The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-07-16
THE CURSE OF THE LAND.

morals and happiness of our people.
we think we could do SO readily.
And this evil is one that it lies within
the power of the people themselves
to correct. Yet, strange to say, it
continues on from year to year, de-
vastating happy homes. debasing
bright intellects. and making brutes
of kind hearted, generous men. We
refer to whisky drinking, the cause
of all the evils we have named, and
many more that might be included
in the category. But, men will tell
us, you cannot stop drinking. for
there is no law to prevent a mans
drinking if he desires. Even SO. but
we can.stop sohisky selling, and that
is more than half the battle. The
most inveterate drinker will seldom
send on for his liquor and buy it by
the quantity. I'VE oppose religious
interference in civil Matters" Uide
the Natchitoches indicator, as much
as any man, but we think prohi-
bition comes in as Subject to the
general laws of society" The 'gen-
eral laws of society,"" for the sake of
decency, forbid men from going
naked, and the strong arm of the
civil law enforces it. What is more
debasing and injurious to society
than drunkenness Let the civil
law enforce abstinence from a thing
that causes more breaches of the
''laws of society,"" to say nothing'of
morality and humanity, than any
other known thing. All over the
land we End nasty little dram-shops
where whisky is retailed by the
drink, where all the requisites for a
game of cards is handy, and where
thousands of dollars are frittered
away by those whose families are in
absolute need of the money. In
these places the boys learn to LOAF, to
swear, to gamble, to blackguard and
to bully. If these places were closed
up in this parish, does any one pre-
tend to say 1t would not benefit
twenty persons where it only tempo
rarily Inconvenience one who makes
bis living by preyipg upon the weak
ness Of his brothers? Then prevent
the stores from selling whisky, and
does any one think its use will not
be almost entirely stopped. Our po-
lice jury meets on the FIRST Monday
in August. Let petition be pre-
sented to them asking that an cleo
ton be had to vote on the question.
Who is there among us with. the
nerve to push the thing to a testa
About the only opposition of a Sc
rious nature that the friends of tenn.
perance will have TO contend against
viii be found among those of our
storekeepers who desire to deal in
whisky themselves. These men, al
though they are ready to admit the
evil Of promiscuous drinking, are SC
blinded by the greed of gain as to
contend for their right God save the
mark y to the profit that is to be
made by dealing in the accursed
stuff They will talk to yon about
this being free country, and that
they are opposed to the drug stores
having monopoly of the profits on
whisky. As if the decent people oil
a Community had no rights that the
drunken rowdys should be made tc
respect; as if murder and brawline
should not have a check put upon itl
wild rioting; as if weeping mothers
heart-broken wives and suffering in.
nocent children should not be pro
pected in land protesting Christian
civilization; and as if the drug stores
cannot also be restricted in dealing
out whisky just the same as in deal
ing out any other poison. No. thu
truth is, they have not that regard
for religious teaching and moral OBJ
legation that should characterize I
good citizen. They are willing t.
sacrifice principle for the sordid con