Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-02-11
TIME EVILS OF ExoEss-pR0HrBHroRY

'
LAws-MEDlOINAL SrIMuLi.-lutsnpsr
ancs has no avowed advocates. Even ts slaves
curse the vice 70 which they yield, or regret
with msuilin tears. their inability to resist the
false appetite for stinalants which long -contin
ued excess has sngendered or oil the millions
whom ii degrsdes, brsti6es, aud ruins. there is
no, one Who in his sober moments stands forth
its champion. Temperance, on the other hand
has host Of active and energetic friends. So
cieiy, Is body, breaches it. although 80 many
members Of society fail to practice it. 1t is I'D
vocssed in every pslpit., ats prohibition is the OBJ
lsct Of large and respectable sosisl esgsniss-
tious. il II made . side issue asd sometimes
the main issue q ths polls. and strisgent laws
are enastsd 70 safosss Il.
In short, oil parties. all cresds. all interests
usits In depreeating drunkenness. end the only
question sossscsed With it upes which they DO
not agree. 10 - 10 the wissst method Of ontroll
ing the evil. Prohibisory Ssass Legislation has
been thought BY mssy sincere sud good men
10 be the best remedy but Il has been tried
again and again in New Kaslsnd and elsewhere.
without having produced the beneficial effects
expected from il and at lest Massachusetts,, so
long the stronghold Of prohibition, has repud-
lated the policy BY an immense majority. The
Federal Government, party In the interest Of
Temperance and party for revenue purposes,
has imposed tax upon domestic liquors which
il the Law were rightly executed. would at once
lssses their consumption and Increase the sum
total Of the Nsaiousl revenue. bat Il appears 70
have signslly failed in beth these objects. There
il no psrespsibls decrease in the nsssfasssss OF
consumption Of donessic spiriss, and no pro-
portionate augmentation in the receipts Of the
Government from that source. Laws Of this M.
ture are always extensively svsdsd. and result
in large amount Of ofiisisl eerssptiss and pub
lie denorslisaties, without aseenplishiag the
primary objects which their gorignators had in
view.
Experience seems to teach ~ that moral in
6uenees are more potent than penal statutes in
restraining this species Of excess. Father Nat
hew's moral cad religious crusade against IN
sbriety probably did more good than all.,hep-o.
hibitory laws thss have ever bssn sasessd.
The extreme prohibisionisss Insist that alco-
hol hes no uses - medicine that it is, when
taken into the stomach. necessarily poisonous
But here the Fssulsy that has Asde diseass and
the remedies for disease its study for 90 many
ages, increasing its knowledge and perfsctins
its system Of treatment with every passing
year. meets the allegation with q point blsni
denial. Who are best competent to decide thi,
question. in which the health and lives Of mil
lions Of human beings are involved-the pro-
fessors the ast Of healing or individuals who
eonfessediy, are incompetent 60 prescribe for
their own ailments. and who, when Frustrated
BY illness, plsce their chief reliance upon Oh,
doctors, Does not the profession in whom
next 10 God. they pat their trust 10 sickness
know better than they do whether alcoholic ton
ics are or are not necessary in certain phases o
disease. Common sense answers IN the affirm
alive. hysic.aas tell US that alcoholic medi
cines are among the most valuable remedis
agents in the Matsris Msdssa-.reciacs whic
csunot be dispensed with without sacrificing III
health and lives OF multitudes of their patients
II VIC put trust ID them-and that We put trus
in them IL evident,o or We should not cell them i
to minister 70 - whss iuedasgsr-we ass beun
to subscribe to their dictum.
SO far, then. - medication 10 concerned, III
object ofths phlanthropists Who adv oeste ten,
psrance should be to cid the profession in il
praiseworthy efforts to secure spure unadulers.
ed alcoholic stimulant for curative and prevent
i've purposes. II any law could be devised 70
keeping the uuwholesome and impure liquors 9
commerce out o! the sick room, twould be q
iuappreciable blessing and IL. on :he othe
hand, law guaranteeing pure stimulsnt to d
who are professionally declared TO need It coul
be practically enforced, that, zoo. would be @
infinite benefit to mankind. But no such spec
would BE- evaded, and rendered null aud void b.
the interests in conflict with it, just - tn
But when-as in the case, for example. .
Hostetter's Stomach Bittsrs-a medicinal stim
ulsns has been proved. beyond ill eavii. TO b
absolutely free from sdulseration. cad con
plsts specific for larss Glass Of diseases. n
| benevolent end enlightened friend Of Temper
socs can consistently lifs up his voice asaiAst II
On the coutrsry, every proper slost shouid b
made TO proeers the Substitution Of such toni
for the serid, fiery. and poisonous fluids too frs
l qusntly administered to invalid
1t should b powerful argument in favor {
proper ssioa lice this. that 1t Ass bssn depri,
ID BY recti6cation and BY the medicinal vegets
bic ingredients Of which il partly consi sts. Of
the dslessrioss propsstiss present in ordinar
alcoholic stiwulaats, and which begst IN unna
ural oeasiag for strong driak. thereby leaAin