Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-03-09
For the Journal.
Prohibition of Strong Drinks.

the first place, he seemed to be DESTROYS to
have the temperance people consult togeth.
er and devise ways and means to advance
the cause which they seem DESTROYS Of fur
thering. Now, he appears to be anxious
to prove we are under obligations to drink
wine because st. Paul-as Il physician-ad-
vised Timothy to take "a little wine for his
stoInucll's sake, AID his often infrmities."
Our physicians tell US we must take certain
poisonous Substances to cure our 'soften in
tirmities," yet no one is SO fool hardy as to
the doctrine of using these poison
GUS substances on any other occasion or for
any other disease. Yet we are told by
those who wish to justify the use Of spirit
uou. liquors and by your correspondent NV.
5. Y" that Timothy was commanded to
"drink wine" He says it has been found
men are so prone to excitement shey will
resort to intoxicating beverages tn produce
the desired effect seven though they know
it to be an evil" Does this argue the right.
fulness of it, simply because s',hey roll it as
a sweet morsel under their tong"es?" We
are of the opinion people do many things
which are evil, but in no case do we believe
they are Unsuitable. Nv. 5. Y" says 'aud
to this day you will lind that the Govern
ment Of England looks upon ardent spirits as
an evil but as an indispensable and there
fore as necessary evil." Now, let US
look for a moment at the beauty of express
sion--mark his language--s' Indispensable
and necessary evil" Surely England and
our Saviour must look upon evil with
very different eyes, for while the former
considers evil as indispensable and necessary
the latter looks upon it as q hideous thing
to be slammed on Ill occasions. Peter says:
"Cllrist also suffered for lis, leaving us an
example, that ye should follow his steps;
who did no sin. neither was guile found in
his mouth" We are commanded s'to shun
the appearance of evil" and a,ain ego not
in the ways of evil doers," but on the con-
trary 'to be Perfect as our Father in heav-
me as | follow Christ" plainly showing
path only 50 far as he followed Christ. Two
evil as indispensable and necessary" and
the other hideous deformity. Temperance
people of Iowa, 'choose ye this day. which
example you will follow. But our friend
"W.aS. Y."s goes on to say the English
people think this ''ough: to be'' and in fact
''may be well regulated,'' and suppose he
endorses the plan or lie would not have re-
ferred it. Now, what is more inconsistent
than to think. of a well'regulated misfortune
well regulated maligniLy- well regulated
eprayity--well regulated evil. Solomon
says, ga prudent man foreseeth the evil
and hideth himself" We suppose, however,
had the evil been we'll regulated, the pru-
dent man might stand in the way of it and
even court its presence without mourning
danger.
Your correspondent is laboring under a
wrong impression when he asserts the pro-
hibitory liquor law has caused great deal
of trouble and hard feeling among all class
es of people and has done no good any
where" Ii we did not know the contrary
to be true We would remain silent, but We
know that the fear of n prohbitory liquor
law has saved cur own heme-Grandview-
from the disgrace of having public dram
shop. We have every reason to believe that
the prohlbtory law is, and has been, a great
helping to our town.
II people of other places do not see fit to
enforce the law-if your magistrates, your
constables, your jurymen, and in fact if
your community is opposed to the law and
unite to destroy its pow l--you still have no
reasons for breathing out anathernas against
it. Are there not instances where transgres.
sors of other laws have escaped punishment,
an account of perjured officers and a vitiated
public opinion Shall We denounce good
law merely because the officials are corrupt
e and majority of the people are law.
breakers? Within the last few days some
of our citizens have been quite cIamorous
OH account of person being arrested and
bound over to answer IL the charge of pass.
ing spurious money it has been the cause
of many hard feelings, which have led to
threats on the part Of thu friends Of tie
accused and his cause. Yet think even
our friend "W. :. ~ would la div say
for fear of contention an; hard feelings we
will have no law 10 protect Us from this
crime
We look at the matter in this light: If the
traf1icking 10 intoxicat ng quo:s is a crime,
or if it is the cause OF crlre, We willnot, on
account nt its bearing the name # liquor
business, make it an exception ard excuse
it from punishment. BY the fruits Of the
liquor business we shall know il, anil for
is fruits let it be punished. AS 10 its true
character we cannot lie mi Staknn--we have
evidences on every side.
We are deeply Interested in the subject of
temperance, from the &C that We believe
most of the crime committed is ira cable
directly or indirectly 20 the use of spiritu-
Gus liquors, nor are we alone in this belief
Sir Matthew Hale. said in hi. day, eff all
the murders, manslunsh ters, burglaries,
robberies, riots, ,umnlts ard other great
enormities which lave been committed dur
ing the twenty years of my observation
were divided into five parts, four of them
would be found to be the re, ult OF intemper-
ance." E. l.. Porter, while acting a. Warden
of Sing Sing prison, once said !: cit is an
everyday occurrence that convicts say they
were drunk when they committed the crime
for which they are now 8, ffering." PA.
Child, Police Just &c OF the city Of Buffalo,
in 1850, said: .My opinion, matured by
daily observation for a humber of years, is,
that intemperance II the cause of SCREEN
tenths of all the crimes brought 10 my
Il tice'
We might 60 on and adduce additional
testimony-we might bring facts to show
that it is a crime to drink or traffic in in
toxicsting liquors. If we are mistaken
deceived then, let our friend bring argu-
ments and facts to set US right But, if we
are right in our conclusions, then, let every
MAN, every philanthropist, every Christiam,
work for the advancement Of our cause.
s...,s.,e.-. .-........ l. FRIsBIE.
i Pro RATA LAW IN New YoRK.-The rail-
road pro rata freight bill in the New York
Legislature passed the House on the s9th