The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-07
MAKING A HOBBY OF 1T.

A recent movement in this city, profsssed-
ly for the purpose of inducing people TO 40
stain from the use of intoxicating drinks Or
at least. to discourage the intemperate use
.bereof. has been seized upon by the Union,
as hobby, which paper constitutes Itself
Tho ssnecial organ of the movement and at
,empts to inaugurate war of determination
upon the dealers in liquors, denounoing
them as no better than highway robbers"
murders &C., &c. 1t says:
The question now before the people is will they
allow these things to continue If they resolve not
to do SO then come up to the help OF the move
ment iuaugurated last evening"
Such a course, in our opinion, is Directly
calculated to defeat the object of the move
ment. 1t is fanatical, and will drive away
the very men whose aid is absolutely neces-
sarv to it's success. The dealers in liquor,
and the manufacturers of alcohol, highwines,
beer. ale, &C., &c., are as respectable. law
abiding and orderly citizens as those en-
gagged in other species of manufactures and
traffic They are pursuing lawful business,
on which they pay heavy taxes, both to the
United States and municipal governments,
and they are entitled to full protection from
all the people. in the lawful pursuit of their
business. That protection is pledged to
them, both by the general government
and the authority of the state. To denounce
them, then, as highway robbers" ''murd-
erers," &C., &c., as is done by the Union,
is species of intemperance which calls for
the severest rebuke from the whole commun-
ity.
They are also justified in furnishing the
public with whatever the public appetite
calls for, provided it is lawful business
The fault is not with the manufacturers of
liquor, or the dealers, but is with the public
appetite which calls for such stimulants.-
And the only proper mode of abating the
evils arising from the use of Intoxicating
drink is to persuade people to let it alone
Educate the public appetite against its use
persuade people not to drink, and then
there will be no customers for saloons, and
the evils arising from an incorporate use of
such drinks will cease. Coercion, denuncia
ton and Maine-liquor-laws will uever accom-
plish the object. Persuade the older memb-
ers of society SO set good example, by alb
staining from the use of such drinks, and
convince the young men of the utter useless
ness of stimulants, the certain injury to both
health and reputation if they persist in their
use, and show them that the road to health,
wealth, honor, usefulness and responsibility
lies in an entire abandonment of the use of
all such stimulants, and the object OF the
movement is attained. But to denounce the
manufacturers of liquor, and the dealers in
it. as "highwsy robbers" "murderers," &C.,
&C., and call for war of determination
against them, as the Uaion does, convinces
no one of the injury produced by the use of
Intoxicating drinks. It not only fails TO con-
vince any one. but it arouses an opposition
to the temperance cause which wholly de
teats the good it might accomplish by a more
temperate course. The temperance people
must utterly repudiate and rebuke the in
temperance of their self-cons tituted organ. or
their movement will come to naught.
1t Is not by denouncing men who are en-
gagged in legitimate and lawful business, as
HIGHWAY robbers" ''murderers," &c., &C.,
and calling for a war of determination upon
them, that the cause of temperance and good
morals will be advanced. It is by perslad-
ing old and young to abandon the use of that
which, as a general thing does them harm.
But we cannot expect fanatic to be temper
ate in anything, and therefore we expect no
good to arise from this movement while con-
Quoted under such auspices
FIRST RATE NOTICE.