Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-11-29
Historical Rooms
The Reformed Drunkard.
From the pububue Times:

According TO the laws Of trade the
supply equals the demand. and vice
versa, the demand ordinarily equals
the supply and it is reasonable de-
duction that there is not usually any
large and continued supply of any
commodity without correspond
| ing demand. In the social ne well
as the business world these laws
hold good, and by brief glance
over the schedule of the different
lecture bureaus for the past five
years it will be readily seen that the
supply tfreformed drunkards, has
been large, and undoubtedly the de-
mand has been equally as large
No avocation has paid better then
that of reformed drunkard, end
while it has required considerable
forfeiture cf self-respect and decor.
cy, and apprenticeship among the
slums and cutters for period OF
years 10 fit she reformed drnnkArG
for successful career, yet the de-
maud is so widespread and unremitt.
ing, and tho distraction and emolu-
ments so great that we presume the
number who will undertake TO fit
themselves for this popular profession
will! annually increase. A reformed
c unkard can get all the way from
S25 TO 500 night in any enterpri
5. community according to the ex.
tent of peculiar qualifications, while
an ordinary lecturer on science, art,
travels or moreiity (unless he be a
reformed drunkard) finds very in
different and critical market for his
productions at figures that will ssl
dom exceed his expenses. But the
public are not to be imposed upon 10y
naY limitations or couHterieits they
must have reformed drunkard OF
genuine metal, one who has been
down as low as any of the boys, aud
the farther Gown the better if he
hasn't been into he gutter Bis quail
ficAlioas arc considered very ,ndftfel-
cnt, aud il that fact BECOMES geucr.
ally known his audiences will contin-
ne 10 dimiuish until he will firally
be driven from the platform and iett
to starve. No community is wiling
to pass through winter without
having at least one seiormed dunk.
ard 10 instruct them in morality and
temperance and when he goes
through the regular gyrations u -
cot aod initiates tho muadlin onndi-
tor of regular saloon loater Of five
years standing, he audience goes
into raptures and shout their appro-
val in fitting terms tibet che ID no
fraud. The newspapers puff him,
the preachers yield their pulpits 10
him and the ladies frequently get in
to serious Misunderstanding with
each other in their anxiety TO have
him 20 homo 10 tea With them The
boss are Taught to emulate hlm, the
old mes TO respect him and the we,
men To esteea him him second only
to their pastors. Lei a man who has
lived moral, coneis enl life essay TO
lecture on temperance and he will be
secuted for his temerity. The MUIR
pheys and R5sses and their followers
great and small are the kind
the public demand. But why
this discrimination ? There is no
such demand for reformed liars, re-
formed thieves, reformed poJurers,
reformed murderers or reformed
prostitutes. No such career of pref
it and popularity is before them
Their associations may have besn as
bad and their loss of decency and
self respect as great, yet WHIST soci-
ETY. will employ reformed thief or
q reformed murderer as such at $500
a night. L. this discrimination just?
In all seriousness this reformed
drunkard matter has got to be pro
fl table business and tho influence OF
their emulation is against the logic
of temperance and morality among
those 20 whom they lecture, because
the drunkard rarely hears them.