The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-17
Intemperance snd.Crime.

Currie says "whisky shall never get the
better of him again." remarks an exchange
and then proceeds with one of the usual in.
temperate harangues with which the press
has been overburthened of late. Currie's
words are full of meaning, and furnish n
text worthy of the thoughtful consideration
of all men tbat lock to the good of society.
His acquittaf or conviction is small matter
compared with the loss of character and the
utter ruin of thousands that annually dis
grace themselves and their families by in
temperance. The daily press, within the last
year, has chronicleG over hundred muir
ders caused directly by drink, and many Of
them more revolving than that of the actor
Porter. We read of fathers, maddened by
drink, killing their sons, and sons their faith
ers husbands their wives; brothers staying
brothers; and lovers staying lovers,
winding up not unfrequently with gha;tly
suicide. The car.hook murderer in New
York said he had no remembrance of Il o
horrible deed he had committed. Brown,
who was hung in Missouri last week for kill
ing his mother.in-law, stated on the scaffold
that he had no knowledge of the act. Last
week young Beasely, a printer in New Or
leans, was sentenced to the penitentiary for
twenty years for throwing lady from
three.story balcony TO the pavement below,
crushing out her life, done while he was un-
der the influence Of liquor. He said, as God
was his Judge, he was Ignorant Of the crime.
A dozen similar instances might be given,
fresh in the recollection of nearly every one,
in which men have walked up in felon cell,
apparently unconscious, or at most, with q
dreamy sense that they had committed some
horrible deed. Currie, sober, was regarded
az an honest, trustworthy man. The COM
pany that employed him placed him in res
ponsible positions, and it is said that he rend-
cred it faithful and effective service. Currie,
drunk, was liable 10 be transformed into a
demon, and if he had gone to the gallows or
been consigned to the penitentiary, for kill
inc Porter, could have traced his crime
and punishment to drunkenness. Well
may he say, "drink shall never get
the better OF me again ! for while
he has escaped the vengeance of maas laws,
Gods presence is always with him. He
knows not at what hour, without forgive
ness, he may be brought to destruction. Cur
rie's crime does not stand alone. Such deeds
are occurring in some portions of the country
every week. There is not man who drinks
to prolonged excess that cannot call to mind
period in his life when he was liable to have
committed such crime. Just think of 1t:
Currie did not know single member of the
theatrical troupe; he could have nothing
against them. The truth is, that for any Of
Tense, real or imaginary, he was as as liable,
on that fatal night, to have killed anyone else
that crossed his path as one Of them. The
law holds, and we think properly, that
drunkenness did not excuse him, and the
Judge charged the law strictly and firmly;
but while this is the ease, we should remem-
ber that Currie is not the only one that HIS
gotten clear. At least twenty murderers, the
most Of them outside Of Texas, have been
acquitted within the last year, that did not
even have the excuse of drunkenness for
their crimes. And we should also remember
that, but for intemperance, Currie would
probably never have imbrued his hands in
another blood, but to-day have been use
full an and a respected member of society.
What lesson does this tragedy present to
rejecting men of the evils of intemperance
What an appeal tmakes to the press to join
its enlightened energies with those that are
laboring for its extirpation?