Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-05-30

/ mi u nder>tood as TO he thought defending
such thing as this. Let what | have said
here be said once for all and remembered
/ through all | shsll say. If do not dwell
upon it throughout, 1t is simply because II
i not the point | am trying TO bring for
ward. But 1t remains true that when a
man with an overpowering appetite Is
tempted by one OF these designing villains.
( the responsibility rests entirely With the
tempter and not with his unfortunate vic
tim.
We must allow. once more, to the power
/ Of personal influence. There is strong
attractiyeness about some persons which
/ controls us when We are of our guard and
1 draws Us after them ss the moon draws the
tides. When We come within the circle Of
their power, il requires an effort OF will
I not to Yield 10 them.
These are the facts which underlie the
defence which is often set up for ruined
| men and women.-the power oi appetite
within. and the deliberate or the uncon-
| scious Influence oi other persons. But 1t
ought To be added that 1t is possible to
make a great deal too much OF them.
For. though it is undeniably true that
some people have uncomfortable appctites,
/ their number is very much smaller than
many suppose, question Il one out OF a
[ hundred who become drunk ard ever had
a4i Af-Aft ioE tiAlh kiil AAlfN
made 1t by yielding when they could have
resisted. | doubt whether, IN the great
majority OF cases where it is claimed 1t Is
not too readily claimed as cover for self
/ indulgence. | venture to suggest that a
great deal too much has been said for it,
that many drinking man has received the
/ pity OF the community for II, and been
I sheltered while he ruined his home. Dis
eraeed his wife, and wrecked tue future Of
bis children. when lie ought 10 have been
! brought to his senses aud his conscience by
the gricved face or the stern rebuSc OF
every sensible man aud every truc-hearted
woman. DO not forget for "A moment the
] uuhoundcd JOY and tenderness which are
1 due to the drunkard when he comes back
10 marhood. or the care which ought to
surround him lest he fail back again. Nor
do forget the sympathy and The wisdom
. which should be used on those who arc
under the dominion of an appetite they
I really cannot control let me he under
stood a. always excepting them from
I blame. But so much the more need nl a
wise discrimination OF the true, from the
false. or either We condemn the blamclcs.
with the guilty. or Indulge the guilty while
ughtlully plying the blamelv,s. The lat
ter seem, TO be our danger. We hear Il 10
private conversations. we hear Il In public
. ~ NfHa t'' - tt4' A'"N EiPtAAAA'Ae "a 'tA li4t
only thing with regard To drunkardS that
they are ied astray. They are spoken of ss
/ II they had been mere puppet. In the hands
/ OF their passion for liquor. a. II they never
/ had drank unless this OyerpO~eriIg demon
J Inside compelled them To drink. But | am
afraid that ~ a large majority OF cases thi,
/ j. mere senilmeutAlity. There are a fra
/ most pitAbI. victims. There are many
F who were too willing to be lied a.iray.'
/ The same !. trae OF the other facts. the
deliberate ailurement or the personal niiu-
ence oi Others. Incy are not Orrpower-
Ing. They are not irresistible. Thcv
work upon those who are already facing
the direction towards which they are
ur- ed For we must never forget, whcn
We are talking Of the influences which
wUfA upon human nature, whether they
/ came irUm the iuside OF the outside. that
mau has To some extent the power OF self
control lie /, not athlHg. He Is a person.
I We must not speak of human soul. A. II
/ they were basket, which any "ne eau pick
up a, he passes aud carry where he
/ chooses. We must remembrr that they
have power Of their own, and that they
must prove that they have used ii, before
they claim our pity for what happens 10
them. When We remember this. think
We shall come 10 realize that the very fact
that man has been led astray, 80 tar
from being an excuse for hun IS really an
accusation against him,
Now let me bring this matter home.
and make it bear on point which very
much needs 10 be set right in the public
mind.
We hear a great deal said about the TIRE.
mendous gnilt OF the ''rumseller." In
many eases he i. spoken Of In tone which
would lead one 10 suppose him sort Of
monster no catches Innocent and helpless
young mer IN the street aud carries them
oil 10 his bar. where. in spite of all their
struggles. hs makes druukards oil them.
Now let me repeat, though il ought not
to be necessary after what have said, that
| am entering into no defence OF the dram
seller. | atm simply going 10 use his adj
United guilt, before the Law and before the
conscience. standard by which to
judge the guilt OF his partner IA the sale,
the drunkard. | wish, therefore, TO en-
force this pout.-that, with the exception
already strongly made OF those who have
uncomfortable appetiies, the buyer OF that
which he knows may brings ruin upon him
aud his, is, at least, equally gully with the
seller of il.
In the first place, how came the drinker
where the seller could reach him. He was
not carried there. Whst business had he
TO 90 there: II the seller came 10 him,
why TO him rather than 10 others, and why
did he not send him awsy. as he could IL
he had q mind TO do II, in such way that
he would not be likely to come again:
In the second place, when buyer and
seller stand face to face, the buyer knows
the danger of drinking as well as he knows
the danger OF stepping on floating log.
IL Is not As II liquor were new invention,
and he did not know the possible cOnse-
quences of drinking it, He knows them
by heart. He has had them poured into
his ears by lectures and conversations ever
since he could hear anything. IL is not a
If he were buying "a horse whose points he
could not examine and SO got cheated by
the tricky seller. Tie knows that this horse
OF liquor stumbies In front and rears he
hind, aud may throw him when it will not
be easy for him 10 get up again. He buys
IL with his eyes open and his will free. 1t
is all even contract between the two, so
much danger for so much money, and the
buyer generally asks to have il made. Ii
il is an Innocent transaction. both parties
to it are innocent. Ii it ia q guilty one,
both are guilty. Even from legal point
OF view, the buyer should not be blameles>
II he does not break the law himself, he
hires the seller 10 break ii. and so becomes
his partner in crime.
Or if we judge the two in the light OF the
consequences which follow, the case is no
be@ter tor the buyer. A family is thrown
into poverty and distress and disgrace
children are put in danger Of a terrible
cuise. and friends are grievcd and alien
ated. But the buyer ruins his own family.
the seller another's; and at the request and
hire Of that other. Who wrongs natural
affection more? Who is the more guilty,
he who Indirectly hurts others in whom he
is not personally interested nor imme diately
responsible. OF ne who Of his own will
ruins directly those who love him and de-
pend upon him. and for whose welfare he
is responsible? Again | say. clear Est
the seller, simply ask you to compare the
buyer with hin.
This is the point which l wish TO urge
upon all who are interested in the cause Of
temperance. For | think that If were
called upon for the reasons why that cause
has made no mere hesdway should give as