The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-05-11

7
ance gil the jails, psnitentiaries aud
poor.hOuses; many others end their
miserable existence by suicide and the
scalfold, That is the harvest E" Is
this estimate Of waste too large? Then
turn to scientific discussion Of this
aud other evils which nftlict our people
in the April number Of Harper, Its
authSr says this country spends every
year for liquor 5000, 900, QUO, at the
lowest aud calls intomporance the most
gha4lly skeleton now affecting human
lily, lie also states that between the
ages Of 90 and 40 intornperance increa-
SEES the probability Of death ten fold
between 40 and 60, four fold. Pause
moment here for illustration. Here
are two roads, Que tue road sf temper.
aucc, the other that Of inlempersnSe,
True you may meet death by taking
the right.hand road. for he may be
met anywhere; but BY taking the
left,hand road, you are ten tunes as
likely to meet him. Yet sensible men
With lives aud souls to save. with little
children crying to them for their daily
bread, are knowingly travelling along
thu road lea1ing down iu,o the dark
valley Of the shadow ofdeath How sad
the fact Take the man, whutsver his
calling. who is dependent on bis labor
for support. His habit is what is called
innocent moderate drinking, 8 drinks q
day; but it amounts to Sl09 year.
Many exceed it greatly. Now this
will keep the nose Of this man to the
grind,lone, and his family in poverty,
all bis lie. And there are none so
wealthy but ii will waste their estates.
It daily eats up our hard earnings
Now suppose tue millions have
spoken Of as wasted, wore spilled to
useful purposes. What railroads they
would build! What msshinery start /;
how they would ppeu the wilderness
aud cause ii to bloom and blossom us
the rose What employment give to
the industrious how they would ex-
pGnd the general wealth! We in West
Virginia talk Of our want Of roads, and
Of our wealth locked 10 tho noun
tains. What amount do we send out
Of our borders every year to pay for
liquor, which never returns, aud Is
! what POLITICAL economists cal "wealth
Oonsumedf" Suppose It could be ap,
: piled annually to the construction o.
rail or other roads, and kept within
ourselves. Yet ifw were taxed by
the legislature for these useful purpO.
) SEES 10 raise the sum SO consumed, we
: would call it az evil, aud tyranny, and
vote it down.
Some say it is necessary as a medi'
. cine and this is the door which open,
) to great deal Gifts evil. In paper,
read before q late meeting Of the Bali.
more Health Society by tho celebrated
DR.. Smith and other physicians, upon
the use Of spirituous. liquors IN me.
) dicHl point Of view they take tho posi-
ton that other agents can be substitu'
) ted for ii, aud these liquors dispensed
with, and that tho medical profession
should do 50.
, Thus, viewed in any light, oul
$ boosted civilization tiuds itself con,
5 frOnted with this gigantic evil, gigan
tic now and growing apaoe; and the
question arises. can nothing DO don,
: 70 stay its wasting march? Hitherto
! civilization has been able to cope will
its adversarics and work out tho prob
lem Of its wants. II has invented the
telegraph, the railroad and the infuit,
machinery which ministers to tho needs
and comforts Of man human intellect
stands to-day enlightened almost mex
to its creator; organized society hai
t spent untold millions to support
: morals and religion, and maintain
; government for the public veal anG
. 1t has generally been competent to NEE
, and overcome or repress other evils
is ii 10 stand paralyzed and palsicd
Q before this monster, aud fall PROSTATE
: 10 its prcsence2 Where and what il
/! the rcnledy2 This is a grave question
yet society can aud must answer it al
! 1t has answered other questions before
else all is lost. Ono thing is necessary
at the outset. The public mind mus
; be brought to recognize intemperaucc
as the giaut evil which in truth it is
Let nil the means that tend to tbil
/ result be encouraged. True, we may
| not blot out. but we eau diminish the
/. evil; We may not suppress but We car
> repress it. He may DO called vision,
+ AIRY who looks to its total eradication
+. but he is not visionary who looks 10 it
F. great decrease, and ultimately stat,
0 Of virtual impotency for evil. Pro
/. fessor Pcndlet0n. in a late address says
. 1.-THE trouble is that it is not treated
by tue people Us gre1t moral evil il
10 not apparently felt to DO an eyi
I at all. It's SO common, Il has CONT
, SO near to everybody, oil Of us have 81
many personal considerations to make
us apologize for it, to cover up it.
true adherence, to make ii look respec.
table it is so seated in high places
aud the means Of |. so licensed by law,
and the traffic so interviewer with the
financial support Of our public prodi.
gality, that we have given ourselves up
TO Llinane1 about it, and refuse to see
what is undermining our peace and
poisoning the fountains Of our domes.
lie, social and political life So IL has