Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-02-18
Letters from the People

Another Appeal for the Inebriates' Home
| Editor Spectator
Last Winter the Legislature char
tered the above mentioned Charity, but failed to
make an appropriation to carry out the provis
ions of the act creatingit 1t is with no intention
| of boring your readers with long article upon
| subject alcoholism-which has been so ably
discussed aud which medical science has demon
strated so clearly to be disease, and one SC
susceptible Of cure, by proper treatment, that
| [ write this, but to add my mite to your appeal
of last week. and to call the attention of our
members and the Legislature, to the necessity
| of liberal appropriation at this session and to
| urge the various Temperance Orders to show
their faith by their works;' not only by contrib
| utipg literally to an Instituton-w should
| appeal iresistobIy to those whose faith and
works is Love, Temperance and Charity =
but also by an active canvass for it, through the
| press and before the people.
If argument were necessary in this commu-
nifty to show the direful effects of alcoholism.
| let the most sctptical goto our Cemetery and
look upon the numerous graves OF Its victims
among them the youth, the hope the intellect,
the courage and daring that gave life to our So
cial and business circles before and since the
war. Let him lock upon, and think OF, the
widows and orphans he may daily meet on our
streets the desolate homes and broken hearts
that lie around US, aud inhuman, indeed, must
be the head and heart that refuses to acknowl-
edge the absolute need of such an institution
in the State, for the picture here is but a re-
fiection of every section. And If further proof
be wanted, take but a look at the reports Of the
Asylums for the Insane or upon the victims of
alcoholic insanity, or go to the d., ID. Il B. In
stitution to see its afflicted fruits In the descen-
dants OF intemperate parents. even to the third
and fourth generations or do but glance at the
moral and physical wrecks, (oace formed in the
image of their Maker J whose trembling limbs,
shattered constitutions, can scarcely carry their
tottering and whiskey poisoned bodies
from bar room to bar-room In your fair City
of the Hills What sort of religion is it that
allows this? The Demon is their master; soul,
body, honor, every feeling and hope is bis and
on their once fair forms he has stamped the
liyid imprint of bis heish work. The dull,
glazed, parboiled eye-imbecile stare the
bloated cheek-the shaking limbs and idiotic
speech and laughter. all, all. tell OF the wretch
undone: uncared for, miserable, Woe-begone
and to be pitied beyond all other unfortunates,
for has life is torment and from ham and has
hope has fed.
Good easy, we-to,do souls; moderate
drinkers and members of the Legislature,
("who never drink to hurt them, may sneer
at this picture, and wrapping themselves up in
the pharasaical garb OF their own supposed
safety, cay: LET the dogs die the sooner the
better a man who won t help himself deserves
no aid" &C., &C., ad nauseam; but the poor
ye have always with you" the starving Wild
ows and helpless orphans, and bereayed wives wives
answer differently. They plead with broken
hearts and fearful eyes to the generosity and
charity of old Virginia, and ask that her glorl-
Gus motto-Sic Sem per Tyrannis-shall be made
true 10 regard to the hideous tyrant, alcohol, as
well as others, and it is to be hoped that the
PRAYER of the weak and helpless for their best
loved. may not be drowned amid the vile clamor
of Railroad wars" rings, &c, for to them, to
us, to the unfortunate, to our posterlty, the
solution of this grave problem, the cure of this
plague, is, indeed, not only the life of the ma
tion," but life itself.
Woman and charity ask that the unfortunate
| and once useful citizen be given chance for
| life and the State owes this to them, tor truly
I unfortunate they are, and would that one Of
| them -(who has suffered all the untold nor
ror of such life and been gracionsly spared
| to write this appeall could 'speak as never
man spake" or even as the ''old man eloquent
that he might bring before the Legislature and
| the people such picture Of the ruin, the blight
the desolation of hearts and homes caused By
this curse of the 19th century, as would stiI
hearts of stone and move even the coldesi
heart to aid in this great work.
But he cannot and your space and patience
forbids if he could Still in closing let him ap-
peal to all fair-minded members of the press
ever generous and ever foremost 10 aiding the
weak and helpess-to the Temperance Orders
to those most interested and interesting-the
noble womanhood OF the State-to the Legis-
lature and to its masteTs-the people-to the
reverend olergy-to each and every one who
has the welfare Of the youth of the State al
heart-to give this subject serious and prayer;
full thought, and leave 10 stone unturned and
no effort untried until this noble charity
the 'Inebriates' Home'is established on g
basis such as now constitute those inestimable
blessings-th the Western Lunatic Asylum and
the d., d. & B. Institution. the pride, chie
honor and glory of the State.
CHARITY.
P.S. Papers friendly to the cause please
copy or notice.