Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-18
Iron the Chicago 6tandrrd.1

From the Chicago standrrd.l
4 Legal Temperance Lecture.
A correspondent at Morris, Grundy
county, in this state, writing to the
Tribune, gives the following report Of
"a case in court"
The excitement of tho past month
on the temperance question has subsid-
cd, and earnest work commenced. Tho
friends Of temperance, and particularly
tho ladies, resolved to first sec if the
existing laws could not be enforced,
and't TO that end had three saloon keep
ers-one woman and two men-arrest-
cd for selling to minors. The liquor
men combined together to defend each
other, and employed. tho Hon. s.. w..
Harris 70 defend them. The prosecu-
ton was carried on by A. r. Jorden,
ESQ.,, the prosecuting Attorney. Great
interest was taken in the several trials,
aud the court house was filed with
citizens and ladies. The jury found
the defendants guilty, and The Hon. J.
N. Reading, Judge, in pronounciug
sentence on the defendants in tho suit,
used the following language:
The jury having found you guilty Of
selling intoxicating liquors to ! minor,
it remains for the court 70 pronounce
the sentence ofthe law. The penalty
for this odense. fixed by the Legislature,
indicates that it considered the crime
to be Of = serious character. By the
Law, you may sell to men, and to wo-
men, if the will buy: You have given
your bond and paid for your license to
sell to them and no one has right to
modest you in your legal business. No
matter what poverty and restitution
are produced BY selling according to
law, You have paid your money for
this privilege, and you are licensed 70
pursue your calling. No matter what
families are distracted and rendered
miserable, no matter what wives are
treated with violence, what children
starve or mourn over the degradation
Of !. parent, your business is legalised,
aud no one may interfere with you in
it. No matter what mother may ag-
oaize over tho loss Of a son, or sister
blush for the shame Of brother, you
have = right to disregard them ali, and
pursue your legal calling; you are H.
censed. You may fit up your lawful
place Of business in the most enticing
and captivating form; you may fur
nish it with the most costly and ele-
CANT equipments for your lawful trade ;
you may I'll i: with the allurements Of
amusements ; you may use all your art
to induce visitors; you may skilfully
arrange and expose to view your
choice wines and most captivating bev-
erages; you may then induce thirst by
al contrivanees to produce a raging
appetite for drink, and then you may
supply that appetite to the fall,-be-
cause it il lawful; you have paid for
it; you have license. You may al
low boys, almost children, to frequent
your saloon ; they may witness the up:
parent satisfaction With which their
seniors qu.fF the sparkling glass; you
may b schooling and training them
for this period Of 81, when they too
can participate ; for this is all lawful.
You may hold the cup to their verylips,
but you must not let them drink-thst
is unlawful. But while you have all
these privileges for the money you pay,
this poor privilege ofselling to children
is denied you. Here parents have the
right to say, "Leave my son to me un-
til the law gives you the right to do.
stroy him." Do not anticipate that
terrible moment when I can assert fol-
him no further rights of protection.
That will be soon enough for mo, for
his mother, for his sisters, for his
friends, and for the community, to see
him take his road to death. Give him
to us in his childhood at least. Let III
have few years Of bis young life in
which We may enjoy his innocence, to
repay NJ in some small degree for the
care and love We have lavished upon
him. This il something you, who now
stand prisoner At the bar have not
paid for; this is not embraced in your
license. You have your "bond" to use
to its full extent but in thus taking
your "pound Of flesh," you draw the
blood, and that which is nearest to the
heart. The law in ito wisdom, does
not permit this, and you must obey the
law. By the verdict Of the jury you
have been found guilty Of transgress.
ing the law. IT. extreme penalty il
thirty days imprisonment in the couu.
~ jail, and 500 fine; IT, lowest, ten
days imprisonment, and $40 fine.
For this oHense the court sentences
you to ten days imprisonment in tn,
county jill, aud that you pay = fine Of
SIS and costs !; and that you stand com.
mitted until tho fine and costs Of this
prosecution are paid.
Az may be imagined, the delivery Of
such = sentence produced considerable
eommotiou,-bsing praised by the
temperance people as the best. temper.