The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-04-05

pens that drunkards and drinking men
congregate around their domicil like car
rion crows around dead carcass and
they will affect to be wonderfully incens-
ed If you should seem to doubt their word
IN the matter At the same time if you
should happen to take peep under their
bed, you would find cask filled with the
" critter" to the brim, ready to be dealt
out to the first miserable victim whose
drunken instincts shall lead him that way.
Yes, Mr. Editor, it is deplorable fact
that we have among us men (and fear
women. to whom this description of
character belongs, who are in the daily
practice of dealing out this liquid poison
Is there word in human language that
can express the meanness of such char
acter! Is thtre any power in language
TO convey an idea of the extent aud enor-
nifty of their crimes? The highwayman,
by sea or by land, is respectable when
placed In contrast with such person, for
be is no more q murderer than the liquor
dealer, while he may possess some traits
OA OIrli dClCI uOOlS lil lClICiHSCINCS, dlu hOl-
thy of better calling but there is not a
single trait in the character Of the rum
seller to redeem him from merited oblo-
guy and scurn. The highwayman mur-
ders his victim outright, and ends his
troubles when he robs him of his purse !;
but the rum-seller murders his victim by
a process that proloHgs his suferings long
after he is bereft of his hard earnings, his
peace and happiness, his manhood and
everything that is sacred and dear to him.
He first cheats his unsuspecting victim
out Of his senses by false pretences, and
then follows up his success by the fasci,
nations of his trade, until he has destroy
ed his intellect, debased his morals and
changed his form of beauty aud comeli-
ness, into reeking, living mass of putri-
faction; and even here he does not cease
his helish work, until the dcttrium tre-
mems, more human than he, kindly inter,
poses and puts an end to the horrors Of
the scene. The liquor,dealer may say
that he is not responsible for the evil con-
sequences that necessarily flow from his
business, that they are incidental to his
trade which in the present state of soce-
ty cannot be carried on without them.
But the highwaYman may make the same
excuse and with equal propriety. He
does not murder because he takes pleasure
in inflicting pain, but because he makes
his living thereby, and his business can
not be carried on sIccessfully without it..
Both of these classes of men enter upon
their calling with full knowledge of
their objects and incidents and the con-
sequences, whether good or evil, that flow
therefrom; and if there is any difference
in point of criminality in the Two classes
1t is in favor of the highwayman.
| can look with some degree Of CON-
passion upon the poor ine5riate, for he is
the most unfortunate of men. But who
but an all-wise and just God can mete out
to his destroyer the punishment that his
crimes deserve, and what claims can he
have to considerations Of mercy who, for
the price of glass of liquor will consign
his brother man, both soul and body, to
degradation and ruin? With these re-
marks | leave the subject for the present.
Coudersport, April l, 1860, CITIZEN.