Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-06-12
NEW YORk'S TEMPERANCE LAW.

NEW YORk'S TEMPERANCE Law.
The Same as I'm Ohio, Wiscomsin. and
Ithcr Wsstern otatos-vVhat Eli Per.
kins Thinks Of lt-Nomo lntorostinx
Items.
From the Daily Graphic.
Glorious accomplishment
The State Legislature quietly passed
an act last week which will do moro
good for temperance than oil the laws
ever recorded on our statute books,
and Governor Dix signed it on Satur-
day. 1t was a deed so bold, brave, and
decisive, md an act so fraught with
justice, that tue legislature deserve the
thanks of the whole commonwealth.
1t was q decd SO white that, in future
days, it will stand out and plead for all
their shortcomings and so Just that,
i'll the scales of Justice, it will weigh
against whole winter of corruption,
What is this act
It is not the "Local Option " bill,
nor MI excise net, nor q prOlibitOry
law, but the Civil Damages bill-tbe
law which has worked wonders in
Ohio, and which has been adopted by
Indiana, Illinois, and several Western
Statos-the only effectaal temperance
law ever tried by Christian people.
What is this new law2
1t is law making the liquor seller
responsible for all the damage which q
man does while under the influence of
the poison which he has sold or given
to him.
If man is mechanic, doctor, law
yer or laborer, and the rum-seller sells
or gives him rum till he becomes q
dlunkard and loses his position, then
the wife, child, parent, guardian, EN-.
ployer, or any person whose person or
property is harmed in the least, can
sue the rum-seller before a justice of
the peace if the damage is under 5000,
before three justices Of the peace if tho
damage is under $500, and before o Jury
il the damages are from $500 to $780,
600.
Suppose the rum-seller has no prop
erty7
Then the person who owns the
building where the rum issold is liable
for the damage done. If laborer
gets drunk and loses his place, his
wife can collect from the rumseller for
ali damage caused.
What effect will this splendid law
have2
While in Ohio, last winter, saw its
magnificent effect there. It closed up
irresponsible GROCERIES and rum holes.
In fact, it did away with bad, low, and
irresponsible rumsellers altogether.
It made bartender refuse to sell to q
man intoxicated, boisterous, or who
was on the downward road to ruin. It
made owners of buildings get response
BILE rumselling tenants, or make ire
sponsible rumsellers give their bonds
to the owner of the building to p,eet
suits for personal damages.
To illustrate:
In Ashland, Ohio, there lived q DIR.
Gibbs. He W as splendid young ply
stefan. He had lovely wife, three
beautiful children, and sweet little
cottage paid for. In an evil moment
DR.. Gibbs commenced to drink. First
it was q social glass; then the regular
appetizer before breakfast; then the
regular drinking throughout the day;
then drunken, beastly, stupid topper,
by the wayside. His patients left
him, wife grew pale with anxiety, and
children grew plain, then ragged. The
pretty cottage went, everything went
all gulped down an insane mans
throat. Friends came to Mrs. Gibbs
assistance. They sued the rum.sellers.
1t was the first case in Ashland. Peo-
pie looked on in amazement. Lawyers
pleaded unconstitutionality, want of
knowledge, and everything, but there
was the statute-the same one that
Gov. Dix signed on Saturday. The
jury went out-a good honest country
jury-and came back with a verdict of
So, 900 damages. The rum.seller was
frightened, and refused to pay. The
judgment came against the building.
An execution, and the man who had
ruined DR.. Gibbs and brought his love-
~ wife and beautiful children down O
poverty and despair, had to pay 1000.
Not only this, but it frightened all the
rum sellers in Ashland. Poor
DIR. Gibbs in vain crawled into
the bar rooms, after this, to
plead with seedy garments, trem-
bling hands and broken speech, for
more rum. In a few weeks the rum
fiend got out of him. He became q
sane man. Behind, it looked like a
dream-house gone, wife haggard and
children ragged. Then the old man.
hood came back. With new resolutions
came new friends, new patients, more
work, and prosperity. His wife grew
young again, aud again his children
climbed upon his knees. That night,
at Ashland, DR.. Gibbs introduced me
to the audience, and after the lecture,
he told me about himself and the Ohio
law-ou1 law-the law signed by Gov.
Dix.
'sTherel'' he said, as we walked by
q beautiful cottage, ''that's the early
home threw down my throat; but,
with Gods blessing and my wife's and
children's love, will some day buy It
back again."
And he will do it, sure.
| Another case:
10 Miller, of Lodi, was a miner-a
Woodworking, honest, kind.hearted
husband, and a loving father. The
town was full of rum. holes for killing
miners. The rum-sellers grew red.
faced and rich, but the miners grew
pale and died. 10 began the race. A
drink now and then. A holiday spree.
A working-day drunk. A headache,
pale face, and lost time. House mort.
gaged-lost. Two children died.
Wife badly treated, and 10 drunk and
sprawled upon the floor. Rum, rum,
work gone, poverty-death. After the
funeral, which was paid for by the
miuers, Mrs. Miller commenced suit
against the rum-se1lers. She won it,
and tho rum-selling leech who had
been sucking in miners cottages and
money and lives had to pay 81, 600 dam
ages. This kept JOS wife from the
poor house and frightened four rum
sellers out of Lodi. It made it tenn
perance town. A sober. well-behaved
man can get drink there, but boys
and drunkards are safe, and suffering
wives and children are not known.
Again: In Newark, Ohio, q wife re-
ceived $40, 600 for damages done her
husband, physician. Juries always
| 49, l. ;r,s, ~,1$1