of sweet cider, and sold fo
ce, foreign wines.
an What are the consequences? First, thu
20 course has so increased the price Of pure Ii
md quors and wines, that the poorer classes ar
unable to buy them for medicinal purposes
of and being bought up in large quantities b.
ove the manufactures for the purpose of adultera
II, ton, have become so scarce, as not to be hac
and often in the most urgent cases. Secondly
and these drugged and adulterated liquors, by th
lin. highly infiamnatory drugs or substances en-
E is ployed in their manufacture, is increasing Il
hazard of drunkenness ten-fold to all the
out consumers, and by their poisonous ingreC
we ents are undermining the health ard cons
tuition of thousands. Thirdly. we are assure
the by those who profess to be acquainted VT
Wis the business, that their profits are enormol
lie, that at present there is no business folio,
Ju- ed in the Northern States which pays so lar
nds a premium upon the investment as this.
gentleman in this State told Us some tin
i'd a ago, that he had been made the tempting
pee fer to go to Providence, Rhode Island, 10 G
gage in the business, with the assurance
scri- the largest profit. He had some conscien
ould left, and refused to go. What can hone
ems people think Of these things, and what c
they think of legislators who wink at fac
so public and SO damning to community.
an A DRUNKARD EATEN Up BY RArTLEsSAKl
Y on We have heard Of drunkards being killed
sion all kinds of accidents and coming to tn
nate deaths from all sorts of causes but the
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