The Hickman courier., 1872-06-15
whisky Drinking, or WHISKY
ArEtlslt..

= =
despises aud sbuns the drunkard, men
do not extend that contempt and avoid
ance to the whisky dealer. The man
who through the weakness of our com
mon humanity, or driven by the mad
cravings of an unnatural appetite drinks
to intoxication is very apt to be despised
By most people, though he may be pitied
by some While the cool aud greed
loving dealer IS looked upon as a man Of
enterprise, If he succeeds, by this un-
| halIowed means, in "heapiug up TO him.
! self the mammon of righteousness.
| Now this Is IN some respects strange
phenomenon. If the seducer BY his
] hellish arts, and fascinating wiles sue
ceeds in so arousiug the passions as to
allure his victim from the path Of virtue.
every honest man Is ready to denounce
the seoundrel; and you will hear from
every mouth maledictions bitter and deep
against 50 vile wretch. Every good
maus doors are Immediately and proper
/ ly closed against the despoier. Ii some
poor knays driven by necessity, or led
UH CUES DA 4I-s rANA4o AZ VI "a mo -Ntte ~
man, how ready Is every tongue 10 cry
out away with the thief aud all are
eager to mete out 10 him his deserved
| punishment. II the murderer impeiIed
/ by malice coolly takes the life Of human
/ being there will arise a universal demand
! for the life Of the blo0d-staiued william,
and DO man can be found to love or cOun-
/ teuance him
! We have no complaint to make that
such characters are 20 treated, It Is moth
/ ing more than they deserve; but we DO
complain that the indiscriminaie liquor
dealer does not receive, al the hands OF
the general public, that contempt ami
condemnation he 50 richly merits. For
we coutena that the man who will, simply
for the purpose ct making money, sell
intoxicating spiIits to any and every one,
Is Just as bad iu the ght OF God, (aud
ought TO be 20 considered by men, a.
the sedueer, thief. or murderer. This
NAV be hard saying, but looked at in
the light Of facts it Will be found to be
true Compare the evil eutai.ed upon
the world by each one, aud say which
will have the heaviest account 10 answer
/ The trafhcer in ardent spirits cannot ex
cuse himself on The poor plea that be
! forces no one TO buy or drink his fiery
Epoisou Neither does the seducer force
/ his victim, but beguiles her. So is
/ with the poison. 7ender; lie beguiies the
poor wretch into hls den, then robs him
! Of money. honor mau.iness, virtue, and
often of life itself 1 | set a snare for
meu's feet into which I know they Will
walk to be slain, am | gliItIess OF mur-
der? If I offer a temptation that | know
poor humanity can hardly resis4,' and
/ thereby cause some one to fall from rec.
/ ttude, am l innocent Of seduction 10 evil
! before God or any right tbiuking man OF
woman? Aud when reputation, health
aud wealth. shall all have been lost
through my instrumeEiality am | guilt
/ less Of robbery? Before the bar OF God
I if I have acted thus, l am guilty Of all
the legitimate consequences which or
dinaIilv follow from such wrong doing
Where is the whisky or beer dealer that
does not know the crimes and evils that
ordinarily flow from drinking the poison
Gus fluid which they sel2 None can be
/ found. Then the dram ssller can excuse
himself neither upon the ground Of ig
uorance, nor upon the plea that he force:
DO ore to drink. With his eyes open
for the sake of greed, he introduces and
sells to a community that which he
knows will degrade it. If then some
voluptious sensualist, with passions in
famed by drink, should violate the
purity of the liquor dealers family, il
would be but just retribution. Would
10 Heaven that all those engaged IN the
manufacture and sale of ardent spirit,
could see this matter in the light in
which it must appear to just God; then
we are persuaded this terrible curse
would be forever banished from our land
and total abstinence with it's attendant
blessings would prevail indeed. Let the
Good Tempiers labor as they may. a
partial success only can be accomplished
so long as the whisky traffic continues,
for there will always be some too weak
to resist the temptation set before them
/ Good Templers, let US labor to make
| whisky selling so odious in the public
mind that no honest man will engage IL
it. To accomplish this, it is only nee
essary to put this matter iu its true ight
before the people. We are glad to know
that the good work Is in progress IN thi
direction, aud that at least two Of ou
grocerymen view this matter in Its prope
4 light and have banished whisky from
their houses We hope the time is no
far distant when every dealer will follow