Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-03-08
J HE.OPIUM FURRY.

The druggists 'OI Gne ClGy very WISELY
held meeting on Monday last and ex-
posed and denounced letter purporting
to have been written from Staunton to the
Cincinnati Enquirer, in which the
falsehoods, regarding the excessive use of
opium, here and in the Valley, were so
wild as to be utterly absurd. AS this jour
nal was the first to publish ANYTHING about
the vice of opium eating here, and as it was
so long ago that many, even the druggists
themselves, may have forgotten the facts,
we re-state them: About the middle OF
January, learning that the opium habit
was of degree to make it vice worth
attacking, we sent to the Only men who
could know positively-the proprietors of
The drug stores here-and published with
much exactness what each one said. Their
estimate Of the regular users OF the drug
was IL, 16, 20 and IA total OF si1ty-tWo
regular users in Augusta and Staunton,
containing nearly 10000 inhabitants. The
account was published January 25tii, and
did. we are glad to believe, incalculable
good. Of course it created good deal OF
stir, for while the press is expected to as
sail the vices of the humble, when the
privilege is extended to the vices OF the
higher classes, one Immediately hears
that the sanctity of nome, is violated, and
all that sort of thing. Not only was the
article beneficial here, but it attracted the
attention of the press in Lynchburg,
Woodstock, Liberty and other Virginia
towns to the vice there. So much for this
papers share in the good work
But the opportunity has been seized and
perverted by. some sensational letter VIII
Ter, and startling array OF false state
ments and bogus names invented to create
the impression that there is an epidemic
of opium-eating in the Valley. OF course
orr people are startled at it, but all these
sort of things blow away like smoke, and
amount to nothing. Such sensational and
false statements don't stick. The only
change our city will feel from it, will be
that there will be less opium in any form
prescribed by physicians, and less taken.
Tie public mind is quite wide awake on
that subject.
Except the article published IN the Vim
DICTATOR, which itself was gross eXag-
geratlun of the facts, as stated by the
druggists, there is nothing to justify any
of the statements Of the correspondent
Vtslley Virginian.
In reply to this we have to say that we
finl no such charge as stated by the drug.
eists'' in their resolutions, and if it had
been it would have been the grossest In
Justice to this paper, for the facts given
by the druggists were stated as they gave
them, the writer adding nothing, and only
emitting some single facts in regard to the
looseness with which the drug was pre-
scribed which were not published, becaus
ali the good we desired could be accom-
plished by general state ment. The total
number of users Of it given, varies little
from the number stated by them in their
meeting after careful consideration Of
their books. If any gentleman wishes te
to correct the facts given this paper OF
the oath of January, and taken down at the
time, and of the accuracy OF which we
have. in eight weeks, received no com
plaint. his correction will be published.
The publication by the VINDICAToB
was eminently proper. called for, and
timely, and the fact, impossible to have been
foreseer, that it has Teen misused reck-
Iessly to perpetrate SANDER does uot i'm
pair the propriety of the act, as those who
are helping to panic the town will think
when time has cooled Them. The panic is
absurd, childish, and unworthy of men OF
sense. s-i4