The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-09-05
Your Attention if you Please.
From the Bangor Commercial.

From the Bangor Commercial.
Yesterday morning we invited the at.
| tention of the readers of the Commercial
to the testimony of B. F. Bradbury one OF
our oldest and most esteemed druggists
in his own defence. in the Supreme Judi.
| cial Court, in trial under the search and
seizure process. The point in the testi
mony with which we have to deal to-day
was his statement that every druggists is
obliged to use liquors in compromising his
medicines. and that in urgent cases, when
the City Agency was closed, he had sold
liquors on physicians prescriptions. Mr.
Bradbury is too high minded ctiz n tc
attempt any evasion to escape the penalty
OF the 5a10. He gave the facts to the court
Just as they were, and, under the laW he
was convicted.
That there is any moral guilt in his case,
no man will pretend. What, then, shall
we say of 4 la'c which drags respecta
bic citizen before our courts and brands
him as a crimi11a1. for what ? For adnain-
jstertpg 10 the sick inscase of atrgem need
We wish to bring this matter home to
our people. and here and uow we want
them to give it their serious attention. Is
there such Il thing rs sudden and serious
sickness which calls for the use of alcoholic
stimulants What family. what physician
does not know this tact? This is a sea-
son of that dread disease, typhoid terer.
The patient is devastating. 1t is night.
The physician is called He feels the
pulse. 1t is low. 1t is a case of urgency.
lie orders brandy. There is none in the
house. messenger is dispatched to the
City Agency. 1t is past seven O'Clock; it
is closed. He goes to Mr. Bradbury's
drug store. In hastv words he states his
case. MIR. Bradbury fills the prescription.
What a crime! He is dragged before the
Court aud declared a criminal UNDER
THE LAW!
Is the case we have presented an I'M
possible one? Has il no parallel in fact ?
Surely, then, there is fault sonaczchere.
Where is it? Is it in the sinking patient
who is, perchance, all unconscious of his
condition? 1t is in the physician whose
skill and experience tell him what is in
stantiy needed to rouse the tluttering
pulse Is it in the messenger who goes
for the remedy? Is il IN tie dwqqists
9'ho fills the 2rcSrrPtio@ un1er The urqeht
cWcNn2Stanco ? Or Is IT IN THE LAwo
Let us present this case in a stronger
hight. Let us suppose that some ardent
advocate OF this stringent law-stringent
only tor mischief and to the detriment of
the cause of real temperance-ha be-
loved son struggling between life and
death IN the grasp of the fever we have
named. His family physician in whom
he has all confidence, orders brandy
brandy lnstanNy. He hastens to the CITY
Agency and finds it closed. With quick
ened step he goes into Mr.. Bradbury's.
He knows the Mw Would he or would
he not, ask Mr.. Bradbury for the stimu-
liant? What would be his feelings toward
Mr.. Bradbury, after he had stated the
urgency OF the case if Mr.. Bradbury
should refuse to sell him? And. again.
If Mr. Bradbury should sell him, would
the seller be any more noYullY Il criminal
than the buyer?
And this is the point to which we wish
to direct the attention OF our citizens this
morning. The mor01 guilt of the buyer
under the circumstances we have named
is greater than that OF the seller Here is
a case where the pafHceps crininis is
more guilty than the direct criminal him
self. And yet your lar publicly brands
the latter as a criminal, and lets the for
mer 90 free
There might be some palliation for such
an absurd law, We're any great good re-
sulting from it. But what is the fact in
the city of Bangor? The Mayor, unttl
recently, for five months. has done his
best to enforce it. Immediately after elec-
ton, he will doubtless again renew his
efforts. But what has been the effect. To
large extent in the more respectable
places he has suppressed the sale OF beer
and cider. 1t is inconvenient to get good
liquors for sickness at our drug stores.
The bars of the hotels are closed. What
more has the execution Of the law done
Is there any difficulty in getting rum, Gin
and vile whiskey, in a hundred places in
this city ? Let the public have an answer.
The Germantown Telegraph says that
the European housesparrow. whether for
good or for evil, is largely multiplying in
and around Philadelphia. They seem to
like proximity to human habitations and
become very tame. No doubt they like
insects when the said insects are in prime
condition, but that they like seeds and
bread crumbs is undenablv true from our
own observations on our own premises.
The other night lady in Pateetown. Mo-.
charged with intidelity by her husband, took
summary justice on her spouse She broke all
the eroekeryware in the establishment, captur-