The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-01-20
For the Eaton Register

For the Eaton Register
Some of the following questions
are constantly being asked? How
did the recent efforts at s%uppressing
the liquor traffic succeed at New
Paris and Eldorado? To what ex-
tent were the violators of the law
in these places, held amenable?-
What were the difficulties in the way
of successful enforcement, rendering
futile all efforts in that direction?
Believing that there are a large num-
Der of persons, of the better class,
interested in the above questions,
for their satisfaction and my own, l
write these lines.
First-As regards New Paris, the
'mountain conceived and brought
forth a mouse" After weeks of ag-
itation and terrible contention, and
the collection of n vast amount of
evidence and preliminary trials be-
fore a Justice, conducted by the
couEty's rorthy Prosecuting Attor-
ney, the vendors of the ardent
were indicted for the violation of the
law, in some fourteen instances.
Then the liquor men trembled and
the friends of law and order rejoic-
ed. What came of it al? Why, the
whisky vendors, by the enlightened
Court, we're made to suffer to the
enormous extent of thirty-five dollars,
to pay which. would probably require
the profits on their business for a
phoIe week. Poor fellows! How
harshly they were dealt with, and
this too in q christian land! And
yet strange to say, in the face of this
terrible example, New Paris has q
saloon, and men get drunk as before.
Are the friends of order satisfied
Have they been a party to this farce?
| do not know.
But now as regards Eidorado.
Here 1 a speak with authority, for
know whereof ! speak. For months
the whisky traffic has been carried
on in the most reckless and despe-
rately wicked manner conceivable.
The fair fame of our Village has been
sullied. But yesterday it might
have stood against the world. Now
none so poor as to do it reverence.
Not a sensitive man Or woman in the
community, but were mortified at
the sickening demonstrations of their
develish work. Without noise or
excitement, in the space oil two or
three weeks before the commence
ment of Court, we collected evidence
of the unlawful sale of liquor in
twerty-six instances. Some of these
violations were of an aggravated
character. Such as selling to mi
nors; selling on sunday; selling to
habitual drunkards, and in all cases
selling to be drank on the premises
where sold. Every allegation of the
twenty-siX could be proven without
a doubt. So confident were we of
this that we offered to secure the
costs in every instance in which we
failed to prove what we alledged.
The Grand Jury found indictments
in less than half the charges. We
do not wish to be understood rs re,
fiecting upon the Grand Jury. We
do not believe a more honest or capa.
BILE Grand Jury was ever convened
in Prehle county. But We do knou
it was crippled in its efforts in this
direction by its legal advisor, the
Prosecuting Attorney. Well, what
came of the indictments? A noUie
proSeqai was entered in a number o.
important counts, and in the remain.
der, Ito which the parties plead
guilty the fines were put to the
lowest possible point. One firm was
found $25 and the other SIS. The
saloon men laugh in their sleeves
get drunk and kick the Marshal il
the ditch, and go on with their iend
ish work. On Christmas day, tho
day most sacred of all others, they
sent out from their protected dens
half q dozen men reeling in drunk
enness through the streets.
So ends this farce. Angels mourn
and devils rejoice; Heaven in sad
ness; Pandemonium eXultant. But
we do not despair. Truth crushed
to earth will rise again." and "Tims
at last sets all things even. How i:
it to be helped? There is no hell
for it, so long as the executors of thu
law are wanting in moral sentimen
and hold their official positions by
the sutfrages of the most depraveC
class os men. Help will come, wher
the good people shall conclude tt
rote against the rum traffic, as wei
as pray against it.
t JOHN II. BLACKBOARD.