The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-17
For The Cecil Wing
Is Intemperance a Crime or a Disease ,

For The Cecil Wing.
Is 1ntemperance a Crime or a Disease?
This puZzling and much disputed point
must he satisfactorily settled. before the
great temperance army, now marshaling
anew throughout the land can move with
any hopes of success against the bull
wark. of the rum traffic, If the drunk
ard is a criminal and to be punished as
such, by confinement and involuntary
labor i'll 4 public workhouse. as advo-
Gated by some of the leading newspapers
of the day. how should it he with his
aiders and abettorS. the rum sellers?
They. We suppose, are still t" be pro-
fcrffd By t"r !" th"' i god ranll, lUcneficent
work of criminal making, But public
warehouses If the kind proposed are rx-
penSivc, and would have to be sustained
out of the public revenue and public
revenue Is largely composed of the hard
earnings Of sober. industrious citizens.
contributed i'll the form of taxes. IA small
amount of public revenue. comparatively
speaking. coming from the license paid
by the criminal maArrS. Suppose we
take the opposite and more charitable
view OF the question, as manifestly held
by the advertisers of Hop Bitters. Ex-
tract of Peruvian Bark and other specific
remedies for drunkenness,
What would we think of the man. or
set of men. who would ask the State to
license thc Snit If IN article known to
bring small poX, insanity. hydrophobia.
or yellow fever, and pnsseSsing such Il
potent power over the appetite flat men
would have 1t at all risks and hazards?
ct either, or all, of these teri ible mala-
dies combined were light atfliction to fall
upon family or a community. compared
with the ravages yearly made in our
midst hv the lawnrotected rpm traffic
ManiftsFiy then. Ahcther We regard
intemperanGe as 4 crime or as i disease.
the brand Of Cain should be sci uuon the
brow Of tfFEy iuul seller III The la nd
But so long as his business is protected
by law what cares his ayarirlovs and
polluted soui, fur social uStrnGisina You
may pass him upon the public street with
distant nod, which he will receive with
secret chucklc, SO long as he knows
that you will vote in his interest. You
need not fear that you will wound the
pride and >eli-rcspcct CD of the trafficker
i'll the fears and signs: ypu in the hearts
blood Of helpless Aomen and children.
You are father you have mayhap a
SON what hope, whit joy, What love.
weic"lhtd Inn INFO your liie9 With what
keen delight you have watched the lie
velopnent of his mind, the growth of his
physical powers. How proudly You have
hailed the dawn of his intellect? How
patiently Won have toiled and struggled
and d.niIn Ntrursfif all tUr INN, the son
of pride and hope? How anxious you are
to secure for him the hest educational
advantages? How particular To inquire
into the moral status of his Instructors
How careful to exclude from your home
all that would contaminatc and morally
degra,ie All I'll, tilat ihp icy may grow
up info 4 synimetricaT m;liihot,Gtd, and
stand at length, ike Saul among his
brethren, Taller and fairer than they
all" vel ysiEltr "a tht pqrntr IS eStab-
lished q man to Nhose moneyf9 interest il
is Mdt yopr 80" sAaH hefontc efMfr ooth-
somety dtaedsed or Il rrfmtnut Around
this man you have helped to throw the
majesty Of the law and around his bust
ness. The boy will be quick to find out
this. He will not he apt to understand
IN his yoAth thHt Il y H'morai pest house.
the saloon upon the corner: Avarice is
tile strongest motive known to the unre-
Sehrtdtr mlml No MsAr D.nry.G .nnr-
est IF that nan that yo"r son h6U drtnk.
Once i'll the clutches of the rum seller
six months will suffice to undo all the
labor of years of toll and sacrifice, In
less tlt4H elA nt9rtiie your ssHl inay sit a
Sampson among the Philistines shorn of
his beauty and his strength by this hide
Gus Delilah; and if your son escape this
fate it must be the lot of some other
man son, for this traffic must have this
costly and precious material to work
upon: If yqlt hlilree ~ lie tatherhood
of God and the lrotharhnud Of man. your
nei.hb"r's son will be AS dear to you as
your Own.
1t is i'll vain for Mr.. Murphy to tell MS
that liquor dealers are for the most part
honorable men, high-minded, given to
hospitality, sss1d pitineus. ..nd nu more
responsible for the evils which flow from
''the traffic" than the man who makes tie
bottles. by their .tr"jt~ &c xInV iuom
HCM NE>t,