The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-01-29
FoR THE CAIRO Bulletin
ALCOHOL AND IT'S ABUSES.

MENsHEN FREUND DlsCouRsES AT LENGTH
THEREON, ANSWERING, INCIDENTALLY
OUR CORRESPONDENT COSMOS.
EDITOR BULLETIN In your issue of
THE WEEKLY BULLETIN of the 9th INST ]
noticed an article headed "Who is Respon-
sible: The Dram drinker Or the Dram
sellerl' and signed Cosmos, in which
the writer claims to be friend to
the cause of temperance; but from the gen
eral tenor Of the article ! am persuaded to
believe him to be an apologist for the
dram-seller, After stating that he is in deep
sympathy with movement that has ten
dency to stop the abuse Of Intoxicating
liquors, and improve the morals Of our pco
pie; he goes on to say that the opponents
Of the temperance cause entertain certain
vagaries, which to certain extent rctard
the progress of their work.
When Calico first proclaimed the great
truth that the earth revolves around the sun,
he was not only told that he entertained
vagaries, and was laughed at; but was per-
secuted. Yet today that great truth is uni
versally accepted. Friend Cosmos, ! be-
lieve you are partly mistaken when you
say that "the opinion pretty generally pre-
walls among temperance people that saloon
keepers permit me to use different and
more correct term, "dram-selers'') are d.
rectly responsible for the vice and liccn-
tiousness that issue from intempcrance.
Let me enlighten you just little on this
point. The prevailing opinion among the
temperance people is. that both the seller
and the drinker are responsible for this ter
rible eyil--drunkncss.
Allow me % show to you and TO an
intelligent and candid world by indisputa-
BILE facts, that your theory of the response
bility Of the evil OF intemperancc does not
rest solely and alone upon the dram
drinker.
= In the first place could this great evil of
drunkenness exist without alcohol and
secondly could ninety-nine out of every
hundred persons who drink Intoxicating
liquor obtain it in any other way than
from the sellers and manufacturer? The
first is impossible, aud the second improb-
able. Now if the evil of drunkenness can
not be perpetuated without the cooperation
Of the two parties and both parties aware
Of that fact, the impartial verdict of the
world proclaims both guilty, and if punish
menti is deemed necessary, both are desery.
ing Of it, That the drain seller pays license
for the privilege of selling intoxicating
beverages, cuts no figure at all There IS no
lawn existence authorizing the making Of
drunkards, and the dram-shop is the place
where nearly all ,runkardsarc made Hold
ing these views how could we as temper
anc people honor or even approve of the
business Of dram selling, or for that mat
ter, the making and selling Of it in any
way hope friend Cosmos, you will give
us the credit of being at least consistent in
this matter. We not only disapproye of
dram shops and therefore do not visit them,
but We also warn all of their evil influence,
we persuade entreat and appeal to the
better judgment Of the people to avoid
them, no matter under what high-soundng
name the business may be carried on, for
they are nothing else than dram.shops,
gifted walls and fine furniture cannot hide
their correct name. Again friend Cosmos
you say that you are in deep sympathy
with any movement that has tendency
to improve the morals Of our people.
am certain Barnum would give u
princely fortune for pair Of spectacles
with which to detect the appliances of
dram shops whcrewith to improve the NOR
ais OF our people, as they certainly would
be the greatest curiosity Of this or any
other age. and which, from the tenor OF
your writing, leads me to believe that you
possess. Now, pray don't be selfish pass
them around and satisfy the curiosity OF
an appreciative public. We temperance
people plead guilty to the charge Of having
made mistakes, for we do not claim iniai.
biity. We are human, and, therefore,
subject to the infrmatics common to oui
race; but we do claim that the facts assert
cd by the temperance people in favor Of the
great temperance movement, even to the
total abolition of alcohol, have never been
nor ever will be, successfully contradictcd
and we ask in candor and kindness, a fail
hearing and an unbiased verdict for the
same by the public.
The truths of the temperance doctrine
arc Drunkenness is vice, and is the
cause, directly and indirectly, Of more
crimes and suffering than all the other vices
Al. A.. l..s.