Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-03-08
For the Chronicle.
INTEMPERANCE.

~ " SAtAAh$A ~ - h--0e<>% o>~~SN - "
much money is sqandered in this city
every day for rum-something that
does not benefit any one except the
saloon keepers, and they are making
big thing Of it, and some of them for
tunes, off of men that have families at
home, with their children, in many
cases, crying for bread
The number of these dens of mis-
cry in this city amounts to about thir-
ty. with an average of one hundred
and fifty customers per day. Some
have more and some not SO many, but
they will average at least that number.
This amounts to S 1900 each per day,
$1,000 of which is profit. and if they
have a good cistern. the profit is still
more. Multiply this by thirty and you
have the neat little sum of 5 10000
profit per day. / have not the least
idea that one man in ten in this city
will believe this statement; but if they
will reflect one moment, they will be
convinced of its truth.
But" some will say, " the saloons
pay big license, and that helps to
keep up our courts and general expen-
ses." This is true to certain extent,
but suppose we reason this way: Each
of these saloons makes from one to
ten men drunk every day and out of
every ten drunken men there is atleast
one who commits crime ofsome kind
which costs the county from one to
five hundred dollars to prosecute. So
you see where your license money goes,
as we'll as great deal more. If you
wish to lessen crime in your midst,
you must abolish dram shops, for |
tell you that whiskey is the worst enc
my we have. Ispeak from experience,
for | have drank enough of this poison
to float the Hide Out from here to
New Orleans, and still | never lost a
day from my business on account of
being drunk. There is no one has any
idea of theamount he has drank, un-
unless he makes a calcu-
lation of it, and then he will be
frightened after he counts it up. And
still it does not stop here
Let us look around us, and
see how many families are made mis-
cradle by drunken husbands. 1t is
sad to think how miserable a family
can be made by this traffic.
| was coming home not long since,
and in front of me was one of those
poor miserable beings of humanity
trudging on home the best he could,
and he was muttering to himself. This
was about what he said:
well, Bob, you are a little the
worse for wear; but. by cd. l paid
for it. Now, if Sal don't have supper
ready, I'll whip her; and if she don't
have the children to bed, I'll whip her;
and if she don't have the door open,
I'll whip her"
Being well acquainted with the fam
lily, went another way, and inform
ed her what Bob had threatened if
she did not have all to suit his notion.
She prepared everything just as he
wanted it. Presently Bob came along
covered with mud. hid myself to see
the drama out. He found the door just
as ne wanted it, and he says: Well
this is right. Hello, Sal, is supper
ready"
Yes, Robert, all Warrington you
well, that's right Are the child
rem in bed ?"
Yes, Robert"
"All right; but look here, Sal, by
cd, I'll whip you anyhow"
And whip her he did. 1 got heart
sick and left the house. Now, Just
such scenes as this are enough to make
a man of any self-respect cry out for
vengeance against this liquor traffic
that is so ruinous to the young. and to
some old ones, in our midst. For my
part, can't see how we will remedy
this evil unless We all quit drink
ing. l believe that is the cheap
est way | have very little hope of this
liquor law now before our Legislature.
| hope it will be passed. and then en-
forced; but there will be whiskey
drinking as long as water runs down
stream. | am satisfied, however, we
can, if we try, stop such wholesale
business as is carried on at present.
For instance, nearly all our bust
ness men bind their contracts by tax
ing a few rounds at some fashionable
saloon. IF a man contracts to have a
house built, after the necessary writing
is done, he takes thecontractor around
and they tip glasses over it. This is
is called driving the first nail" When
the work is completed, all take jolly
big bumper This is called driving
the last nail
Now, let every thinking man reflect
upon this way of binding contracts,
and upon the thousand and one other
excuses for taking a drink, and in the
name of all that is good keep away
from these dens of misery.
Yours, &c,
A. W. Ii.