The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-04
moFrErT REGISTER BILL.

Editor Democrat Theirs was Ii time II, the
history UT tho human family when one-fourth
pf the male portion I'll 1t was drunk} another
fourth was exposing the faults and unfottt,,-
mate condition Of the portion that was. drunk
and nnked, whilst the remaining half sym
pathdzed with the fourth that was drunk Now,
let THE story Of Noah and his vineyard be an
alegory or fact, tho same parallel holds
good In the present day and generation, do
not say that one-foutth Of tho male portion Of
The human family are to-day drunkafdsi but
i do say, that at least that r,imber indulge In
The drinking Of spitttuois liquors stia ta y -
proposed TO call upon the drinking portion to
provide nn extra share Of the revenues OF the
State
Before proceeding amy, further. / desire to
state that ! sincerely deplore drunkenness
and its attendant evils, crimes and miseries,
aud far BIZ 1t from me to do CT cay anything
that would either justify or encourage IT but,
like the social evil. 1t IL one that can neithe
{ be prevented nor efadicated by legislation
nor taxation, or both combined. Both
Gun BIO traced away back as far as history can
be relied upon, and will doubtless continue in
spite Of laws or licenses orbel lpunehing regis
tiers. II this bill liz being urged through the
Legislature la tho interests Of, or rather In
accordance with the views Of temperance
societies and temperance men, then the spirit
that prompts such action Ia better suited to
the dayH OF religious persecution the rack and
the inauisition, than To the present enllght-
snsd age OF free worship and FREQ thought. 1t
Ii not the 1lse, but the abuse Of Intoxicating
drinks TINT do harm; and there are many
1nen tn whom stirnulal1tS are just as necessary
as sndntireB are 10 uthers-n11d why should
Tho former be taxed and the latter left free2
Why not have registers and bell-punches at
oil tho coffee stands In our markets. at all the
Holn fountains, mineral water shops. club
rooms, aud then GO further, and Introduce
them into our groceries, butcher stalls, baker
les drug stores, etc, ad lbitum. 1t has been
decided by our courts that taxation 10 be
uniform need not necessarily be universal,
hut think, and submit that 1t should be as
universal as possible and that no one class of
retailers should be taxed more than another.
There arc two PARTIES that are doubtless
much Interested In the passage Of the bill TIM
der consideration. and one Is the buntlhUlder
md the other the manufacturers Of the regis
tsrE
The latter will realize from fifty to one
hundred thousand dollars, all Of which will
be taken away from tho State for investment
elsewhere; and tine former will be much en-
riehed by an unjust, IL not an tineoustitutionL
nj Tux. put upon one class Of their fellow eiti-
zets.
/ trust that II the Legislature passes this
bill, that they will provide some reward or
make some arrangement by which the serv-
lees OF tho taxpaying class will be properly
recognized.
II the great army OF tipplers now to be found
formed into d band OF self-Bacricng patriots.
let some means he reaortod to to find who ia
tito most faithful To his State. who manifests
tho greatest endurance, skill aud herosm,
and let u monument be erected over him
when he IL buried to remind his children his
seountrymen and future generations Of his
self-Hacriiloing devotion. TOLERANCE.