Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-02-04


of the ,nebriatc The amount OF wisdom, eN-
| perence and observation represented by the
| Association makes it presumptuous fora lay
| man to dissent from their opinions. Yet we
| NAV we'll hesitate to adopt their declaration
that intemperance is disease as yellow fever
| mr. smallpox That it is Il greater evil than
either we readily admit; but to affirm it dis
ease In any such sense, as that 10 which we
speak of the others is to the unprotcs>lonal
mind absurd.
of the moral effect Of such a decision We
need not here speak, because we are not to
take effects into the account when the fact only
is in question. But we can easily believe that
all sense of moral responsibility. would be de-
stroyed by establishing the position OF these
eminent doctors, that the drunkard is simply
the victim of sickness, as if he had been attacked
by cholera or collie. We do not believe that any
form of disease is under the control OF the Will
But the habit of intemperance until 1t gene
rates disease, and other disease than the de-
sire for drink, is comfortable by the will, as
thousands ofcases have demonstrated The tenn
perance reform especially that phase OF 1T
which looked to the reformation of drunkardS,
had its basis in this princl Pile, and hundreds OF
thousands of ahect drunkaTds We're cured hy
signing the pledge The yellow fever is never
cured by such process. A man may pledge
himself against the smallpox, and yet have 1t
thrust upon him 10 the street.
We do not doubt there Is a sense IN which the
drunkard is diseased, horribly, and he needs
medical treatment But his disease Is not drunk
enness 1t is the result OF it. 1t Is the effect OF
drunkenness, not the cause not the thing itself.
We thiuk these learned gentlemen, to whom
we look with profound respect, should be care
full how they sanction by their high authority
doctrine that absolves men from moral re-
sponsibili,y, and puts the drunkard into the
category of untortunates, rather than OF crlml,
mails where every inebriate belongs God
treats them so, and has denied thcm ADMISSION
into his kingdom, while heaven is as open TO
the victims of disease as to saints who perish
in martyrdom. ~ Y. Observer.
THE PRE- JENNERIAN PERIOD. BY way of
impressing the ravages of smallpox in the pre-
Jennerian period on people mind in a manner
more picturesque than that Of ordinary statlS-
tics, writer 10 one of the foreign medical
journals selects the history Of few royal houses.
Thus it appears that of the descendants OF
Charles l., of Great Britain, up to the date Of
Tip, FIVE were killed outright by smallpox,
namely his son Henry, Duke Of Gloucester,
and his daughter Mary, wife Of the Prince Of
Orange and mother OF William H.; ard
three Of the children of James H., name
ly, Charles, Duke of Cambridge IN lGII;
Mary, Queen of England and wife Of
William ILL.,, in 1894; and the Princess
Maria Louisa in l7l2. This does not include,
of course severe attacks not fatal, like those
of Queen Anne, William ILL.,, aud Others. OF
the Immediate descendants of his cDtemporary,
Louis XIV, of Frauce-who himself survived
a severe attack Of mallpox-hve also died oil 1t
in the interval between III aud l714, namely,
his son Louis, the Dauphn of France, IN I'LL;
Louis Duke of Burgundy, son of the preccd-
ing, and also Dauphin, and the Daughness,
his wife, 10 l7l2 their son, the Due de Ere
tagne. and Louis NV., the atgrand-son Of
Louis XIV. Among other royal deaths from
smallpox in the same period were those OF
joseph l., Emperor of Germany in I'LL
Peter H., Emperor of Russia, in 1880; Henry,
Prince of Russia in 1861 MaXimiliian
Joseph, Elcctor of Bavaria in l777.-B"|to.
| Methodist
THE LEGISLATURE OF VIRGINIA has spent
two months and has literally accomplished
nothing. They may have cut out large
amount of work, but nothing of any import
auce has been finished up The fact is more
than the half of the matters before it have no
business there. Private bills for the relief Of
individuals, the incorporation Of local compan-
les and thousand and one such things con
sumo two-thirds Of the session, when all OF
them with slight change of the law could be
done more intelligently, and without cost, IN
the courts at home. 1t is an outrage on the
people to be taxed with such things. Suppose
case: land such cases are OF constant occur
rence) sheriff or some one else has paid $50
or SIS enormously and desires relief. lie goes
to the Legislature. His case is taken up,
bill introduced, referred to committee, re,
ported upon, brought before one House and
discussed, goes to the other House, an! there
goes through the same process, and If It does
not occupy full day of the time of the Legs-
lature it is in an unusually industrious mood.
Here then are nearly two hundred men en-
ployed at Sc per day consuming time worth to
the State, including other expenses 5 HOO
over claim which would at home been within
a magistrate 8 Jurisdiction. Until our Legisa-
ture is relieved of this class Of legislation, and
until it is reduced from its present unwledy
numbers, it will be dead weight and nul-
sance- RochJridge Citizen.
TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION "A dispatch
from Plttsburg, ays:-"Four boilers IN the
American Iron Works, Jones Il Laughlln 81
10 Brownstown, the twentyt0urth ward, ex-
ploded yesterday morning. The explosion was
so tremendous that three sections OF the build
ing, of some fifteen feet each, we're completely
shattered, the roof being carried entirely away
and scattered in all directions. There were
about three thousand laborers employed 10
the mill at the time the explosion oc-
Cured, and for some time it seemed as
though very large number had been either
killed or wounded by the steam or trag-
ments of the boilers that were sent in various
dircctioDs The greatest CONSERVATION prevail
ed, and the most extravagant rumors were, set
afoat Immediate steps we're taken to relieve
the injured who were still alive, and recover
the dead Up to the present time the follow
ing killed have been exricatcd from the debris:
Patrick Hawley, Michael Reynolds, Char les
Fea, Thomas Mccartney, Barney McCaulcy
and Anton Bickers. Some thirty we're wound
ed, but few of them seriously"