New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1867-04-03
rI1HE Use and ABUSE of sTIMULANTs.

Rod This is statistical fact which the we'll
philanthrOplst cannot deny, however
much he may. regret 1t, ana II proves QUO y.
or mitigation, or that the strlngent means
adopted to prevent the sale and use OF stlmu-
lants have been unwise and irrational. Human
nature is not so hOpelessly vicious as to be be-
yOnd the influence of reason ana persuasion
however obstinate il may be in its resistance TO
arbitrary and inconsistent laws, and the inter-
ence, therefore, is, that the extremists who
have declared ncOmprOmislng war against the
use of liquor under any circumstances nave
OrershOt The mark, and actually increased the
evil they intended to crush out. The united
States law authorizes the importation, manu-
facture, and sale of spirits, and the Government
derives large revenue from such importation,
manufacture and sale, and while tins is the
case, no local law can ever prevent the use Oh
the article. The Statutes which impose taxes
and duties on liquor presuppOse that 1t Will be
used, and recognize the right of the people 10
use it. That right is denied by the prohibition
lists, and they make bylaws to prevent the cltl-
zen from exercising personal privilege guar
anteed to him-by implication at least-Dy the
law of the land.
This is the whole case in nut shell, and it
is for these reasons that the Maine law, and
every other enactment OF its class, have proved
dismal failure.
a terrible yice-the fruitful parent OF every
species of crime. But it does not therefore
follow that alcoholic stmulants should be
abolished. Wipe them out, and what becomes
of one of the most important departments OF
medical art2 Only ignorant fanatics, or men
whose better Judgment is warped by prejudice,
will ATTEMPT to deny that lives are saved daily
by the timely administration OF splrltuous
stimulus as a terminating and restorative
agent It is the basis of all the tinctureS OF the
phaImacOpPas, and it has preserved the llyes
of thousands on the battlefield, in military
and other hospitals, and in private practice.
Without il, medical science would be like the
play of Hamlet with the part of the hero
omitted. Most especially is this true OF pure
medical Shmulant UnquestiOnaby, the ex-
tremist, of the Neil Dow stripe, would like. to
suppress all medicated preparations containing
alcohol They would probably begin with
HosTETTER's STOMACH BITTERs, reputed to be
the most potent restorative ana Alternative OF
the day. They would deprive the ague and
fever districts of the South and West OF this
powerful specific. They would meet the tray
eler i'm the Valley of the Mississippi or the
miner in the pacers and canons OF Callt0rnla,
or the vOyager about to san Tor the lnsaluDrl1
GUS coast of Mexico OF the West Indies, ana
demand the surrender of this great antidote to
malaria, and protective against the effects OF
unwhOlcsOmc water if he happened to be pro-
vided with it. Nay. they would probably go
further than that, and destroy the great factory
at Pittsbmg, where it is prepared, ana every
bottle of it upon which they could lay their
hands throughout the length and breadth OF
the land. In vain would 1t be proved to them
that the article was manufactured rom the
purest of all known diilusive stimuli and the
most valuable of medicinal herbs and roots;
Away with it away with it p they would
cry; "it contains alcohol, and therefore 1t
must be Destroyed
But this is the language of insane bigotry.
Enlightened Science-aye, and enlightened re
ligion and Morality, toO-cOndemn 1t utterly.
Bishop Eastburn, the Reverend DIR. Worcester,
and other great dyines have recently gwen
their testimony against such wholesale hostility
TO stmulants, and have declared that the wee
of drunkenness has been greatly increased ny
the undiscTiminating Onslaughts OF the pl0hl-
bitionists The great Agasslz, and such men as
Professors HorsfOrd and Jackson, together with
Drs. Bigelow, Clarke Holmes, White, and
many other eminent practitioners, whose stand
ing as physicians should secure respect for their
opinions on a point like this, have stated that
alcoholic preparations are absolutely essential
i'm the treatment of many diseases, and as res
toratives. They only insist that the prepare
tons be pure. They are in favor OF strln-
gent laws against adultclatlOnj tnelf lnOIto II
"reguldte not Destroy"
And this is the true policy, dictated alike by
philosophy, experience, and common sense:
What, on the other hand, Is the tendency or
the policy of prohibition 1t does not prevent,
it never has prevented, 1t never can prevent
the sale of alcoholic fluids but it leads to their
deterioration, and thus increases thousand
fold the evils that il proposes TO annlhllate.
When liquors are sold secretly, and at the risk
of personal liberty, OF course the dealers VIII
seek 10 compensate themselves for the hazards
they incur by nOrdinate profits, and TO obtain
those profits, they will adulterate what they
sell. Ii is notorious that the liquor sold IN
States where prohibitOry laws exist Is for the
most part poison. 1t is as safe for the Yender
to give his customers fiery and destructive
compound as Il good article-the penalty being
in each case the same Strict and faithfully ex
ecuted inspection laws would prevent this hor-
lible adulteratiOn. PrOhlbltory laws promote
il. 1t is well known that most OF the liquor re-
Gently forfeited in New-Y York, Brooklyn ana
elsewhere, for evasion of the Government tax,
has been of the vilest description. The manu-
factureIs, in view of the possibility of seizure
have got up the contlaband articles at the
least possible expense, III order that their loss,
in case of discovery, might be comparatively
small. The safety OF the pubic health demands
that such pernicious stuff be destroyed ana
under proper system of tests II would be con-
demned and empted into the docks. But no.
il is sold by the Government ut the average
rate of about g a gallon, TO pay, the tax. In
this way alcoholic poison is distributed broad.
cast among the people. The whole system OF
legislation bearing upon the liquor trade IN this
country is. although not So intended, an me IN
tercst Of intemperGRce. moderate excise ana
wise sanitary laws III relation to the testing OF
all distilled and fermented beverages, are th 9e
best safeguards against the great evil winch all
thinking men deplOre, but for which rev nave
the wisdom and boldness to propose any rene
dies consistent with reason and founded on
proper appreciation of the wants and weak
nesses of human nature. What pity it is that
professed reformsts will attempt, to drre,
when their true policy would be to lead, ddriSe
and restrain. All patriotic citizens would be
glad, if they could, to sweep out of the trade
and commerce of the country, the vile brain
maddening potions that are now sold in every
public groggery and every secret den OF m
b, with
as the purest products of the vat and the still;
The question is, How shall it he done And
the reply of every right thinking man is--by
rigid examination of the articles, and the in
Fiction of heavy penalties, pecuniary and per-
sonal, in all cases where adqteration Is de-