Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1870-12-08
For the Herald and Tribune.
The Evil.

answer one thing and some another
With one party it would be high taxes
with another corrupt politicians; with 9TH
ers the tyranny of fashion, extravaganza lIv-
ing and reckless expenditure say some /;
while others might contend that idleness
or social corruption is our greatest enemy.
All these parties may be honest in their
convictions, yet all cannot be correct
There must be a mistake somewhere
The truth is none of the above would be
correct. The use, as a beverage, of intox-
icating liquors, is the greatest evil-the
most widespread and destructive of any
that preys upon the American people. 1t
is not only greater than any other, but
more damaging than all other evils COM
bined. This would not be a difficult case
to make out before an impartial, intelli-
gent, thoughtful jury. 1t is not only gi-
gantic in itself. but it is largely the near
or remote cause, the excitant and inspira-
ton of most, ifnot all others.
The people now, as in ancient Israel, are
destroyed for lack of knowledge. They
are profoundly ignorant on this subject
They do not stop to think how widespread
this evil is-how much capital it annually
consumes-how many drunkards it makes
how many crimes it directly and indi-
rectly causes-how much pauperism and
suffering it imposes-how much health it
DESTROYS, and how many souls it sends
yearly to the %drunkard's hell. If we could
only get people to take an impartial look
at this evil, to measure its extent, fathom
its depths and ascend to the height of it,
they would easily see that it overtops all
other evils; sends its pestiferous branches
farther, and strikes its damnable roots
deeper into the soil of American life than
any other evil that ever escaped from Pan
dora's box.
In the first place alcohol to the human
system is always a poison. Like every
other poison, it may sometimes be useful
as a medicine, but never simply as a bev-
erage. Recent scientific investigation has
proved concluslvely, that in no case can
become food and be assimilated as
n~ourishment. 1t is an i~rritant, a stimu-
liant with narcotic properties, and always
injurious to a healthy organization. Taken
in small quantities its evil effects are not
so marked, but probably it is never used,
except as a medicine, without some cores
ponding evil effect. The mathematics of
the Calculus could be applied here if we
could only grasp in their exact proportions,
all the causes and their effects. A poison
is no less a poison and destructive ulti-
of health and life, because of the
smallness of the quantity, or the slowness
its operation. The tortoise sometimes
wins the race with the hare.
To begin now with this simple fact
which science has already demonstrated,
that the use of alcoholic beverages is, on
The one hand powerless for good, but pow
,rful for evil, we see what an enormous
waste of treasure it annually involves. 1t
will amount, all told, to billions of dollars
every year. The negative evil in this one
direction. is equal to all the good which
have been done with that vast sum
for the relief of suffering, for the cause of
education, science, commerce, the arts and
Add to this the suffering that it
has entailed, the paupers it has made, the
bright intellects that 1t has ruined, the
crimes it has promoted, the costs and taxes
has imposed-things which every legis-
lator should carefully consider-and what
/. stream of evil it rolls along the ages, and
our fair land!
1t is right that the people of this State
should ask and even demand. that their re-
oresentatives in the Legislature should ex-
anime this question and give them some
appropriate legislation on this most impor-
ant subject. 1t is serious trifiing to seek
% redress smaller grievances and totally
.gnore and neglect this monster evil. The
way to wake up the warld, or any part OF
on this question, is to agitate it, write
about it. talk on it, pray, petition, demand,
until some appropriate legislation is OBJ
The Courts, in other States, have settled
The constitutionality of the question-that
The traffic in alcoholic liquor may be reg
llated or vel entirely prohibited by State
avs. Every State has a right to do this.
there need not be n moment wasted by
any rural representative, in discussing the
,onstitutionality of the question. Let all
he Wrinkles wake up out of their
ong sleep, to the fact that tie world moves
md that some great questions have been
settled within the last fifty years! Let us
AVE a law favoring temperance and sobri-
ETY., if not total prohibition. A law re-
,tricting and regulating the sale of liquor
n all cases where the conscience of the
people is prepared 20 sustain it.
Congressional.
WASHINGTON, Dec 5.-In the House,