The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1881-05-04
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
The Drllnlxard.


The DrIlnkard.
We take the following from the
Jefferson Gazette. There is a good
deal in that we also endorse:
1t may be that we are lacking in
sympathy for drunkards but we con.
TESS we have but very little pity for
the wretch who not only sinks into
the degradation himself, but drags
his family down with him. We re-
member drunkard who once lived
on the opposite side of the street from
US. We never saw that man, drunk
or sober draw pail Of water or bring
hod Of coal for his wife, a pale faced,
frail little woman. We have seen
his seven year old boy stop playing
with his companions and look as if
he would sink into the ground with
shame as his father came Keeling
along the street. If such man is
insane, he should be put in place
of safety. If he is not insane, he
ought to be dealt with AS severely as
possible. A reformed drunkard said
TO US once, 81 had an unlimited
amount Of sympathy at home, but if
they had tried the opposite course I
think should have stopped long be.
fore l did" We have seen great
many remedies for intemperance, but
never found anything quite equal to
hard labor with ball and chain.
The truth is, the drunkard is the
most selfish man living. Even o
burglar will hesitate to rob his own
family, but drunkards do it very Of
ten. We have heard Of men who
would take the money that was to
buy medicine for sick wife and
spend it for drink. Now suppose we
should make an example of such q
man, would it not have a salutary eff
feet on the rest2 1t is often said that
a drunkard makes q brute of him
self, If that is true then why not
treat him as we do other brutes and
make fear q prominent agency in
dealing with him? One of the worst
drunkards we ever knew never got
intoxicated in the winter, because
he had mortal dread Of being frozen
to death. Fear was the only thing
that could hold check on that man
and show how low he had fallen.
An officer Of the law who has made
himself terror to the lawless will
still drunken men, let them be ever
so boisterous before his appearance.
Now make the law as terrible to
those men as its officer and they will
pause before transgfessing. A dollar
fne or five days in the lookup don't
iainphnt'to much, but i three months.
at hard labor was sure to follow every
case Of drunkenness and disorderly
conduct we imagine it would work
quite change in some of our hard
cases.
We know what answer will be,
made to this. Men will say, "shut
up the saloons, and the drunkards
will disappear" Well, we have been
legisluting on temperance for over a
quarter of century, and they tell
US that intemperance is increasing
and the tide is sweeping down the
young by thousands. If this is true,
it seems to US as if there was screw
loose somewhere.
We have let the drunkard go hith.
erto, and laid his crime at the door
of the rum.seller, and the former too
often looks upon himself as a poor
unfortunate, not responsible for his
acts. No matter what he does, we
excuse him, and say it was rum that
did it. Nonsense!-He did it him
self, and should be punished in pro-
portion to his ofense. We have leg.
islation against the liquor dealers;
let US now try Legislation against the
drunkards. 1t sounds harsh, but if
man makes a brute of himself, how
can we do otherwise than treat him
as such.
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