Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-08
aLExlaAzETTE E&vlRaINIAA ADVERTISER
Prohibition in Liquor Traffic.

eighth judicial district of Iowa, in passing a
sentence upon some liquor dealers for violation
OF the prohibitory laws of the State, said:
"Whle there are greater crimes known to
the law, which are punishable with great Sc
verify, there are noue which involve more OF
those qualities knowo as despicable meauness
and sudacity than the selling OF intoxicating
liquors. There is something 10 the taking OF
human life by violence so instantaneous that 1t
shocks and terii6es the minds OF all, and yet
we look upon the man who takes human HE
quite as surely, but by slow lingering process,
il not without condemnation, at least without
honor. You who stand before the court for
sentence are, 10 every moral sense, muIderers,
and you are withlo the spirit, if not the letter,
guilty of mansaughter; for the law says that
whoever accelerates the death OF human be
ing uulawfully s guilty OF tho crime. Your
bloa,ed victims upon the witness staUd, and
who undoubtedly committed perjury to screen
you from the law, not only abuniautly testify
that you are acceleratiog death, but that you
are inducing men 10 commit still greater crime
than you owo.
You still maintain the appearance of re-
spectablllty, but how morally leprous and
scroiulous you are iuwardy, the ruio. poverty
munity declare as from the house tops. You
are living 10 idleness and eating the bread Of
o,phaus watered with widows tears You are
stealthily killing your victims and numbering
the peace aud industry of the community, and
thereby converting happy, Industrious homes
into misery, thriftless poverty ard rags. You
are sewing the seeds of ignorance, ldleness and
want among the generations to come.
"AuXuus wives and mothers watch and pray
iu tears ngbtiy with deso'ate hearts Tor the
c,mug home OF your victims, whom you are
!urirg With the wes and smiles of the devil
iuto midnight debauchery.
10 6ne, one can have 10 adequate conception
Of catarsot uhtll he has seeu Niagara, nor OF
the terrible fury and grandeur ut storm 10 mid
ocean until be has witnessed one so 20 one can
know the utter degradation and total depravity
to which his species can be brought until he
looks upou the desulate ruin caused by your
besh traffic.
"You are persistent, defiant, law breakers,
ard shame elcssly boast that in defiance OF the
law and moral sense of the community, you
will coutiuu 10 your wicked and criminal prac
tees.
1T has therefore DOW become the imperative
duty of this Court to let fall upon you so heavi-
ly the arm Of the law that you shall either be
driven from your oetarious traffic, or ruined 10
your tortuoes or wicked property.
You have become stencil to the nostrls OF
the community and all good men are praying
that you be speedily reformed or summarIly de-
stroyed. BY Ihe providence OF God aud the
favor of His Cburt. these prayers shall be speedl-
ly answered, Joy signal aud exact justice for
your crimes
This Court will feel proud satisfaction in
takiog from you by law your il-g gottec gains, and
giving it to the common school fund OF this
county, where, let as hope. it will assist IN ed.
ucatiug the rising youth to shun your vices and
wicked practices.
Aud finally let me entreat you, if you are
not lost to every sentiment OF humanity. to de-
sist from your criminal. gagabond traffic, and
betake yourselves TO some houest calling tor q
livelihood, sod you may yet become useful, vir-
tuous citizens, and entitled to the respect OF a
Christian community; while, if you persist in
this way your ruin is certain, and you will re-
reive, as you deserve, the execratlon OF man
kind.
You may think that the sentence Of the
Courts harsh and uujustly severe, but the Court
assures you. that compared with your crimes
aud the desolation you have already brought
upon the community, it ls mild 10 the ex
trcne. Ed. from The Journal" "
Please give the above an Insertion 10 your
widely circulating paper and confer lasting
ben, fiji to the community, by awakening to
scusc of the enormity of the sio otiotemperance.
e. GILLlNGHAM
AccoTINK Va, 7th mo-, S,h, '76.