Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-09-20
LETTER FROM CHARLESTOWN.

Whiskey is power in the land. Ihls
is true not only Of the nation, but OF the
parts and parcels of which it Is made
up. The idea, if any should entertain
it, that the national legislature will ever
adopt any thing like prohibitory enact
mcnts respecting the making and using
of spirituous liquors is too preposterous
to be held by a sane mind. The mlllen-
mum, if it ever should break upon this
country would hardly effect SO wonder
full a work. There are three main rea-
sons for the conclusion reached above.
The appeiites of men which when ha-
bitually gratified obtain SO strong hold
upon them, was against such laws be-
cause for strong and stimulating drinks
they acquire the most intense love and
thirst. The reuenue realized from max
ing and selling alcoholic drinks is SO
vast, that the government i'll its almost
bankrupt Indebtedness, could not DO
without it, or at least it thinks SO, for 1t
is a tax SO heavy, that there is hardly
any thing else upon which it could be
laid to which the people would submit
Then too, the money that is made Ill the
business of selling liquor. The profits
to the seller are simply enormous,
When dealt out by the small it thrib-
bles and quadruples. Here the all-mov-
ing and absorbing passion Of money
making by which men are actuated is
appealed to. a passion to crafty which,
tho man is made to sacrifice his all OF
energy and sagacity, and sometimes Of
honesty and conscience. He may have
store something after Noah's ark as to
variety, but if he has not liquor tied on,
trade is dull and goods so out slow. An
illustrative case is easily made out. 1t
is really hotchpot collection of wares.
All other branches of trade are trenched
upon to make up the assortment Al
most any thing YOU could ask for is to
be had there, save the inevitable whis
Ky. Sales are so small and trade so
dull, that the man hardly makes his dai
" salt. 1t is no 90. He has not mag
netism enough of himself to draw, nor
enterprise to make trade The charm
is wanting. The attraction because of
the absence of the Magic Wand of a IL
csnse lies bunged up. What is the rem
edy The aid Of the Court so oppor,
tunely sitting must beasked. The bond
30 frightful at first must by all means
be filled up. The whole stock must
smell of the stuff. The whole premise
must be resonant with the flavor. Then
what was dull will become lively-what
did not pay will be made to do 80 by
this extra article. 1t will have the eff
feet upon the two legged gentry, most
especially of the dark hue, in the way
of drawing them to the spot, that vast
ed molasses has upon the flies, and mark
you this is all to make money! For it
must be made by some means. The
twinges Of conscience, if there be any,
must give in. All the risks under the
new law must be made, for the great
necessity of making money. Fit cant
be done in way that gives a quiet
conscience and good hearty sleep, with,
out any fears of broken bond and
mulcted damages, the broken hearted
wife clamoring for redress or the moth
er seeking her boys safety as a minor
at the hands of the infracted law, the
opposite of all this must be endured and
the risks be encountered so that money
will be made. No wonder that money
thus made proves in the sequel double
curse. With these mountain obstacles
in the way, the conclusion forces itself,
that the millennium from whiskey max
ing, selling and drinking is Indefinitely
postponed, and if Gabriels trump finds
our world liberated from this great evil,
it will be startling news TO those who
have left it prior to that notable event.
Appetite is against 1.-THE love of max
ing money is against 1.-THE Govern
ment carrying its monster debt, that
must be sustained by heavy tax on this
seemingly absolute luxury is against it.
Appetite and love of money making
possess the majority of the people who
dictate to the law makers. Like peo-
pie, like law makers holds good. And
even an effort to carry such point
would be fruitless, for the ring would
be reused and all of its money power
would be brought against it, and as this
is without limit, failure to such an effort
is inevitable. There are two giant rings
that hold the country like monster
anaconda winding himself round his
writhing victim, mean the mammoth
railroad corporations and the mammoth
whiskey associations, based on appetite
and interest. We have seen the power
of the former swaying the national
Congress in the Credit Mobillier imbro-
clio, and woe betide the effort Of the
good that would strike at the very root
of the whiskey evil, rousing the ring
and drawing out its infinite resources OF
money, means, chicanery, and double
dealing. So we end with the conclu-
sion, with which we started, that whis-
key is a power, but unfortunately q
power for evil, and that continually.
TIMOTHY.