The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1877-03-21
For TaE RECORD.
HELPING BUSINESS.

COmotniHB ufss ldtciy pccu sssiu III thc pa
pers, and good deal in private, about tenn
perance people not dealing with merchants,
butchers, bakers, and others who support the
rum traffic. At first sight this may seem
harsh and uncharitable, and some good people
may not like to quit dealing with a man be-
canse he votes or talks in favor of selling
liquor to their neighbors Tayern-keepers
and their supporters deal mainly with those
in sympathy with them but this, of itself,
would not justify a corresponding course by
their opposers, and they may adopt many
measures to carry their ends that conscien-
tious people would not.
Let us see, however, whether the measure
in question is proper. We win illustrate
Suppose man comes into your place and
starts a grocery store. All is fair and nice
and the people patronize HIM. If they con-
tinue TO do so he will succeed and remain, and
the place gains him as a citizen. with all his
| influence for good OF bad. Now suppose the
man is counterfeiter, or gambler and you
discover enough to lead yea to know, or sus-
pect, his true character. Would you think it
right to encourage his presence in the place
by continuing to spend yonr money at his
store think there can be but one answer
to this. Now suppose instead, that the mer-
chant includes Intoxicating liquor in bis stock
or if he does not do that suppose he uses his
influence to perpetuate the business that you
know is making misery among your neigh
hors. Is the case different in principlep His
presence and his bad influence are made pos
sible here by the support he gets in his bust
ness. May you not then properly withdraw
your supports and give it to men who use their
influence for good 81 @
Ii mo- liquor were sold in this place now,
and man were TO come here and go into
business and exert his influence to get tho
people to allow it to be sold, we would mark
that man, and would not hesitate to show
our disapproval of his actions by giving his
store the go-by. e s. E45at8da.
Go into family, as you may In this place,
and find the wife and children without food
and cIotling--because the father Is a rum
i drinker. Your charitable feelings are arous-
i ed. You go to q store to get material for
these sufferers, and the proprietor Is arguing
with his friends in favor of licensing the plac
es that ruined tho father Of this family. Yor
90 a little farther and get bread for them o
one whose official vote went to license thes
places--and may doit again. Can you, unde
the circumstance, feel like spending you
money with these men, and do you not fee
that il would be right to'use your support fo
those business men who do the best for thu
town and II there should happen to be nj
such person dealing In flannel or meat, o.
bread and cake, would you not feel like doing
something to start such man In business
This Is not vindictive. It is not proscrip
ton in any bad sense, lit Is self-defense. Yor
may deal where you please. IL q man is dis
agreeable In his manners, you go somewhere
| else. How much more then If he is doing
! what he can TO break down the moral sense O
the people around him and secure state o
things which units men for the duties of cit
szens and Christians and destroy the peace o
their families. iiat aal w
It is difficult for some to see the connection
between an act and the principle Of RESPONSE
bility involved, but it must be clear to the or
I binary mind that for person to profess de
votion to moral principle and then pay hi
money to support man who is opposing thu
same principle, is not consistent. The gener
al withdrawal of such support may be thu
very thing needed to open the mans eyes t
the evil he is doing, for, strange as it ma,
seem, there are many men, otherwise wei
meaning, whose eyes appear to be utterly
closed to the wickedness of this rum traffic
aed sa9a9oaa'a o iiAaiait t4t