Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-03-27
THE I.HQuOR QUESTION.

ened policy OF our local paper In per-
hitting and encouraging the free dis
cussion OF great public questions wc
begiu by affirming that there is no pub.
lie question Of such magnitude as that
which stands at the head ot this article.
FNANcIALLr-The liquor traffic il
the iron band upon the neck oi' this
country. Its 4l6 disiiller;es with tho
capacity for the daily production Of
near 100000 gallons, together with ths
imported liquors cost this country di-
rectly and indirectly the enormous sum
of 81 ,57l, 100000 which is more than
all the cost of civil government educs-
,ion and religion.
MoRALLr-It is the great csnso Of
crime and of the Decentralization of Leg
islatures and Courts Of Justice. la
1868 the Liquor Ring was reported to
have s2,0O0,000 on deposit in WISH
ington and for what purpose recent dis
closures do not leave doubtful.
SocIALLr-It causes most Of the
idleness, poverty and desti,ution which
we see and all the sorrow OF heart, and
ruin of families from drunken husbands.
fathers and sons and all this without
one redeeming fact to be allejged in its
behalf.
The question IS will the community
submit 10 he thus ridden over by tho
whisky interest to the Certain and great
injury aud after the utter destruction ct
so many other interests!
We have the means Of preventing itf
We have civil damage law, one OF tho
best in existence. Petitions were sent
to the Legislatures for its repeal (somc-
thing over 1000 il we remember righp
which called out q counter petition Of
over 10000.
We have virtually a local option law
and always have had, The law gives
the absolute right to the county court
to withhold licenses. This right has
been occasionally exercised from the
beginning, and Of late in tho two States
OF Virginia and West Virginia by moro
than fifty counties, our own among the
number, and the people can at anytime
raise this issue and elect only such
magistrates as will withhold licenses in
accordance with the public will.
1t has been put beyond reasonable
doubt that majority of the voiers Of
this county are opposed to the sale Of
Intoxicating liquors as beverage
whether by licensed tipping houses or
druggists and if the women be included
who if they have rights for anything.
have the right to be heard on this
question, there are more than three
tourths of our people who look upon
this traffic with adherence.
In May last by nearly unanimous
yoto Of the Court, all licenses were re.
fused. A very great change for the
better was universally acknowledged.
Drunken professional men were some
what more sober. Drunken mechanics
and other laboriRg men went to work,
instead Of loafing about the tipping
houses, and their families wero more
comfortable. Some Of these drinking
houses were honestly closed. The rcst
were on the watch.
Now drunkenness has very much in :.
creased, though not to the extent to
which it prevailed under license and
there is not such new crop Of tipplers
being raised up from among our sons.
Next week we propose to begin
where wo now leave of, aud shall have
something to say which it very much
concerns the public to consider
A Local Option Bill has passed tho
second reading in the Tennessee Senate,
and will doubtless become law 1000
citizens from 33 counties alone have
petitioned for its passage.
The French Academy of Medicine,
at Paris, has commenced determined
war on alcohol. a temperance move
ment, with doctors to lead it, will doubt
less be very effective for good. ~,
Not o few American clcrgymcn,
Protestant as well rs Catholic, may see
in the efficient labors of Archbishop
Manning, ofLondop, for the temperance
reform, praiseworthy example to profit
by. On q recent Sabbath the prelsts
addressed an audience OF FIVE thousand
persons on Tower Hill in favor Of total
abstinence. At the conclusion Of bis
appeal il is stated that four hundred
men, fifty women, and large lumber
of children knelt down and took tho
total abstinence pledge.
The Church Of England is supposed
to be anything but reformatory in liz
tendencies, aod yet the Church Of Eng
land Temperance Society quite surpssses
the organized efforts Of most Of our
Protestant denominations in this coun-
try in its temperance work. A large
number Of conferences and meetings
have been held during the past year in
the large centres of population, snd
sermons have been preached in difereps
churches, including Canterbury Cathe-
dral. In the northern provinces alone
there are I20 branch associations with
2O,329 members. II each Of our lead
ing denominations in this country would
do proportionately rs well, the liquor
traffic would ere long be greatly Grip
uled, IL not wholly suspended.