Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-02-24
Moral Respon sibility of the Drunkard.

discussing a question which appears upon
the very face of it to contain a self-evident
truth in consonance with the basic princi-
Piles ofimoral philosophy. yet. amid all
the clamor anil foaming sentimentalism OF
temperance az itators and reformers, tins
question ever and anon rises phoeniN-hke
out of the tomb OF buried thought, "is the
drunkard a responsible being
Now probably there is no one who be-
lieves in human accountability, who will
not readily assent to it, yet the great body
of temperance advocates are siHgularly ST.
lent in regard 10 the criminalIty Of drunk
enness. o. else they don't believe there l.
any criminality about 1t. The rumseller is
made the scape-geat TO carry the fearful
load of responsibility which attaches to
the aecursed traffic in strong drinks. while
the drunkard goes Scot Free under the
protection of our temperance banners.
Now. while would not subtract a feath
er's weight from all that the English Ian
guage has been made to express in denun-.
citation of the rumseler. vet for the sake of
consistency. for the sake common justice.
and out OF respect to the dignity OF human
nature itself | would credit the drunkard
with some measure Of intelligence. and
moral sentiment, and force OF will aud not
----t.- h;-.. .ha rsghahy OF human weakness.
| wish 20 take the drunkard out of the
class of idiots and msniscs, and place him
in the recognized sphere of intelligence
and moral sentiment, where the light of
moral truth can play upon his soul. and
the artillery Of the Divine law can reach
him.
doubt not he has been the object Of
more sympathy than any other person OF
equal claims. No other person 50 deeply
stepped in vice and degradation can so
readily find access 10 the confidence. warm
sympathy aud affections of the best classes
of society. while the man. who. maddened
with revenge born OF wounded affection.
who having seen the idol OF his heart
u,urped by the foul destroyer. took the life
of!hs rival. is heldof at arms length and
viewed with public scorn and contempt,
and finally consigned to an isnominious
fate. He who frenLied with an appetite for
strong drink consigned the idol Of his
youth and the partner OF his mature years.
10 whom he >wore lifelong devotion and
protection.to n life OF degradation. poverty.
misery. and personal abuse. is held close
to the beating heart oil public sympathy
aud assured of protection.
While he, who. to protect the object Of
hi, affections, would have sacr feed life il
selL.is robbed of all nobility of uatuie,by an
uuchali'ahIe public, Vet he who makes the
person equally near, it not ~ dear. the
victim oftGe most malignant abuse through
the influence OF the intoxicating cup, J.
made the object oi the teu'elc>t sympathy
and con >idcraiiou Now this may be ali
ii; a. seen through the imperfect mcdi-
um OF our moral sense. but | believe there
i a divine justice in sympathy. AID when
that sacred element j. misapplicd. or APP
Piled without reference - the uuworthines>
o. the objsct,It loses it, msra, significance.
and becomes but another form OF express
ing selishuess. | would not disturb the
bed of ro>ts which kind aud charitable
public have prepared Tor the drunkArd.uor
add another thcru to his thickly-beset path
way, but would take the liberty 10 dis-
taro some false impressions which seem TO
have obtained.
We are told about the poor victim, OF
/ intemperauce, (which usually means the
drunkard - Just a. though the Almighty.
had made him the object OF especial hatred
and rained down upon him some terrible
plague. which he could no more help than
job could help his boils, or left hini 10 the
destruction OF his worst enemy.
We hear about IAN Irresistible appetite
for strong drink" and yet upon the uext
breeze We hear ii proclaimed, that Moral
>ua>ion Tor the drunkard and legal suasion
for the rumseler is the only safe rule"
What would be the use OF applying moral
>uasion to an Irresistible appetite"
This one-sided sympathy crops out in
various legislative ensctmslts. a. in the
Civil Damage Act which obtains In some
States. and virtually makes the rumseller
the responsible guardian OF the drunkard,
a. in the Inebriate Asylum. which recog-
nizes drunkenness as a durable disease.
and the proper subject for medical treat
ment. as in the Prohibitory law which
makes rumsellins penal ofiense. and the
rumseller the legally recognized response
Die agent for the flood OF intemperance
which is sweeping through the land. and
the bulwark behind which the public shields
the drunkard from his crime and guilt
Now while | would not rob the drunkard
of single particle Of sympathy which has
been conferred upon him, nor lessen the
moral efforts being used Tor his re!orma-
ton, yet believe the use of intoxicating :
drinks is not only dangerous, but GRIM
iHdl practice, Tor which the drunkard will
be held responsible az the bar of Divine
Justice. and furthermore. that in this en-.
lightened age. drunkenness ought to be
!ibelled as an ineXcusable vice. weighty
sin, and crime against society and Divine
Law. This truth ought 10 be sounded from
the pulpit, the press, and the platform. IN.
Ill the conscience of every drunkard is
aroused and quickened. and he feels the
terrors of the Divine Law which declares
that mo drunkard shall inherit the king.
dom OF Heaven" and "Woe be to him that
putteth the cup to his neighbors lips and
maketh him drunken also" (Which is d
common custom among fashionable wine
bibbers as well as common tipplers.)
y. PENoBsCoT, Feb. l6. NH.
"A vote taken among the Republican
members of both Houses of the Ohio Leg
-, tho DraoiJanor nc n