The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-06-05
HosTETTERs BTTTERs.
HE USE AND ABUSE OF srrm.

intemperanco Is more prevalent In tho United
States to-day than Il has ever bcon Mt any former
lpcrod. This is statistical fact which the we'll
informed phanthropst can not deny, however
much he regret IT, and IL proves one of two things
I-eithcr that tho vice Is past remedy or mitiga.
ton, or that the stringent means adopted 10 pro
vent tho sale and use Of stmulants have becn un.
wise and irrational. Human nature Ia not 90
hopelossly Vicious 10 be beyond the influence OF
reason and persuasion--however obstinate Il mny
be In its resistance to arbitrary and inconsistent
llnws and the Inference therefore, H. thnt tho sx-
ltrcmists who have declared incorporating war
against the use OF liquor under any Circumstance
have opershot the mark, and actually increased tho
evil they intended TO crush out. The United
States law authorizes the importation manufacture
and sale of spirits, and tho Government derives
large revenue from such importation, manufacture
and sale, and while this Ia tho case, no local law
lean ever prevent tho Of the article. The stat-
utes which impose taxes and duties on liauors
prcsupposc that Il viii be used and recognize the
fright Of the people TO use II. That right Is depied
Iby the prohibitiOnists, and they mako bylaws 10
lprcvont thoScitzen from exercising n personal
privilege guaranteed 10 him, by implication at
lieast, by the Law Of the land.
This II the whole case IN n nutshell, and IL ig
for these reasons that tho Maine Law. and every
other enactment Of its class, has proved signal
failure.
Every good man admits that iutoxlcatlon II a
terrible vicc-the fruitful parent OF every Fpeeios
Of crimo but II does not follow therefore that
alcoholic stimulnnts should be abolished. Wipe
them out. and what becomes Of ono or the most
important departments Of medical artf Only Ig-
nOrnnt fanatics. or men whose better judgment IL
warped by prejudice, will attempt 10 deny that
lives saved only by tho administration Of
spirItuous stimulus as n re. .anlmAiug and restora
two agent II Is the basis Of all the tinctures Of
the pbnrmheoposias and Il has preserved the lives
Of thousands on the battlefield. in military and
other hospitals, and In private practice. Without
H. medical science would be like tho play OfIiamlet
~ Z. a -.
Of pure pledieal stimniaHf. Unquestionabiy tho
extremists Of the Neal Dow stripe. would like TO
suppress NIL mcdicnted preparations ontnining al
; cohol. They would probably begin with HnsrET-
rER's STOMACH BirrEna. repuied 10 bs the most
potent restorative and alternative Of the day
They would deprive the agas and fever districts Of
> tho South and West Of this powerful specihe.-
They would meet the traveller in the Valley Of The
Mississippi. tho miner in tho paecrs nnd can
ons Of California. the voFAgeE about 10 sail for
the insnlabrous coast Of Mexico or the West In
dies. and demand the surrender Of this great anti
doto TO malaria, and protective against the Of
feots Of nnwholesomo water. u he happened 10 be
provided with IT. Nay. they would probably go
further than that. and destroy tho great factory At
Pittshurg, where IL is prepared and every bottle
Of IL upon which they eaald lay their bands
throughout tho length and breadth Of the land.
In vain would IL be proved to them that the nri-
elo was manufactured from the puFest Of all
known difrasiva stimuli aud the most valuable Of
: medicinal herbs and roots. away with IL away
With it!" they Eeuid cry: "it contains alcohol.
and therefore Il must be destroyed"
But this Is the language 81 insane bigotry. En-
lightened seiepes-ays, and enlightened Religion
and Morality. too.-coniemn IL utterly. Bishop
Eastbarn. the Reverend Dr. Worcester. and other
great dvinss. have recently given their testimony
against such Wholesale hostility To s.imnlanls and
declared that the vice Of drunkenness has been
greatly increased hy the chi
Of the prphihiti6nisls. The great Agassir, and
such PROFESSOR HoEsfortf and Jackson. To-
gcthsr with Drs. Bigslow. Clark, Holmes, White
and many other eminent praetisoners whnse
standing ss physicians should secure respect for
thsV opinions point Ike this. hare stated thai
alcoholic preparations are absolutely essential In
the treatment Of many diseases. and Tcstora-
tives. They only insist that the preparation Be
pure. They are in favor Of stringent laws agaInal
AdnltsTaiien their motto Is regulate, not de.
sf,oy."
q Afd this Is tho trus policy. dedicated alike by
Z philosophy. experience. abd enmmon sense. What
The other hand. is the tendency Of tho policy ot
LpFuhisttt0u? II does not prevent. iE never has
prevented. IL nsTer prevent the sale 81 aleo-
hoIc nil. but Il leads 10 their deferioraHioH and
thus increasing thousand fold the evils that /,
proposes 70 annihilats. When liquors sold &C.
. crrtiy and at the risk of personal liberty, oi
q course the dealers viii seek compensate them.
selves for the hazard they incur. By inoriinats
profits and 10 obtain those profits they will adult
crate what they sell II Il notorious that the liz
nor sold IN States where prohbtoFy lava exist, Il
Tor tho most part poison. IL - as sAf6 Tor The
vender 90 give bis customers n fiery and lestguet-
ire compound as good Ar,ieic--the penalty be.
ling In each the same. Strict and faithfully
executed inspection laws would prevent this bor.
% ribis adutcration. PFohibiieTy laws promote IT,
II IL well known that most Of the iiauoF re entv
- forfeited in New York. BROOKLYN and elsewhere
for evasion Of the Government Tax. has been oil
/ the vilest description. Tho manufacturers. In
view of the possibility Of seizure have gotten ur
the csntrahnnd artielea the least possible expense
Ia -. A..
he comparatively small. The safety Of the public
G demands that such pernciona stuff be destroyed
o and under n proper system OF tests IL would be
r condemned and emptied into the docks. But no
II Is sold by the Government. ht the average rate
af about g n gallon. "a pay the tax. In this way
alcoholic poison Is distributed broadcast among ths
4 people The whole system Of legislation bearing
upon tho liquor trade In this country is, although
not SO intended. IN The iatsres, Of infemTevaaee.-
A moderate excise and wise sanitary laws, In rrIa,
ton 10 tho distilled and fcrmented beverages ar,
e the best safeguards against tho great evil which
p MI thinking men deplore, but for which few have
j. the wisdom and boldness to propose any remedies
consistent with reason and founded prope
appreciation OF the wants and weaknesses OF hu
man nature. What pity II 10 that professed re
= formsts will attempt to drire, when their true pol
icy would be 10 lead adrise and restrain. Al
patriotic citizens would be glad, If they could, Il
. sweep out Of tho trade and commerce Of the coun
try. the vile brain ddening potons that
sold in every public groggery and every secret der
of intcmperancc. with rs little risk to the deale
=. NJ tho pnrest products Of the vat and stilk
= - The question is, How shall il be done7 And
- the reply Of every Tight-thpking man Is, BY
rigid examination Of the articles, and the inhie
tion Of heavy penalties. pccuniary and personal
u in all cases where adultcrntiOn is detected. Is j
not shame that the common poisoner and thu
- dealer in pure preparation should only be helC
to the samc accountability by the authorities? Ant
yet this is the under the present liquor laws
There arc many forms OF diffusive stimuli uset
~ the nj edieal profession and the great object o
tbo trn..vorthy physician is TO obtain them nm
lmixedT with n,;v deleterious article. Hostetter'
stomach Bitters MS aiTcady observed, has tho rep
. utation Of being tho purest preparation of 1t
class Mt present manufactured, and was, therefore
citsd as case in point. Is It just is 1t fair, is
for the greatest good of the greatest number tha
the law should place this valuable medicine on
Z par with lighting rum? What sort of Legislation
is that which makes no distinction between
health-giving tonic and Alternative and a hfe-oon
suming bane7
Truly, both Congress and our State Legislature
have much to learn upon this important subject
IS and the sooner they begiu to profit by the palpa
Vt bio lessons Of the hour, tho better il will be 70
x the moral and physical health of the people. Un
Is der the present contradictory, incongruous an
short-sighten general and State laws affecting tn
liquor question, intemperance with all its horribl
consequences, is as sure to increase and mutipl
=, as the sun is to generate miasma from SWAMP
~ or fame to grow fercer by feeding 1t with turper
tine The subject is too broad to be discussed j
?. single article, and will be taken up again
. these columns, with view to throw moro ligt
upon 1t. Temperance in all things is nobl
motto, and it is sad fact that the zcalots in
II good cause are sometimes very incorporate.