The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1873-03-02

TO consist In the fact that Il makes one
man rssponsibls for the acts Of another.
The case related In the last issueIof the
McComb Eagle which we introduce u
Che head Of this article, 10 an ordinary
one under the law and serves 10 illus,rats
its workings. It appears that Glover hsi
boon "hard drinker" for twenty years,
fact Of which II 10 moi probable that Hesh
the saloon.keeper, was ignorant. 1t also
appears that Glover has been in the habit
during his twenty years of habitual drink.
ing, Of shamefully abusing his family,
another fact of which Il is not probable
the saloon.keeper was ignorant. We are
not informed as to the price Of 'snake
water" per glass, nor how many glasses
It takes to make drunk an habitual "hard
drinker" like Glover. 1t may have ne
ccssitated the purchase of FIVE or ten
or fifteen glasses, at Eve or
ten or fifteen cents per glass, which, at
outside figures, would have been mat.
ter Of two dollars and twenty-five cents
10 the saloon-keepcr. II Glover paid cash
for his liquor, It was not . very heavy
money making transaction for Hesh. If
he got It on trust, its price would be still
. smaller addition to the saloon-keeper's
income. In either event, for Q very
small profit, the saloon keeper sold to
Glover the enemy which deprived him of
his senses; sent him home drunk to bis
family; caused him to brutally abuse
them; to destroy his furniture, and In the
not exaggerated language OF
the Eagle to "raise hi generally" for
the home Of the drunksrd is . hell to his
family, hopeless, helpless and Departing
Because Glover is brute
(made so perhaps by his use Of
liquor worse, for even the bruies that
perish turn away in disgust from the pro.
duct of the still, shall Hesh be privileged
to supply him with the poison
which deadens all the instincts
Of his manhood and makes him Q terror to
his family and neighborhood Is that an
oppressive law which holds Hesh re.pon-
sible for the consequences OF his sale Of Ii
quor to Glover2
Many eminent physicians hold
the opinion that habitual excessive
indulgence 10 liquor is disease, and hos.
pitfalls for the cure of inebri.
ates are common institutions in
Europe and have been introduced
into this country. Is that law oppressive
which aims 70 prevent the spread Of the
means which make inebristes' Shall the
doors of liquor saloons and dram shops b
thrown open, and their keepers be sup.
piled with cheap licenses TO furnish sub.
jects for future insbriate hospitals
The temperance law does not interfere
with the right Of men to keep saloons MOI
the right Of other men 10 drink in them
any more than the laws which forbid the
carrying Of concealed weapons interfere
with the right Of dealers in such articles t.
sell them, or the right Of others to buy
them. 1t does aim to protect the family
Of the drunkard from the consequences Of
bis unfortunate habits, and 10 protect him
self, to as great an extent as Is admissible
for the law to interfere with his rights as
. free agent, against their indulgence. In
this il 10 merciful and just law, in
keeping with the civilization ofthe age, an
in no way inconsistent with the liberty of q
free people. 1t is urged by many who
are opposed to the law that it is . dead
letter in the state. It pot dead letter
In five separate cases, the supreme court
has pronounced Unconstitutional and overy
case has been victory for the law, ha.
streng thened its enforcement and le.sened
the disposition of liquor sellers to disrs'
gard II. The friends Of tho law do moi
claim that it will abolish drunkenness, OF
do away a. once with tho manifold evils
Of liquor selling and liquor drinking. Blu,
it is . decided step toward the accom-.
plishment Of reform IN that direction and
the fact Is so apparent that it is not prob.
able the legislature will repeal or modify
the law.
---->o>--
TURNEY.