American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-02-06
Communications.


For the CITIZEN
Mr.. EpIgoR, Sir: | am pleased to
see your paper always free to articles on
the liquor question. Why don't those
men who sign petitions for license, favor
us with some reasons, why We should
have license in Butler county? The
question is open for discussion, and now,
while there is no excitement on the subs
jsct is certainly the time for the whiskey
men to come forward and show cause, why
we should have license. They choose
darkness rather than light their cause
will admit Of no argument, save, such as
can be used in the "dark cellar" where
the law is violated, and men made de,
mons, and then pointed to as examples of
the "aecessity for Lcense' Why don't
they point 70 every Instance of horse
stealing, and demand that men be licens-
cd to steal horses; because horses ecW be
stolen.
Would it not be as Legitimate for the
government to make money out of mans
propensity to steal, as out of his propen-
sity to sell or drink poison? Which is
ihe greater crime-to murder, or steal !?
The license system is premium upon the
part Of the State for the cultivation Of
all the evil passions of depraved human
nature. Ifyou want to make a husband
cross ana disagreeable If you want to
make a son foolish and reckless if you
want to make a wife and mother misera-
bic; if you want to clothe family in
rags, and spread their table with power
ty; if you want to make quiet town a
den of bowling demons-I know of no
instrument SO potent, for the work, as a
deceased 5ar where Tom will say, come,
John, let us have drink, in memory of
old times" Now, "Tom, it is your treat"
"Come boys, John, Bill, Sam, here new,
Jim, take some another glass, Landlord,
What will you have boys" Here
is the evil of license, it brings the pois
on right to the public parlor. The Land.
lord and his Lackeys always mould the
atmosphere of the Barr Room, so that a
man is no man at all if he don't treat !;
and in this way, the best mep-whole
souled, generous, clever creatures are led
to drink, lest the Landlord, or some of
their fellows, would think them churlish,
stingy, narrow>hearted Thus, the liz
censed Barr, from day to day corrupts
tkc most gifted and generous youth Of
the State, who, under proper training,
might gil honorable positions in life; but
in whiskey atmosphere, they will never
fill anything but drunkard's grave and
drunkard's he'll. Some men are so TOOL
ish as to say. 'Give US license, 1t will
help to pay the Nations debt" Well,
suppose man earns three dolllrs per day
after he has labored hard all day, he goes
to the nearest Barr Room. meets his
neighbors, has pleasant time, drinks
quart of whisky, goes home, feels bad,
scolds the family, whips the wife, vomits
on the carpet, feels sick, can't work next
day, fails out with his neighbors, gets into
4 fight, gets sore head, &c, &c. Well,
the tax on the quart of whisky was fifty
cents, now, would not the Government
be doing Kindness if it would tax the
man fifty cents. and not manufacture the
temptation and place il before him? Even
if the man only lost one days work he
would gain two dollars and fifty cents by
paying his tax and drinking no whiskey.
Our county is yet new what we want
is more labor, to tame the wilderness,
drain the swamp, cultivate the field, de-
velop the mine; but whoever heard OF a
man making a. country rich by stand
ingbehind board-watching his chance
to take Ten cents out of his neighbor's
pocket, and pour poison in his stomach
taking the very dime that might have
carried a copy Of the Last Win and Tes-
lament Of Jesus Christ to some worship
er Of Idols within the reach Of our Mis-
sionaries. Alas how can men profess
ing Christianity, sanction Dram Shop
The fact is, there has been great rev.
olutiop in public opinion in this connty
lately on the liquor question, aud revo-
lutions never go backward Tho major
ity are bound to rule, aud an overwhelm.
ing majority ofthe people of B atler coun.
ty are opposed to license 1t is no party
matter; it is matter of right and wrong,
and man that will not cease to do
wrong thing, because it is wrong, will
not do a right thing because it is right.
The time is about gone when it is to be
considered honorable to take the fire that
should warm the children's feet--to burn
the fathers stomach and scar his con,
science and drv mn bis farfors a ffeot;ons