Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-17
Local ODtiOn-EO, 3.

Local OptiOn-EO, 3.
1t maY b. well 10 quote lrtm Q few distinr
guishcd authorities az to the results OF strong
drink upon social order, es, Of course. this ins
wolves the COST OF repression, and, therefore,
belongs To tho question Of tc>ncmy, vhoh |
discussed in late paper.
M0ro than Two hundred years ago Sir MSta
thew Hale. then Chief Jusc, OF England,
said, four ftths Of all tho crime in England
c,mes from drink. Lord Chief Baron Kelly,
perhaps the Oldest Judge nOao on tho Eoglish
bot ca, snys, 10 q letter TO the Arohdeaoon OF
Canterbury Two thirds of the Grimes which
| come before the courts of law of this c)untry
| arc &C ,soned chi fly by intempsrarc'." The
| Chaplain Of tho Preston House OF Uorrcc ion
says: Nine tenths Of tho EagIish crime c,mes
| from dunk. Aud prison Inspectors 10 BOG
land testify that four ftths of The crmc comes
| from Intoxicating drink. 10 Uansda, in 1878,
| out Of 2S $50 commitments to the ia'll of tho
provinces Of Ontarlo and Quebec 2l,236 wcro
| owing to drink. ln Massachusetts the State
| Board of Charities say the proportion Of elmo
! trrc,ablo 10 this great vic, must bs set down
as heretofore, ut not less than iour tiiths."
| Similar testimony comes from Now York. Or
| II cases OF murder there IA wtro nstigated By
| intox; eating drinks. 10 Ireland, 10 1887. BIO.
fore Father Matthew began his temperate, rc.
| form, tho CASTS of murder or aggravated as
saults amounted to II 09G. In 1910. after bis
work had largely spread, these had falleu 10
number to 49, Was not, then, 10 bounds
when claimed that the costs for police, jail,
poor's house and city poor could bo safely re-.
duced OF least SO por cent, provided NO could
| got freedom hero from blinking dcns. 1t can
DO proven that it o)sls this nation nearly $780,
600. 600 per year for drink, and that the loss of
labor, waste of grain, sickness and ctimo added
thereto will swell tho aggregate to the vast sum
| OF 81, 200 900. 600 per annum. which equals
| tho annual value of all the labor performed in
| tho U. s. Statistics are dry rJadiug, and.
| therefore, forboar, although could add them
indefinitely.
Let US lock at this question as it aft, c. us in
| Alexandra. There are hundreds of homes
| hero made happy by tho reform of husbands
| and fathers, and thousands of dollars have
| been spent 10 groceries and other household
| necessities, which used 10 20 into tho rum
sellers till. and these expenditures havo helped
tho trade OF tho town: while. on tho other hand,
some haVo fallen again, and. after providing for
awhile Tor their homes, arc now spending thoir
| money in drink al their families are suffering
| real want. and some of thom must BIO kept
! from Starving by tho 0verscer for the poor or
! by the charitable people CT our town. Take
| the bar rooms away and these men will be
| spared temptation and can and will supply tho
| wnnt ct their hcmc5. A pitaous cry WIS sent
| to Richmond by more than 200 women, who
| implored the Legislature to grant cur people
| tho right to Danish drinking places from tho
town. and who. on their kuocs, would have DO.
| sought husband, brother and child t. vote tho
horrible traffic out of our city, but their CRY for
help was snoihored, and their voic for deliver
| anos was drowned. 1t is said that if no Euuor
were slid in the town, that bargos would be
| arc bored in tho stream just beyond low water
| mark and in Maryland jurisdiction, on which
liquor would b. sold, and SO the law would bo
| evaded. thiok this quite probable, and re-
ply that proper representation to the authoIi.
ties ct Maryland wouI ID preVerts granting Of
llcenao for such traffic. aud even if granted,
these places would be out of tho iowa and 70.
qulre men t, openly 60 for tho cursed stuff asd
to 80 out OF thtlr way to get it. We would at
least have tho saloons closed here, aud the
temptation would be Out OF tho way. 10 Mary
land thcro arc Cow six c)uulios in which no
liquor is sid. AID 10 few months thoy cxnec;
to lIccea;c tho 5umber to fifteen. Aud it is
hoped Gro long even FriGca Georges will be-
FREQ. Ii ia eaid that local option intcrfercs
with tho rights Of mon. The highest law
authorities have decided that it DOES not 1t
only iDteriorcs with and relieves tho arrOn1s cf
mcn. There can ba 20 power to prevent a
man laying in supply from Washington and
drinking at home. where, if drinking be douo,
it ought to tsko pIscs. Wa dc not proposs to
sew up mems mouths They c,n drink sous
lprlij, il they will, aud am iucocd to think
that some oil them have imbihed stuff slnos. as
vile. 1t il said You Cannot caforce SUCH
Law; Ii has been tried and failed" This is orly
rarity iruc. There ara difficulties, of course,
ID enforcing it. We c,nnct czoro. To succeed
perlcc ly. but wherever there has been healthy
sentiment b,ck Of tho law, it has been succ NH.
July enforced, and with amsziag results for
good.
The same argument will apply to all other
breaches OF laS, as s:es!lng, &c., IT,, but when
the American people admit that they cannot
enforce law that their Judgment add con-
soIoIc1 approve, then manIiness will c,aso to
b, virtue aud courage becoma thing of the
pas.
a man who is not wiling 10 die for his con.
VICIOUS. does not deterVa to live
Respectfully.
w. X. BOYLE.
Alexandria, Va, March II.
MURDER OF SENATOR CoNKLINa's Cousin.
-Mrs. Mary i. Grifing, who was found in her |