Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-02-01
r,HE EVILS OF Rxcrss-pRoulBlroRY


cursetie vice to which they yield, or regres,
with maudlin tears, their inability 10 resist the
false appetite for s,imnlauts which long con,n-
ned excess has engendered. Ofsll the millions
whom it degraies, brutiGes, aud ruins, there 10
not one who in his sober moments stands forth
its champion. Temperance, on the other haad.
has hos, of active and energetic friends So
ciety, as body, breaches il, although 50 many
members Of society fail to practice it, II is sd-
yocstsd in every pulpit, IT'S prohibition is the OBJ
lect OF large and respectable social Organize
the main issue at the polls. and stringent laws
are enacted to enforce H.
In short, all parties. all creeds. all interests
question connected with it upon which they do
not agree, is as TO the wisest method OF controli
ing the evil. Prohibitory State legislation has
to b. the best remedy but it has been tried
again and again in New England and elsewhere,
wi,hou, hay ng produced the beneficial effects
long the ,ronghod of prohibition, has repud-
lated the policy by an immense majority The
Federal Government, party in the interest Of
has imposed sax upon domestic liquors whch'
il tho law were rightly executed, would at once
lessen their consumption and increase the sum
total Of the National revenue. but it appears to
have signally failed in both these objects. There
is no percep,ble decrease in the manufacture or
consumption Of do nestle Spirits, and no pro.
portionate augmentation in tho receipts Of the
Government from that source. Laws Of this na.
tnre are always extensively evaded, and result
in large amount Of official corruption and pub
lie Decentralization, without accomplishing the
primary objects which their 'originators had in
view.
Experience seems to tea,h us that moral in
| incnces are more poten; than penal statutes in
| a,,;c - 81 40 or IL, Mat
| hew's moral and religious crusade against in
| ebrie,y probably did more good than all thep-o-
hibitory laws that have ever been enacted.
The extreme prohibitionists insist that alec,
! ho has no uses rs a medicine that ii il, when
| taken into the stomach. neoes sarily poisonous
But here the Faculty that has made disease aud
the remedies for disease it's study for so many
ages, increasing its knowledge and psrfectirg
its system of treatment with every !passin (
year. meets tie allegation with n poin, blank
denial Who are best competent to decide this
question, in which the health and lives of mil
fessors of the art Of healing OF individuals who.
confessedly, are incompetent TO prescribe for
their own aim snts. and who, when Frustrated
| by illness, place tleir chief reliance upon ths
| doctors, Does not the profession in whom
next TO God. they pu, their trust in sickness
know better than they do whether alcoholic ton
| les are or not necessary in certain phases o
| disease: Common sense answers IN the affirm
alive. Ply sicuns tell US that alcoholic medi
cines are among the most valuable remedia
| agents in tie Ma.eris Medlca-speciics whcl
caunot be dispensed with without sacrificing tn
health and lives OF multi.udes of their patients
If wc put trust In them-snd that We put trus
in them is evident. or We should not call them il
to minister 10 us when inldanger-we are boun,
| to subscribe TO their dictum.
50 far, then, as medication is concerned, III,
object Of the philanthropists who adv ocate TEN
pesance should he TO cid the prof, .sion IN ii
rraiseworthy efforts TO secure pure, unaduierat
ed alcoholic stimulant for curative and prevent
i've purposes If my Law could be devi sed fol
keeping the uuwholesome ind impu re liquors o
commerce ont o, the sick room, il would be al
inappr eciabe blessing aud il, on The Other
hand law guarautse eng pure sliln ulent to al
WHO are professionally declared 80 need it coult
be practically enforced, that, too, would be o
infinite benefit to mankind Blu. no such spec
would be eyaded, and rendered null and void b,
! the Interests in conflict with il, just US ths
liquor laws are now nullihed by similar causes
But when-as in the case, for example. o.
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters-a medicinal slim
uiant has been proved. beyond all cnvi to be
absolutely free from adulteratiop end Q com
plete specific for large class Of diseases, nc
benevolent and enlightened friend OF Temper
ance can consistently lift up his voice against it,
On the contrary, every proper effort should be
made 10 procare the substitution Of such tonic
Tor the acrid, fiery and poisonous hnids too ire
| quently ad M Mustered to inva.ids
II should be powerful argument in favor OF
prepar alton ike this, that 1t has been depriv-
cd by rectihcatlon and BY the medic vegeta.
bic ingredients of which ii sartly consists. of oil
the deleterious properties present in ordinary
alcoholic stimulanss, aud which beget an unnat-
ural Grazing for strong drink thereby leading
dire city to intempersnce. This, we say, should
| be a strong argument in its favor with all ra.