Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1881-11-23
Drunkenness Who Is Re-
sponsib1e.


l
Under the provisions of the liquor
law now in.force in Maine, a person
found drunk is liable to punish
ment by fine and imprisonment.
If the offense is repeated the meas
ure of punishment is increased.
This shows q decided change in pub
lie sentiment in regard to the mat
ter OF drunkenness. The law de-
clares drunkenness to be q crime
| against society,"; or at least . misde-
meanor, and holds the person found
drunk responsible for his disgusting
condition. For many years past
the people Of Maine and Of many
1othcr states have been inclined. 10
treat drunkards very leniently. In
ebriates have not only been pitied
but actually petted. They have
had public and private apologists
| for their practices. They have been
informed that the villainous distill-
| ers, brewers, and saloon. keepers
were responsible for their conduct.
Ministers aud temperance lecturers
have accused the sellers Of intoxica-
ting liquors Of breaking up happy
families, squandering wealth, COM
mitting all sorts Of crimes against
persons and property, and even
leading souls to hell" The "poor
drunKard," however, has been spok-
en- to, and spoken to, as the "inno-
cent victim of the rum-seller," and
treated like a child too young to
know how to take care Of himself
and too ignorant to understand that
drunkenness is in the highest degree
disgraceful. Men of science and
learning have discoursed at length
ON the "hercditary inclination Of in
ebricty," and convinced many worth
less sets that all responsibility for
their disgusting, if not criminal.
practices is directly chargeable to
their great progenitor, old Father
Noah. In nearly every large town
in the country a drunkard covered
with rags and the filth of the gutter
will be welcomed into the nicely
kept rooms of some temperance as
sociation and treated as an equal by
ladies and gentlemen Of the best
habits and moving in the best soci-
ETY..
1t is, perhaps, fortunate that a
change ofsentiment in relation to
the responsibility for drunkenness
has commenced, and particularly
fortunate that it has taken decided
form in Maine. If drunkenness is
sin or crime, or both, it should be
treated as such and punished accor-
dinghy. Ii it is us bad as theft, it
should be punished by as severe a
penalty. The hereditary tendency
to,get drunk is no stronger and not
as general as the inherited DISPOSE
ton to steal, to lie, or to Kill. We
inherit much more OF good than of
evil from our ancestors, and should
increase the legacy we have receiv-
ed. The reformed drunKard should
be treated with the same considera-
ton and receive the same encour-
agement as the reformed thief or the
reformed prostitute. Each should
be received into places Of trust and
respectability only on probation.
There is no more reason for inviting
the reformed drunKard to the lect-
ure platform than there is for invit-
ing the reformed gambler or liber-
tine. A sense Of propriety should
cause each to refrain from making a
public exhibition of his career Of
shame. 1t is true in point Of fact
that there would be little liquor
drank il there were no saloons, and
it is also true that there would he
no shoplifting if there were no goods
exposed for sale. Apoligizing for
drunkenness and laying the respon-
sibility for it on others, have done
much to rctard the work ofreal tenn
perance reform. These apologies
have done much toward making
drunkards regard themselves as ire
sponsible babies, and to render re-
formed drunkards vain and boast
full. Sentimentality has done much
to prevent drunkenness from being
made odious, and it is now time TO
substitute common sense in treating
the temperance question.
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