Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-02-14
Il IS Time to correct Abuses.

There is a frightful, growing evil in our midst,
which it is mAnifestly the prsrOgative Of FEEE
Pass and an OLD PAnursJouRsAssto call atten-
ton to 8nd deprecase. We make hisststsment,
not IN the interest Of sny special organization, or
simply as Journalistic butbeeause it seems plain to
US thRtsone step should be taken fOrremedying
the sSiffOr The sake OF the peace, prosperity and
fair reputation Of the eommunity-all Of which are
seriously threatened by the lamensabe turn Affairs
are takine 81 this time We grantthat the selling
oflisuors is egaIited BY he according Of licenses
under ,heiA~s o. state, but a, the same time
thoa laws endeaSor to protect communities Rom
abuses sael, As exist IN ours BY requiring the full
filing Of certain conditions BY the applicant under
heavy bonds. First: 10 man is to be permitted to
take out license unless be can produce witnesses to
prove that heis Of " good moral character and not
ofiutemp erSts Asbits.' That this rule is violated
in 4 nnl6sule Of Instances no one win deny who
has bireYe open 10 the customs Of those around
him. Indeed it is almost necessarily eontrHdie
tiou IN i;self. BY the great principle ofeompen-
sation, given in different form il is true, in Holy
Writ, but APPLYING nevertheless 20 all forms Of
injury from man to his fellow, They that take the
sword shall. perish b. the sword" It is almost a
certain rrtributiou that the man who puttsth the
bottle 20 his neighbors lips shall at the last be bit
ten by the serpent and stang BY the adder whose
existence he has 50 largely aided in perpetuating
Again, by the provisions Of the license laws no Ii
quor Is u be sold on Sunday. Who that is in the
habit Of getting his regular weekday drains has
failed 10 fine the secret tock-door entrance by which
the favored many are admitted to receive the dead
" drsught which long established usage makes
them crave as irresistibly on that So on the other
SIX DAYS? No minors are to be allowed to buy at
the bar Of the rumseller. l. there boy Of sixteen
or seventeen or eighteen in this or any other town
10 the State who cannot s;er up 70 the counter and
order his potion-sye. and receive il in return for
his hard-carned wages? No liquor is TO be sold to
one already intoxicated or in the habit Of drink
ING % excess, How Gar this condition is complied
with the daily sickening sights which offend our
ewes ir the streets sufficiently show. Onlv a dav
or tvo ago We were approached BY a citizen who
has been for wears himself accustomed to the cup,
with the request that we protest against the issu-
ing of any more licenses by the Board Of Super
Nlsors, Tor WhlshcY es'aOiishtnehts IN lhtS toNh-
Tie seemed to Be- actually frightened at the extent
10 which the traffic is ca RED the abuse % bonds,
snd the apparent loosercss and Indifference Of the
Supervisors on the subject Said he, " there are
but two Of all the bar.kecpers in town who comply
with The terms Of their iesnse-the Others have all
f,-fri,,d their bonds
All these circumstances, and the increasing ten
denev o. the young men Of our town toward the
fatal allurcments Of the dram-shop, have induced
U.s. at The risk OF mourning the adium Of the par
ties whose good we seek. thus % put forth warn
Ing voice earnestly hoping That some at least ms
be induced 90 stop and think what they are doing,
and turn away from the edge OF the frghtful pre-
cipicc o. which they are so nadly fastening
we that the officers Of the law nav at last open
their eyes the abusea going on around them. and
take the needful steps to have them corrected.
To the newly arranged back door and gate aud
PIank-paved- way man-traP we may recur in fu-
ture number.