Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-02-20
rr,HE EVILS OF Ercrss-ppoHIsrroRY

LAwS-MEDICINAL STINuLI.-Istsnper
ance has no avowed advocates. Even its slaves
curse the vice to which they yield, or regret.
With msudlin tears. their inability to resist the
false appetite for stinulan,s which long -consin-
ued exces. has engendered. or oil the millions
whom i, degrades. brn,iaes, aud ruins. there 10
ne, one who in his SOBER moments stands forth
its champion. Temperance, on the other hand,
has host of active and energetic friends. So
cieiy. as q body, breaches it, although 80 many
members Of society fs'i to practice it. II 10 3D.
vocased in every pulpis,,ts prohibition is The Oh
fec, Of large and respectable social organize
lions. 10 nids . s,de issue and sometimss
the main issue q The polls, asd stsisgsat laws
are enacted TO enforce Il.
In short, all parties, all csssds. all Interests
unite in deprecssing drunkenness, and the only
question connected With II upos which they do
no. agree, is a. TO the wissst method Of ontroll
ing the evil. Prohibisery State Legislation hes
been thought by many sincere and good men
70 be the best remedy but il has been tried
gain and again in New England and elsewhere,
without having produced the beneficial elects
expected from II and 1t last Massachusetts,, 90
long IN. ,trongholdef prohibition. has repud.
lated the policy BY an immense majority. The
Federal Government. party In the interest Of
Temperance end party for revenue purposes,
has imposed . tax upon domestic liquors which
il the Law we're rightly executed, would ~ once
lesses their consumption and increase the sum
total OF the Nseisnsl revenue. but Il appears u
have sisnally faalsd in both these objects. There
is no psrcsptibls decrease il the manufacture Of
consumption of domestic spirits, and no pro-
poriionate augmentation in the receipts OF th'
Government from that source. Laws Of this No
.ure are always excessively svsdsd. and result
in large amount Of ofsciai corsuption and pub
lie decentralization. without scesmpIishing tn.
primary objects which their loriginators had il
view.
Experience seems 70 teach ~ that moral in
ausuees are more potent than penal statutes in
training this species Of excess. Father Ne.
hsws moral aad religious crusade agsisst In
sbriety probably did more good thaa sll.thep.o
hibitory laws that have ever been snsetsd.
The extreme prohibitioaists insist thai sles
hol hes no uses - medieins that il il, whs.
Bat here che Faculty that has AaAs diIsass and
the remedies for disease its study for 20 many
T ages, (inersasing its knowledge and psrfsctisl
its system of treatment with every lpassin,
year, meets tie allegation with . point blsnI
denial. Who are best compstsnt to decide thi
question, in which the health and lives Of mil
lion, Of human beings are lnvolvsd-the pro-
fessors of the art Of healing or Individuals who
| sonfessedly, are incotnpe tent TO prescribe FOL
| their own ailments. and who, when prostrats'
| BY illness, place their chief reliance upon I'll
| doctors. Does not the profession il whom
next TO God. they put their trust IL sick moss
know better than they do whether alcoholic ton
les are or are not necessary in certain phases o
disease. Common sense answers in the affirm
| alive. Physicians tell us that alcoholic msdi
cines are among thc most valusble rsmedis
agents in the Matsria Med,cs-speciacs whic
esunot be dispensed with without Sacrificing III
If VIC put trust In them-and that We put trus
| In them is evident.o or We should not cell them il
to minister TO us when inidangsr-we are boun
to subscribe to their licsum.
| SO far, then. - medication 10 concerned. III
| object Of the philanthropists who advocate tenn
perance should be 10 aid the profe ssion in il
| praiseworthy efforts 20 secure pure. unaduleras
ed alcoholic stimulant for curative and prevent
i've purposes If any Law could be devised 70
keeping the unwholesome and impure liquors Q
commerce out Of the sick room, Il would BE- a
inappreciable blessing; and II. ON the oths
hand, Law guaranteeing pure stimulant to a
who are professionally declared 70 need It eoul
be practically enforced, that, TOO. would be o
infinite benefit to mankind. But no such spec
ial legislation could bs rendered Elective.
| would be evaded, aud rendered null AID void B.
the interests in conflict with it. just a. III
| liquor laws are now Utilized BY similar causes
But when-as in the case, for example, q
Hostetter's Stomach Ditters-a medicinal slim
ulant has been proved, beyond all csvii. to b
absolutely free from adultersiion, and com
plste specific for . large slass Of dissssss, n
benevolent and enlightened friend Of Temper
snce can consistently lift up his voice against il
On the contrary, every proper effort should b
made TO procare the substitution Of such . toni
FOR the acrid. fiery, and poisonous fluids too fire.
qusntiy administered to invalids
| 1t should be . powerful argument in favor o
proper alton lie this, that At has been dspriv
cd BY recti6cAtion and by The medicinal vegets
bic ingredients Of which il parsly consists. Of q
the deleterious properties present in ordinar
alcoholic atiuuIants, and which begst an unnat
ural craving for strons drink. thereby leadin
directly to intempsranes. This. ve ssy. shout
b strong Rgumsnt n its favor With I'll RI
tiosal temperance men; for since stimulaat
ere medicines that cannot BE- dispensed, with,
is masifsstiy ell i.porsaat 70 sdmiaistsr th
best.
A. recognized and standard tonic Of undis
puted purity. Hosts.tsr Bitters may b cite
- On apt illustration Oft uss Of stinulants .
contr asted with their ahuse. II y net intsnds,
a.