American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-19
or the American Citizen
lntemperance.

AllCIIlpCl 0llOOs
Mr.. EDITOR.-It may be deemed super
huous task, in the face of the recent action of
the Legislature of this State relative to the
vending of intoxicating liquors, to offer any
thing further on the subject, but VIC have an
other stand point from which to present the
question, not met by said law-which law we
believe will be evadcd. There is no evil
now existing in society exertins more bane-
full influence than drukenness; no other prac-
tees to which men are addicted bring in their
train such blishting, whitening desolaton No
words or eloquence we could array against it
would speak in such appealing terms as the
mute and hassard woe of heart-broken wives
aud children, little innoceHts around whom
neglect and sorrow have wound their calling
chains. Canton is famous for the number OF
its saloons and the patronage they receive.
No law will ever be made efectual in the ut
ter suppression OF liquor selling. All pro-
hibitory laws against such sales, and the PEN
allies they impose, are evaded by the bloated,
lynx-eyed dispenser of trouble to women and
children, as in like manner all the admonitions
of friends and loved ones, and the pledges of
temperance, are UNDECIDED by the man given
to insatiate inteInperance. If law, then. is
powerless in the prevention or suppression of
this hydra headed evil, and men will drink,
what, then, you ask, is to be done. We an
swer, let the hot, poisonous fluid be sold, and
let men imbibe-as experience proves they
certainly villas much and as often as they
desire. The quicker their transit to that I'M
discovered " bourne whence no traveller re-
turns" the better; let them give place to tenn
perate men. that the evil may be bred out OF
existence. Let Bacchus reign, and his deluded
votaries worship unmolested as his shrine
But let law-an omnipot-nt law-be put in
force levying a special weekly or monthly
tax, not only upon the saloons, but upon every
man, be he druggist. merchant, or salesman OF
any description, who disposes of or gives away
Intoxicating beverages. Let this tax be q
heavy one and resolve itself into trust-fund,
with proper trustees and guarantees, and be
expended judiciously in cheering the pathway
and tightening the burdens of the pure and
helpless woman whom evil fortune has given
a beast for q husband, and let the deserted
little treasures of her heart acquire their edu-
C1tlOu anu SdSScHduCS thcfCioh" OuSh 10 ="
is eminently practicable in all its bearings,
and could be enforced beyond a doubt. All
goods and personal property should be held
amenable co the law. The tax must then be
forthcoming, the vicious fountain closed.
So much for law; now for some other things.
1t has always been a matter of no little won
der to rs that an intelligent, refined man could
90 beastialize himself as to bury all his reason
and manhood in alcohol, and stoOp to the low
est level of humanity. That a father can
squander his money and neglect the wife whom
he has wrecked, and the little, irresponsible
ones, the author of whose being he is, sur
passes comprehension. o, mani what a
demon you have become, and what fearful
accountability rests upon your shoulders. If
you have any decency, honor, pride, or rea-
son left, think of your own memory, the
name of your children. and abjure your evil
, ways. man in health and youthful visor
has no more use for artificial stimulant THAN
hog has for q diamond necklace. They are
not only unnatural, but positively injurious
| The man who lives in accordance with natural
laws, lives the longest, and as the racer over
| taxed gives way sooner than the horse thai
goes a natural gait. so the human system,
though q good one, whose natural order is
daily disturbed by unnatural stimulation, may
| run u good race but not a long one, certainly
like clock stopped by impeachment, it does moi
run out its full measure o: time. 1t is with
the greatest difficulty that any man can quiz
drink when once fairly commenced, unless be
be OF a very decided character and possess ar
hon will. The only sale rule, then, gentle
men, if you cannot drink without drunkenness
is total abstinence We are not an old man
neither cynic nor sensatonalist, but q
calm, dispassionate observer of passing events
and we would ask you, young man, given tt
getting tight, whittier you are drifting-hov
are you repaying the aged parents who watch
ed over and matured your tender and hel pies
! years, and who love you with an undying love
What inducements do you hold out to thu
young heart pure and chaste as morning dew
and lovely as the flowers that in Eden grew
whom you expect to wed with tender wooins
and fair demonstration, you take the dovele
| from its mother cot, to soil its beautiful plum
age and consort it with hawks and kites
The lustre will fade from the soul-lt eyes
the bloom, beauty and youth, once sitting 81
comedy as a crown of jewels upon the cheek
will grow wan and fade; the heart, once thu
foundation of every joy and loving thought
will be dried up. scared and withered by thu
hot sirocco of neglect, cold and gaunt pow
erty. Amid the ribald testers. convivial
bacchanal spirits, stepped in vile indifference
or perchance in some lonely, secluded spot
limp and obnoxious in garbagenous surround
ings, lies a form, for whom . pale, sorrow
fal, frail figure is keeping fearful watch
Is this the laughing, blooming happy. youn:
wife? Think you the picture overdrawn
Young woman, ere you commit yourself II
the destiny Of any man, if he is in the habi
of tppling, pause in your career; think no
of reformation under the most benign inau
ence you could possibly be able to exert
Foolish delusIon! Experience points not to
single precedent. During madenhOod you
influence probably might prove potential. 4
brief career of wifehood, however, would ut
terly dispell any preconceived ideas base
upon ante-marital relations. II you do no
desire to pass sleepless nights of agony ant
long days of burdensome toil--to support
parental mass of utterly worthless humanity
heed admonition's warning voice. and shu
such perambulating Pandora boxes, as yo
| would the stnpinp ASH. whose poison thOu