The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-03

will vet catch the contagion and their
strongest hour may prove their weakest.
w. Z.
A WOMAN'S VERDICT.
MISS REAM SUMS UP-A PICTURE OF THE
SITUATION-A UNIQUE FINALE.
GFrom an Occasional Correspondent or the Sentinel
SHELBYvILLE, Jan. 81, 1874. = Judging
from an impartial standpoint, the crusade of
the Women's Temperance Alliance has not
been crowned with the most encouraging
success. On the contrary, so5er-minded,
thoughtful people, have not hesitated to
say that the movement is short-lived, and
will amount to nothing. The fact appears,
that while public sentiment is opposed to
intemperance as q vice, there is a strong dis
position to resist compulsory action in the
matter. The old adage of what is every
body's business is nobody's business is re-
versed in this case. Liquor is the business
of so many parties here, that to control it
necessitates chain of proceedings as tedious
and intricate as the story of the House that
Jack built. Beginning with the saloon
keepers, thev are taxed higher here than
in any place in the state a city license costs
5000 and the government assessment is S25.
Suppose the proprietors OF the saloons were
willing to give up the business they would
license and demand an assurance of as lu-
crative business in some other line of trade.
It is doubtful if either the license money
would be returned or other occupation
found, put supposlng they were, the saloon
keepers urge that they would then be leav-
ing all the profits of the liquor traffic in the
hands of the druggists. In regard to this
respectable class of liquor dispensers there
are some who do a legitimate business, but
others are charged with keeping the most
dangerous kind of liquor establishments.
Those where the sons of
RICH AND INFLUENTIAL
Men, and rich and influential men them
selves. and the families of rich and influen.
tial men, can get any supply Of
liquor demanded. The alliance pre-
sents a pledge to these druggists
asking them to agree to sell no intoxicating
liquors excepting what shall be prescribed
| by responsible practicing physician. The
druggists claim that they are doing legiti-
mate business, and standing upon their re-
served rights as men of honor, refuse to en-
ter into an agreement that will embarass
| themselves and their customers. They in
sist that is not always convenient for their
customers to either procure or pay for pre-
scription. Mr.. Leefer instanced q customer
| who had come to town a distance of seven
miles at midnight for drugs, and among
other articles wanted a pint of whisky for
an invalid in the neighboorhood; and Mr.
Wungarth told me that very many persons
who take cod liver oil could ill afford to pay
| fifty cents for prescription to buy twenty.
five cents worth of whisky to wash down
| the nauseating drug with. As for prescribing
as well as compounding and furnishing
drugs as some of the ladies proposed
none of the druggists would undertake the
troublesome task. To get around the incon.
Il venianca to the moor the Iadies rronoSod
making an appeal to the physicians to charge
to the poor nothing for prescriptions. The
reader will thus perceive
A COMPLICATION OF PETITIONS
Necessary-one to the saloon keepers, one
to the druggists, another to the council, and
fourth to the law makers. Just here, an
unthought of obstacle looms up, in the shape
of John Beggs' distillery. This, wjthits sup
plies, employees, and revenues, is formidable
affair. 1t is one of the largest, if not the very
largest, in the state, and is situated mile
east OF Shelbyville. Four
HUNDRED BUSHELS OF CORN
Is the amount that is daily converted into
whisky. Estimating the whisky at fifteen
hundred gallons, the government revenue
therefrom, at the rate of seventy cents gal
! lon, amounts to the round sum of $1,05t
day. In the pens attached to the
distillery there are 1000 hogs, that
weigh on an average 300 pounds
a head, which will net at least $4,000 1t il
| not hard to reckon the large interest The
| farmers of the county must have in the dis
tillery, and there is a respectable number o
employees, to say nothing of the government
| officials, gaugers and the like who are sup
ported by this branch of industry. The bal