The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-12
The INTEMPERATE ORGAN.

The editor of the Onion processes 70 be =
pious ouss," as Artemus Ward says; possess
a vast amount of temperance, and nos ~
misrepressnt his neighbors,-yet ne o'a'nS
that we hold that. "if an Inoifiuuai Ko''
drunk and abuses his family, or commits an
assauI.. or in any way ofends against peace
and GOOD order. besides grievously w,onging
himself, why, that is his business-we are
not his keeper-let him take care OF HIM
selfn The editor of the Union knows that
we do not hold to any such doctrine and that
we have not advanced any such idea. And
he knows he is guilty of gross and wiifuii
misrepresentation when he makes the asser
tion. We hold to precisely the opposite doc
trine. We believe that man should % nsio
accountable when he is sober tor what ne
does when he il drunk that if he commits
anv crime or violates the rules of good order
and propriety when drunk, he should, him.
.slf be held accountable for it when he is
sober. The Union holds that, if man, I'M
der the influence of liquor, commits murder
or a robbery, the one who sold him the liquor
should be punished. We hold to the oppo-
site doctrine. We do not not believe man
can avoid the responsibility for his own acts,
by getting intoxicated and then committing
crime.
The Union is also guilty of gross misre.
presentation and falsehOod, when it says
THE argus is afraid of agitation on the
temperance question: We have said no
such thing, nor given out any such intlma
ton. or shown it by our acts. On the con-
trary, we have courted discussion, and
shall not be the first to drop it. We believe
in agitating every question of public interest,
and on the subject of temperance we are
quite as anxious as the intempersnce organ
can be that the young men of Rock Island
shall be temperate, and become moral, USE
full, honorable, and influential members of
society. But, in discussing the temperance
question we advise all parties to keep as cool
as possible, and to avoid misrepresentation
each other. Threats and attempted intim-
idation will effect nothing to the advantage
of the side employing them. The communi-
ty is IN favor of temperance; of suppressing,
as far as possible, the injurious of ardent
spirits as a beverage; il will encourage oil
wisely directed effort through example, per-
suasion, or discreet laws. TO that end. But
1t will not brand prohgates and no more
honorable than highway robbers and murd-
erers as the Union has done, all who do not
sanction a particular mode of reaching de-
sirable result. Those who imagine the
Maine law is the only penacea for the evil
cannot find justification in experience. As
the use of.alcobolic spirits amounts, in the
United States, to nearly ninety millions of
gallons, subject to q tax of some hundred and
seventy odd millions of dollars, it will be
perceived that great and essential
branch of manufacture cannot be abolished
nor the revenue derived from it abandoned,
hence, the question is, how shall trade
IN it be regulated? You cannot do without it,
for it is necessary in many Indispensable
branches of manufacture, and for other pur.
poses. Its prevalence is an evil in many
ways, but the benefits il affords surpass the
harm, and for this reason it will be tolerated
and regulated.