The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-05-07
Sound. sensible and Good.

Sound, ScnsiDio "n~
We copy the following, poT1lon
of letter, signed by Jonathan mar
ris, to the Houston Post. Let II DC
read by all: .1oa
A prohibitory law may lnoeeo
seem to clash with our ideas toucn
;no that inestimable privilege, the
liberty of the citizen, but ! do not
coincide with the opinion that such
libe t. should be tolerated where rs
exercise initiates with the pubic
veal. That Mr.. Kerlick's predlc-
ton as regards the infraction OF such
an innovation would be verified is
not a questionable matter, but there
are PENALTIES attached to laws when
cannot be violated with impunlty.
To convince the moderate drlnker
of anv faliacy in his views is as tn
tile as to reason with ignorance II
self: he has never experienced that
Unsuitable depravity OF the stomach
which an inherent propensity Tor
deeper potations creates, hence mas
no sympathy with such heritage
is unreasonably dogmatic IN ms
oninions and is unable to foresee
that any ruinous consequences VIII
result from taking something when
he feels like it, or perchance full
half dozen something's at some con-
vivial meeting with congeniai spirits.
The destruction of alcoholism i'm
plies the necessary consequence
sobriety-ardent spirits accelerate
the circulation of the blood to an
unnatural cegree, and when stimu-
lation ceases a correspondent de-
preston ensues until violated nature
| in due course restores the equil'-
| briun.
When alcohol is swallowed the
stomach make an effort to expel the
invader by a short cough, and the
brain becomes environed with alco-
holic fumes, which it refuses to di-
gest, thus the intellect becomes a
chaos, and continuous repetition OF
bacchanalian orgies results in the
arrangement observable with many
habitual inebriates. How in the
face of such facts can moral men
consistently become stumbling
block in the pathway of prohibitions
1t may be beyond the present
scope to say that All occasional dram
is breach of morality, but he is
not morally guiltless who would in
duce his fellow man to drink, who
is not endowed with fortitude to
partake of it in limited quantities.
With the exception of the mode
rate drinker, and such others as may
be pecuniarily interested in the dis
tilIation and sale of alcohol, prohibit
ton has but few enemies to contend
with. Moderation is the goal from
whence the incorporate drinker dis
tinctIy traces his downward career
and the great vantage ground of the
saloonist and tippler-moderation is
botheration-the brink of an abyss
from whence the ranks of depleted
drunkenness are perpetually recruit
ing. The confirmed drinker would
fain dispense with this admitted
curse, but at the same time would
barter his soul in order to diminish
the torments of expiring stimulation
Neither moralist nor humanitarian,
who has suffered this hell upon
earth, but would counsel his off
spring to keep far aloof from this
maeIestrom of iniquity, and foster
with all his might, a prohibitory
law. Alcohol debilitates the con
stitution which nature has given,
and it is, therefore, physically wrong
to imbibe it If physically wrong,
it will take subtiler logician than
Texas contains to prove it morally
right.
Though temperance is purely a
secular matter we sometimes see it
inculcated from theological stand
point, and in fact it is rather a ia :
vorable outlook for prohibitionists
when pastors of the several demon
nations of Christianity nail the
maxims of sound morality with
scripture, and let me add that seeing
such institutions are likely to remain
long time with little alienation
they cannot exert their influence to
better advantage than in the dis
semination of temperance principles
among their flocks and the training
up of Sunday school classes into the
firm conviction that alcohol pros
trates the physical energies and
clouds the intellect. and is, as every
rational man knows, despite his as
sertions to the contrary, the worst
enemy of mankind. Prohibition
| for me.
The Great National Curse.
1t is estimated that there are be-