The daily clarion. [volume] (Meridian, Miss.) 1863-1866, 1865-02-05
SOMETHING 70. GEN. TAYLOR

We clip the following from late num-
Der of the Mobile News and direct the
attention oi Lieut.. Cen. Taylor to il:
Drum kepness is an increasing, an alarm
/ ine evil, especially in the army. Night
| before last, we learn that no less than
four commissioned officers were arrested
drunk in the theatre and conveyed to
| the lock up for the night. Two of them
! drew weapons gpon the officers having
| authority t. arrest them. Eaey are to
| be tried, we hear, for the offence.
--4v hat can be done TO arrest the spread
Of fhis shocking vice? What.yer can be
should engage the earnest attention of
all true friends of the country. There
hmwe-b been spasmodic efforts 10 diminish
the temptations to drink by closing the
bar rooms. This mas been done by mill
tary authority, and persisted in until il
was-FoUnd that throunh the temper o;
lawyers And judges direct conflict would
result between the military and civil au-
thOrltEes. / his result was more 10 he
deprecated than tue evil sought TO be
remedied, and the comnandmg general
yielded 10 the point, relying upan the
civil authorities of the city and the State
10 accomplish the object. Botis have
failed TO do more than close tne'n tenn
Dorariiy. Al the bars are new ceeu and |
in tuil career, Nhile the ditv 81 fu'l .:
soldiers, and. to their shame be II said |
.ot officers, TOO, who forget their duty !
and the honorable uniform they wear in /
the lndulg lgence of this most unCeRtie |
manly and degrading vice. The last |
effect of the agency OF the Mayor m the !
woa k of reform was to close tl4ss doors OF
the Manassas Club upon some hundred !,
A Al
effort to make that club licensed fg1or
shop. These gentlemen were guests and
not members of the club, and under the
ruling OF the Mayor, the privilege of the
club had either To be strictly confined 10
its members, or had to take out license
to sell liquor. No earthly reason could
be assigned for this ruling, except the
barkeepers who paid license fees com
planned of the unpaid for com 2etition OF
the club house. But this was seeking
reform in the wrong direction--iss only
effect would be to put fresh license fee
INTO the city treasury and ada another
licensed bar-rOom 10 the city list The
Governor was invoked to interLoSe in
this matter, on the ground OF its demor-
alzlng effects upon the army. He en- ,
gagged to do so. and went to Mon Igomery
and thence dispatched an order closing
the barrooms for fItecn 9a7ts That was a
promise to the ear broken TO the hope.
We think it needs no argument to prove
that in q city filed with and surrounded
by troops, and in weekly exp ,ctation OF (
hostile investment the open temptation
10 liquor drinking are great evils de :
tire cognizance of public au- G
Ihcrity. The General of the Depart.
ment has a legal right to regard the b
city AS his camp, and to forbid the sale I
2F liquors within it. But there are con- "
'iderations of Il civil nature, involving
IN issue between military and civil au- G
5hority, which have caused him TO alb
'tain from such an order. The civil au-
.horities ought TO do i, and in the dis !:
'harge Of that duty they should remem-
Der that the. licensed retailers Of liquor :.
nave rights, ard that it is not whit
,etter than public stealing for the bene ;.
1T OF the city treasury To pocket the
Icen3e money and then deprive them OF
ne privileges which that money bought .
Pay back their license fees and close the
hops until the public danger rs past. b
his is what ought to be done, no matter
ThO likes it or who does not like it.
Another duly rests upon the mi itary u
pthpritips ard cor -, and il g 30 Dun- -
sh to the utmost extent OF -. <-s.g ! .
very officer cohvicted OF drunkenness