The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-03-25
GheGtttelligenre
One Species Of Temperance Reform.

In the cause Of Temperance reform
there is, as In all other reforms, o divided
public sentiment As TO the best means "a
be employed to effect reformation. In
other words, there are Conservatives and
Radicals In temperance, Just as there are
politics. TO illustrate what we mean,
we may mention that a worthy citizen
called on us q day or two since and gave
US his views OF temperance reformation
he took the ground, that the proper thing
todo Is to regulate the, liquor business and
not attempt to abolish the traffic. The one
be said could be accomplished, while the
other could'uot. Wemhst look ahead ol
the present excitement and not contine
our vision TO the outlook Of to-day. The
question is, willnot men continue to drink
liquor in the future for au indefinite period
Of time? Man 10 creature that loves
stimulant, and that has always used 1t in
some form as far back as we can trace his
history. Civilized people use II in COM
mon with tho barbarous nations. The
latter are even more exempt from its In.
fuence than the former. The so called
christian nations Of the world are the
great consumers Of stimulating beverages,
while the Turks and the Chinese are the
great consumers Of opium. Our friend,
therefore, believes that the practical thing
to do Is to reform, first Of all, the abuses
that have erept into the manufacture and
sale Of alcoholic spirits. Give the people
a pure article Of spirits and take away
the poisonous stuff that so quickly
destroys their health and impalfs
their minds. Subject the business,
in other words, to the same sort Of regu-
lAtions that control it in England, where
pure spirits are sold even in obscure inns.
His plan Is to petition Congress to pass
stringent law, regulating under very Sc
we're penalties the manufacture and sale
Of spirits. With view Of carrying out
these ideas he has had copies Of the fol-
lowing petition printed at this establish
ment, which he proposes to circulate for
signatures among his fellow citizens Of
Wheeling, and, when numerously signed,
to send them on to Congress:
10 the Senate and House Of Representatives
ofhe Congress Of tho United States:
Your petitioners, citizens Of the United
States, beg leave to earnestly and prayer
fully invoke the attention Of your honor.
able body 10 the great and irreparable
harm that has been done, and Is now
being done, to the health and morals ot
the people Of the United States, by tho
manufacture and sale Of impure or adul.
terated alcoholic spirits.
I'VE are advised by legal authorities
that II is within the province Of your
honorable body to protect the people
against this great harm to their best In
terests, and we therefore entreat your in
terpoeition on behalf OF thousands and
tens Of thousands Of Our injured fellow
citizens.
We ask your honorable body to pass q
law similar in substance to the following
bill: sr ....-
Bet Knacted, That hereafter 1t shall be
unlawful ioranY person within the United
States 10 manufacture, sell or distribute,
in any manner, any impure or adulter-
ated alcoholic spirits, and any person
offending against the provisions Of this
act shall upon conviction be liable to q
fine oi not less than one thousand nor
more than five thousand dollars, and he
subject also TO imprisonment in the peni-
tenttary for q period not less than one nor
more than fve years.