Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-04-17


Butler, Mrs. Mary L. Burt and Mrs. =.
MI. Decker, from the w. Q. y. u OF
New York. appeared before the Commit /
foe ON Internal A fairs, at Albany, in Dc
1-.,e.e.t ~, ,,o,ition which has been large 4
- 10. .,-.,-1o.ad throughout the State, and
-, .osirs tbat no alteration be made III
any Of the excise laws; that the legai pr
bibition Of the traffic on Sundays anu eie0 i
tion davs be continued, and that increased
penalties be provided for the illegal sale :
Of strong drink and for rmaladministration
on the part Of officials responsible for the
enhancement of the law. There were also
present. Rev. Howard Crosby, of New
York. representing the Society for the
Prevention Of Crime; Oliver Cotter, from
the Law and Order League, Of Brooklyn,t
and Mr.. Bronson, OF Amsterdam, in be-
half of the State Temperance Society.
The advocats s Of those who desire more
liberal measures in the excise laws of the
State, were. Mrssrs. Longbien, Holahan
and strahan, who have presented the
views of theta constituents in the various |
excise bills they have introduced to the |
Legislature this Winter. At the hour ap-
pointed, the Committee, of whom Mr..
Wakely, of 4llegheny--a most courteons
gentleman-is chairman, were promptly
in their places, and gave earnest attention
to the various arguments presented. Rev.
Howard Crosby, who first addressed the
COMMITTEES, spoke strongly against the
repeal of any of the clauses of the present
excise law, saying, in reply to a question
put to him by Mr.. Holahan, that it was
possible to enforce the law in the city of
New York. CThis law, were it enforced,
would be almost prohibitory in effect. Mr..
Cotter favored new law, but decidedly
opposed the granting of licenses to drug
gIsts and grocers.
Mrs, Decker addressed the Committee
in most logical and convincing manner,
saving that "when we remember the
princely fortunes made by brewers, dis
tillers and landlords, we have the key that
unlocks the mystery; we understand why
such persistent, gigantic efforts are being
made to change our excise laws so that
the business may be facilitated; we fully
understand that those presenting bills
asking for change in the laws claim that
they do not facilitate the traffic; but
after careful consideration of them and
their peculiarities, the leaders of our or
ganizatiOn are firm in their conviction
that, If adopted, they would open still
wider the hood-gates of a traffic so pro-
ductive Of evil. In law-making it is a
conceded point that the interests of the
many are not to be sacrificed to the gain
of few. If our excise laws be SC
changed as to add increased facilities tC
a. 4 fo fHnN Nt, al
ready grown rich in it will be made rich
er, and the poor still poorer.''TOW
Mrs. Burt drew-th attention of the Com
mittee to the statistics of the State, show
ing them that the yearly value ofall the
products of agriculture was $253 ,OOO, 900
that of the manufactures was $785, ,OOO, ,OO0
and the receipts of all the railways wer
$68, ,OO0, 900, while the liquor bill of thi
State alone was $lO6 200, ,OOO-more thar
two-fifths of the value of the products o
agriculture, nearly One-seventh Of all tht
products of manufactures, and little les
than twice the receipts of the railways
While the money spent in developing tn
resources Of the State tend to increase it
wealth, power aud influence, the million
spent on strong drink is worse than was
ed; for you cannot point to a departmen
Ofindustry it has helped to open, to a
enterprise it has adorned, or to a home
has benefited; on the contrary it ha
servedto paralyze some OGthe tafgestin
dustries of the State, robbed the common
wealth of the services of those who migl
have become its hest citizens, and, i'm bio
ting out the homes, has robbed the Stat
ofits greatest power and safeguard.
Mrs. Butler addressed the Committee
regard tn the maladministration of officia
and said;
"Laws imply officers to execute and pc
alties to be inflicted. But If the Office
take the responsibility of allowing Il
laws to be set aside entirely, or mere
make a pretense to evade them, where
the safety Of. the community? When
emergency arises-which such a COM
tion invites-the direct consequences mt
be realized, as. in thesstri es.and grailro
riots. We. have good laws, but faithl'
officers. One branch of business hol
most of our officers, from the highest
the lowest, under its control. The trai
in intoxicating liquors notoriously dis
CARDS all moral and civil law, While
honest trades observe the Sabbath, Il
traffic tramples upon it and all the lav
made for it's protection. II also over-rit
the restrictions made for other times a
days; also for certain classes of persor
Most important among these are those I
lating to Minors. All good and true m
see in the children the hope of the cou
try. If they are properly trained a
tught, we may expect patriots al
statesmen, worthy their noble aneestr
torise from their ranks and fill the plaC
Oftrust in our land; but if educated
the schools of vice, opened at every str,
corner by this traffic, into which they 4
lured and served, in direct violation
the law, what can the result be but utt
ruin?
"We have great reason to fear for
future of our land, unless our laws q
made absolute, and ose who are appoi
ed TO execute them are made to suffer
we're penalties for malfeasance in Off
The results of the past few years tell fe
fully in the spirit of lawlessness that
increased so wonderfully; and the ds
shadow that is cast before makes mothe
at least, tremble for the children,a
makes us fear that not many generati,
will inhabit this land as one of the ]
publican institutions"
The greatest interest in the proceedil
was shown by the spectators, who croy
ed every part of the large commit
loom, and in one or two instan
unmistakaPle signs OF approval w
manifested at the arguments advan,
by the ladies. A number of tba u.
bers of the w. G. T. U. of AIbs
were present with Mrs. S. r. Grav.
navvi plected President NJ