The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-01-14
Intemperance ANA Crlno.

the clear, cogent, judicial address Of
Chief Justice Noah Davis, delivered
a monthng to d number Of repre-
sentative men Of this city assembled
at the hospitable residence Of the
Hon. Wm, b Dodge, 1t abounded
with facts and arguments presented
by the distinguished iurist. calculat.
ed to impress on thinking men the
necessity Of using stringent means
to repress this; fruitful source Of vice
and crime. Our limits, however, al
low usibnt a few morsels which we
hope may excite a desire in our read
.ersto secure from the NationaT Tenn
perance Society the opportunity to
enjoy she Whole spseell:.
After citing numerous authorities
in this country and Great-Britain to
prove the statement that intemper-
ance stands out the "unapproachable
chief" among all causes Of crime, he
said:
aIt is established beyond argument
by official statistics, by the expert.
ence of courts, and by the observa-
tion of enlightened philanthropists,
that the prevalence Of intemperance
in every country is the standard by
which its crimes may be measured.
Whatever man or woman does that
checks intemperance, diminishes
crime, lessons vice and misery, and
promotes virture and happiness.
Whatever man or woman does that
spreads intemperance, increases
crime, promotes vice and misery, and
lessons virtue and happiness. The
corporation Of New York will never
stand at the great judgement bar.
The official who goes in today and
out tomorrow will carry his own
load Of vice or need Of virtue; but
neither state or municipality will ev-
er rise to the simplest Of all'duties-
the prevention of crime and misery
at the fountain head-until the peo-
pie are brought by individual effort
to realize the necessity Of that hero
ism.
"Thc relation of intemperance to
crime is also strikingly shown by
the diminution Of the latter wherev-
er the former is wholly or partially
suppressed.
asWhether the suppression be the
result Of prohibitory laws or of the
advocates Of temperance, makes no
diferance with this general truth Of
the proposition. Taken in all its as.
poets, perhaps the most wonderful
temperance reformation Of any age,
was that led by Father Matthew, in
Ireland. / cannot speak his name
without,cmotions of deepest vonera-
tion. Worthier he than allothers to
be called the patron saintof Ireland!
Before the close of October, 1888,
Father Matthew had enrolled more
than 250,0O0, names on his pledges
Of total abstinence. Well, names
are nothing. Things are much.
Lord Morpeth, when Secretary for
Ireland, in an address on the condi-
tion of Ireland, gave these statistics.
OF cases Of murder, attempts at mur-
ders, offences against the person, ag-
gravated assaults, and cutting and
maiming-there were, he says, in
1887 1906; 1888 11,o5S; 1889, 1907;
1S4O, 1853.
Between 1888 and 1910 the con-
sumption of spirits in Ireland had
fallen off 100000 gallons; the pub
lie houses where liquors were retail.
ed had lessoned by 237 in the city of
Dublin alone; the persons imprison-
ed in the Bridewell (the principal
city prison), had fallen in a single,
year from 1856 to %, and more than
100 cells in the Bridewell being
empty; the Smithfeld prison was
actually closed.
"To what can be attributed this.
amazing array of facts and figures?
Not to war nor to pestilence, nor to
famine, for these are, unhappily, the
begetters Of crime. Not toa sterner
execution of the laws, nor to greater
severity Of punishments, for these
always relax as crime diminishes.--
Not to changes in the excise laws of
the country, for they for the most
part remain intact. No, it must
stand as an historic truth that one