Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-08-22
THE USE N U
STIMULANTS

n SPITE Oe TUE AWFUL LuGlC OF EN-
i pefience, and in defiance Of rrohibitury stat
utes, in'emperance 10 more prevalent IN the Jn,-
ted States 10 day than Il has ever been at any
former period. This IL . sta,isticsl fact which
the we'll informed philanthrop,,t cannot deny,
however much he msy regret il. and II proves
one Of two things : either tina, the vice is past
is past remedy or mitigation or tina, the strin-
gent means adoptedto pew emf the sale and use
OF stimulauts have been unwisc aud irrational.
Human ncture is not 81 hopelessly Vicious a. to
be bey oni the inhusucc OF reason aud persua
sion = however obstinate II may be in its resist
sncc to arbitrary and inconsistent laws. and the
inference. therefore. is. that the extremists who
have declared uncomrromisins war against ths
use of liquor under any circamstanees. have
orersAot hs MARI. and actually increased the
evil they intended to crush out. The United
States law authorizes the importation. manufac-
ture and sale of spirits. aud while this is tho
case. no local law can ever prevent the use oth
article. The statues which impose taxes and
duties on liquor, pre- suppose that II will be
used. and recognize the RICH, of the people 10
use il. That right il denied by the prohibitions
ists. aud they make By laws TO prevent the c,ti'
Iens from exercising "A personal privilege guar
anteed to b im-hy implication at least by the
Law of the laud.
This is the whole case in u un, she'll. and it is
for these reasons that the Maine law and every
other enactment of,ts class have proved u dismal
failure.
Every good man admits that intoxieatlru lss
terrible vice the fruitful parent otevery species
Of crime. But il docs not therefore follow that
| alcoholic stiuulants should be abolished. Wipe
| tacm GU, and what becomes Of ono OF the most
Important departments OF medical artf Only
ignorant fanatics. or men whose better jud gment
IS warped by prejudice. will attempt TO deny
that lives are saved daily by the timely admin.
~,stration OF spirituous stimulus IA u terminating
aud restorative agent. II is the bnsis of all the
tincturcs Of the pharmacopr,as. and 1t has pre-
served the live s OF thousands on the battle field,
in military and other hospitals. aud in private
practice. Without 1t medical science would be
like the play OF Hamlet with the part OF the hero
omitted. Most especially is this true Of a pure
MEDICAL st.mnianf. ungucstionnbly the Atiem
list Of the Nhu Dow stripe, would like to sup
press all medieatcd preparations containing al
cohol. They would probably begin with nos
LETTERS STOMACH BlrTERS, reputed TO be
the most Potent restorative and Alternative OF the
dav. They would deprive the nyue and fever
districts of the South and Vest OF this power
ful specific. They would meet the traveller in
the y alley Of the Miss,ssip)i. or the miner in
the places or canons Of Cal,icrnia, or the vey.
aver about to sail for tho insaiubrious coast OF
-. = -. Mt I.It.a apl l.u,upi tl.
surrender of this great antidote to malaria. and
! protective against the effects oil UNIV hoiesotne
water, II he happened 10 be provided with 1t.
Nav. they would probably 90 further than that.
: and destroy the great factory ut Pittsburg, wher,
Il is prepared, and every bottle Of II upon
] which they could lay their hands throughout
tn. length and breadth Of the iaud. In VAIN
would i. be proved 10 them that the article was
manufactured from the purest Of all known ditio
sive stimuli and the most valuable of medicinal
herbs aud roots. AWAY with it away with
it, they would cry II, contains alcohol. aud
therefore il must be destroy
. But this is the language Of insane bigotry,-
Enlightened Scicncc-ayc. anu enlighteded Re.
ivion and Morality, too condemn 1t utterly
Bishop EAs,nt mn. the Reverend DIR. WohCrr1kh.
!. and other great diviaes have recently gwen
their testimony ngtinst such whoiesaic hcstiiitt
To stimulants. and have declared that the wee
OF drunkenness hns been greatly increased by
the un~discriminating onsloughis OF III" Irohibl-
~uonists. The great AGAssik. aud sach men a'
Professors HonsvoRp and !Atksok. iogetht
with Drs. BiaxLow, CLAuAK, HOLMES, Wnirn nus
many other eminent practitioners, who's" sthtd
ing AS phy sicionH should secure respect Tor the
: opinions On n point like this, have stated That 1T
:. cohoi,c preparations are absolutely esstptisi 4
III. treatment OF many diseases. ana Us r'sttfh
'" -. "a. AL. - that tn, pfetutntluns Il
purs. They are in favor OF stringent Law
npains, adnitera,ion their motto is ''rtgnt't
not desfrol'.
: And this is the true policy. dictated alike b'
PHILOSOPHY. experience aud common SENSE +
What. ON The other hand, IL the tendency 9TH
policy Of prohibiion II does not prevent. 4
never has prevented. IL never can prevent ~
sale OF alcoholic fluids. but 1t leads to their DEF.
riorafon, and thus increases N thousand toi
the evils that II proposes to annihitnt4
when liquors are sold secretly, snd atthe rist .
personal liberty. Of course the dealers VIII Sc
10 compensate themselves Tor the hazards the
incur by inordinate profits. and TO obtain th"t
profits. they will adul,erate what they sell.
is notorious that the liquor sold III states whci
prohibitory laws exist is Tor Tue most IAi
Do3son. 1t is ls sac for the yender :
give his customers a fiery and destructive col
! pound as good article the penalty being !
each case the seine. Strict and faithfully ss'
cu,ed inspection laws would prevent ~
70 horrible adulteration. ProhlbitorY laws ii'
- mote II. 1t ~ well known that most OF the
" quor recently forfeited in New York. Brookll
und elsewhere. for evasion Of the oovefhmes
taY. has been Of the vilest description. ~
IL manufacturers, IN view OF the possibility OF n.
zure, have got up the cumberland articles al q
least possible expense. III order that theii its
IN case of DISCOVERY. might be eompnraitsti
snail. The safety OF the public health dcmans
OF that such perniciuns stuii be destroyed, and ~
le- der a proper system OF tests IT would be col
Of demned and emp.ied into the docks. nn' no.
it IL sold bv the Government, Mt the average ~
OF about q per gallon, 70 pay the tax. In u
OF war alcoholic poison is Dist .buted brondca'
~ among the people. The whole system Of legi
- lstion bearing upon the l.quor trade IN nus con'
NJ try il. although not 50 intended, IN We ihtete
OF ntemperance. A moderate excise and vi
sanitary laws. in relation TO the testing oil
d silIed and fermsntcd beverages. are the be
safeguards against the great evil which all th'n
ing men deplore, but Tor which few have u
wisdom and holiness TO propose any renedi
consistent with reason and founded on n prop
appreciation Of the wants and weaknesses OF u
man nature. What . pity 1t - tina. profess'
reformists will attempt to drive, when their u
policy would be to lead. advise and restrain.
An patriotic ditirens would be glad III they cou
- to sweep out Of the trade and commerce OF I
country. the vile brain -msddening potions I'll
w. are now sold in every public groRgery and evs
secret den Of intemperence. with N nttie rish
ith the dealer - the purest products OF the vat q
~ the still.
Oy The question IL. How shall IL be dones Al
out the reply Of every right-thinking man is-b,
rigid Examination Of the articles, and the inf0
tion Of hs avy penalties. pecuniary and person'
ing in all cases where aduiterstion 10 detected.
ing il not . shame that the common poi,oner .
the dealer in q pure preparation should only
:, held TO the same accountability by the sutho'
81 ties, And yet this 10 the case under the prese
In liquar laws.
. il There are many forms Of dihusive stimuli us
BY tho medical profession. and the great ooJ'
Of the trustworthy physicians 10 to obtain tn
for upmi xed with any deleserious article. HOsTE
TER'S STOMACH BITTERS, As readily otsei
ed. has the reputation of being the purest pre-
=. ~arstion Of its class 1t present manufactured, q
d. wa therefore. cited as q case in point. u
tile Just, is il fair. 10 il for the greatest good Of I
,ta greatest number that the law should place Il
valuable medicine on = par with '~'hghting run
What sort Of Legislation is that which makes