Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-12-01
For the CHRONICLE.
Anti.PrOhibitiOn---GOOd Liquor.

4 ] met few days ago, with a peculiar kind
! OF temperance mana type of an antigua
/ ted class that has but few lively expOnents
of its faith retndhiiHg among us. He said he
was good temperance man, and always
had been. Believed in drinking beer once
in a while-i c. when he wants tO-because
he has a right to do il. This is the land Of
liberty. He believes in liberty as a personal
blessing-that every individual should pos
sess huge quantity Of it; and especially in
relation to what he should drink, and when.
Believes that men who don't know enough
to drink judiciously without the aid of i'm
ported wisdom, are not very much like Solo
mon in their mental structure. Believes
total abstinence IS one of the latter day"
humbugs,-that more men are made intem-
perate by its agitation than temperate;
because free men don't love to have their
natural liberties diminished in any direc-
tion, and to oppose this encroachment, they
must drink. Shut up your cold water sOcie-
ties, quit preaching tetotalism. and there
would be much less disturbance and more
temperance.
No, young man, can't go your doctrine Of
temperance; drink several glasses Of beer
a day, and occasionally a glass Of whisky,
and l am a better temperance man than
many of your Good Templars. Here l sug-
gested that his drinking might possibly be
shortening his ltfe;-that he was committing
slow suicide-an unpardonable sin. No,
said nc, the beer don't hurt one, but, TO be
hoEest with you, 1 confess that the whisky
We have nowadays, isn't very beneficial,
for find that my doctor bills amount TO
more than they did in the days OF good
,n-nf I ON oh 1for-
ed to drink beer chiefly, though don't like
it so well, and it costs more in the long run.
No, don't think your prohibition plan is a
sound Temperance doctrine, and 1 can't go
It. But I'll tell you what will do. I'll go in
all over for a law 10 compel men to make
good liquor, and to punish them severely il
they don't, for believe the internal scamps
are doing an awful sight Of harm to many a
poor fellow that can't let whisky alone
Let us get back TO good liquor times. Then
we would not be afraid to keep it in our
houses, and the necessity for doggeries would
in great measure. be done away with.
Without stopping longer with my friends
amusing argument, will append for his
comfort, the following from the "5drGRes,'
in relation to the
DELIGHTFUL BEVERAGE.
sit has come TO be understood that liquor,
in order to be marketable, must have intOXi
eating power It must not be merely stimu-
lating, nor simply exhilarating-the brain
needs to feel the touch of something like
delirium. Distillers cater TO this want Of
their patrons. BeiiddOnHG deadly night
shade), poisonous roots, leaves, stalks and
Juice, is added because it produces intoxica-
ting, hilarity, violent gestures, and laughter,
followed by stupidity. 1t is very cheap; two
cents worth will make gallon of liquor
SzrdR0niu1a is made from the jimsou weed
II is common and very cheap 1t cramps
the stomach, as experienced so often among
drunkards. This is corrected by a little poppy
juice (opiumG and the taste Of the poppy
juice is killed by potash. This compounded
produces dizziness, dimness Of vision, dele
rum and nausea. One drug house in Lon
don, in 1867, sold more strichnine 10 one
liquor house than the whole city could use
medically. But there is progress in evil. A
distiller adds one-fouTth by the use Of StTich-
Hine. The wholesaler takes this adHuerdted
stock and doubles it by the use Of SfrdmoniltIn
and opium. As the Yankee turns over the
Connecticut river every mile to get the pow
er ont OF it, so the retailer gives this another
turn. He doubles IL again by the use Of bella-
dsnHd. THIS BRINGS TIN CENTs 4 DRINK,
and here is the motive power. This is the
practice all over the land. DR.. Cox was ap-
pointed in 1855, by the Legislature OF Ohio,
Inspector OF liquors for the city of Cincin-
natl. and in two years Of thorough and
-ezssl5igd Ss1aniIn.1OIl, ne 5Otllld more man
niaetsJ-Hiae per cent. oJlhe liquor Gdulterdted
by the UiIest poiSOnI. Books are familiar to the
trade, teaching how tomake these adultera-
tions. and it is folly to suppose that pure
liquors are anywhere certainly attainable"