The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-06-11
DOwN.oN WHISKY.

and all the different plans employed
have been at least partially successful
for = while. Ali are familiar with the
different organizations formed against
whisky drinking, aud all are alike fa-
miliar with the rapid increase Ut hab-
itlal drunkenness and the greater In
crease of the number Of deaths caused
either directly or indirectly from drink
ing the various preparations of alco-
holic sttmulants. Not long since a
woman sued q railway company for
ten thousand dollars for the killing of
her husband. We have yet to hear Of
. suit against any one for killing . man
with poisoned whisky. Such deaths
are very common; yet they are not
to be reported in the newspapers, be-
cause 1t would wound the living. But
q question Of vital importance springs
from this very thing. .-.-..,. ....i
Our government is always ready to
enact laws to prevent the careless de-
struction Of her citizens by steamboats,,
railways, &c.; yet the same government
p01AAAbS-uA1u Sc"uy PAOASSVSSo ~ Aso
laws-the sale of q compound called
whisky that is universally known to
be destructive to human life.
Whisky frauds All many columns Of
the newspapers, and whisky deaths
would do the same were 1t not for the
reasons above stated, and nothing but
the tax ON dlstiliers and distilled; (7)
whisky causes the greater part OF the
deaths. One of the greatest temper
ance men proposed to have vineyards
planted everywhere and by getting
every one to drink pure wine, even Il
they did drink to excess, they would
not kill themselves with pure wine.
This would be impracttcable, simply
because there must be an average of at
least one barrel or more Of wine raised
at every house in the land to supply
the demand, and so long as people can
get something that will ssmake drunk
come" without taking that trouble,
just 80 long they are going to do as
they are doing. ,. -
Knowing, then, that people will
drink, and that a great many of them
will drink too much, Is II not best for
them to have something that will not
send them home literally crazy after q
days frolic? We have all heard that
In the good old days Of our forefathers
every man kept, or was expected to
keep, decanter either Of whisky or
brandy on his side-board ready for
every one to drink who might feel
thirsty. We have all heard, too, that
there was not rs much drunk zen ness
then as there Is now and almost no
deaths at all from this cause. 1t is
almost universally understood that
pure "home- made'' whisky viii not
make a fool of y man, nor will IL kill
him until he has usually grown. gray
with years.
In view Of these facts, then 1t does
seem that the government should re,
move all tax from distilleries and dis
titled whisky, and if the revenue must
be gathered from some place, let it be
gotten from some article that will not
make grand rascals Of nearly one halt
of her mercantile population and un-
kind husbands and fathers of 4 great
portion of the remainder
OF course, the first effects Of such; a
law would be- to flood the country with
cheap whisky aud little distilleries.
The secondary effect would be the de-
privation OF many retail groceries OF
their trade, and many farmers, who
now buy both whisky and meat, would
make their own whisky and drink it
at home and fatten their pork from the
same corn. With the earnest hope
that this subject may be aired until 1t
will reach the ears Of our lawmakers
at Washington, I am yours, &C.,
SUFFERER.
Referring to Gen. Kings address to
his constituents, the Bulletin says:
Mot cnntonk with hSao rinn tho hnry1an