The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-04-18
Hours with the Newspapers
Number 15.
BY rIllDELTA.


A whisky-seller recently pledged him !
self, through the newspaper, to sell. only !
to those who are not AaJitaal driakerSi
| o refinement Of dishonor. Let rs de-
vote few paragraphs to the subject Of
dram selling While the subject is said
to be worn out, the mischief continues
There can be no such thing as a re-
spectaJie dram seller. Responsibility has,
Of course, various shades OF meaning
with different classes of men. A thief
may be respected among thieves; and
a dram seller may be respected among
dram-seIlers. or among degraded dram
drinkers. We speak Of the esteem Of
the vituous and best in society. Such
persons can not respect dram-seller
|. it is morally impossible. No pledge nor
pretensi0n can secure the esteem OF
such; the fact that a man sells cifsLy
argues either wrong moral reasoning or
wrong moral feeling Sober reasoning,
/ in this age of society, will not be be-
guiled by fine establishment, by the
association of dram selling with some
more honorable business, or By a choice
Of respectable customers. Despite all
props, dram-se ling, in all its forms, has
settled down to the lowest grade Of
dishonorable business. No man who
undermines the very foundation of good
society can be respected by good men.
TO sell to those who are not haJitaal
drinkers does not relieve man Of moral
: responsibility. 1t is selling whisky still
! 1t is the way drunkards are made. No
! parent or wife will thank him any more
. for his responsibility" If he does not
e sell, others may, it is true; but personal
{ responsibility is not to be concealed in
4 the multitude of contingencies; it is
not what others mag, but what do.
: Let one. man refuse to sell whisky to
5 another, and he win be sure that he has
no agency in that others ruin should he
t, become drunkard through the instru-
/, mentality of others The personal free
, dom of one man to effect his own ruin
. is no moral excuse for another free man
4 to be an agent in his ruin. The devil s
X free agents are not irresponsible ~
: The dram-seller should be regarded
u as an outcast from decent society. That
/ is, the moral feeling of the sober mem
Z bers of society should be against the
II dam-seller. He may be petted and
y respected by drinking men, he may be
3 called good fellow" but since he
, voluntarily becomes an agent of socia
) disorder, and, in manner, closes biz
|, eyes to crime and wretchedness, he ha'
= no right to the good opinionof society
/" In nearly every community there arr
'e men who have made their money by
in selling whisky, aud have then retired
from the business and have taken places
in respectable society. Through theil
instrumentality scores have been de
graded, and families made wretched
Society does wrong to countenance this
N it is not wise for its own protection
N There is force enough in popular opin
c ion, if it could only be aroused, to checl
in the evil Of intemperance.
q Dram-sellng should be treated as Grim
,e crime as thus defined: Z" Gross ofens,
W or violation of law, in distinction from
misdemeanor or trespasS, or othe
Is slight offense hence, also, any aggra
ID waited offense against morality or tn
CT public welfare Do not the deares
n. interests of society demand it, Itshoult
3 be regarded as crime that cannot b
=. e. licensed by law. Laws should be frame,
ed to suppress the ofense altogether :
aass as Crime, 8 according to law" is barbar
i'd 9us anomaly. The degree of evidenc
le considered sufficient to convict man G
ii. horse stealing should be sufficient t
II. convict him of dram selling. Our leg
u. u. islators trite with us: our 'liquor laws
ch are Shams. Let them deal with horse
,e thieves as they do with liquor sellers
o. %. then imagine the result. Let the VIC
Vi men of Ohio vote-with all their suffer
70, ings from the evil of intemperance-
In with their purer moral sense-with the
nd social intuitions, and see whether the
on will not define crime H according I
- Webster" All, see whether they wi
a. ias alcaw vote with theirdrunken husband
eat and fathers. "r
pa Moral suasion is both misunderstood
es ed and misapplied with reference to dram
lie, selling. Nothing would be more sati
ne ne factory to liquor-sellers than settle
lie policy on the part of the friends Of ten
tic perance only to persuade them not
N. ,e- sell. We have heard liquor sele
he themselves gravely advocate the do,
lg trine of moral suasion; no other cla
!, a of criminals have the impudence to d
ng so. Trembling wives, starving children
yro,, anxious parents have entreated then
eld and they have repeled such moral SUI
nS rsd sionists with curses what right-minde
hit man can doubt the virtue of hw whe
rus moral suasion failsl It does sometim,
ss sr fail and penitentiaries are built for Il
Or incorrigible-for warning, and for pul
ght lie safety. Even those who have helpe
ing ig to make our present g." liquor law" hay
lnd been known to advocate moral suasio
lg,' w. in the presence of exaliing dram-seller
en, 1t will do for individnals in society
aim persuade; but it will not do for Il
ion ion State after its laws have been violated.
ny We should send to our legislatur
II