National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-20
THE ARREST OF DRUNKENNESS.

To the Editor Of The REpUBLIcAN;
No truth should be more repeatedly and em-
pha ucally impressed upon the popular mind than
that Of the unmistakable and Individually hercdi-
tary character Of drunkenness; and II the mind
Of one portion Of community more than this
other should be sincerely impressed with this
truth the female claims pre-eminenco, for upon
her wel-being falls the greater force OF tho re-
Elected torture and misery Of the evil OF drunken
ness. The primary object Of civil government was
70 foster the morality vigor and prosperity of the
citizen as good parent cares for the welfare OF
his children and can II be judicious act Of leg.
islation, either Federal State, or municipal that
will, for the sake Of tho gain Of money from
license law
TO SELL INTOXICATING LIQUORS.
tolerate and perpetuaie q temptation that leads TO
the crime disease and death Of the citizen2 II Is
part OF the criminal law that the accessory TO a
crime is ms gull IS as the rerpetrator; and II a
government tempts the drunkard TO indulge his
propensity to drink 10y making such temptation q
mere matter OF license and revenue, and the
drunkard, because of such temptation, drinks
and makes himself insane and commits murder,
Is not the Government an accessory The State or
Government tries and hangs the drunka I'd IN ur
derer and thereby presents the example OF an
accessory To crime, turning judge and eXocutoncr
OF criminal In whose act 1t was the piime temp.
ter Then why should the State make the drunk.
ards crimes possible, or the object of necessary
punishment when 1t possesses The power to 70.
move the temptation to such crimes2 This Is not
MI abstract question Of mere morality but ono
showing the relation between the tempter and
the tempted-the accessory and principal to crime.
LOCAL OPTION.
The only feasible plan for the arrest OF the habit
of drunkenness Is local option. Remove the cause
and the effect will MS surely decline as epidcmics
cease on the cessation of the poison that produces
them II has been oonclusivey demonstrated that
moral sunsion as n remedy Is failure, ana that
the hnbltual falcoholc liquors VIII DO assured
as giliypng
permit the legislative department to perpetuate
an allurement TO drunkenness in order to receive
premium on the habit and temptation OF men TO
get drunk. But it is diflcult to obtain Legislative
reformation on the subject OF this most essential
question. The traffic IN the compounds OF alcohol
branch Of commerce, and the FEASIBILITY OF
avarice, the wilcs of cupidity, and the zeal OF
sensuality Will always give zest to It's maintenance
AS rule those who engage in the liquor dealing
business usually get rich, while thUse who habtu.
ally drink Il certainly as a rule ,ecome poor and
that the habit OF drunkenness causes three
fourths Of
TIE VIOLATIONS OF THE LAws
which are brought before them and yet bad leg.
islation has made II seeming necessity for reve.
hue 70 license an inducement TO drunkenness III
order to get money. Every pledge of the drunk.
ard to be sober is rcbuke to the legislative body
which keeps alive n temptation that everywhere
spreads its entcing devices to cause him TO vlo.
late that pledge. The crime and death of every
drunkard and the loss Of every drunkard's soul
are the terrible consequences of the fearful re.
WHICH " IeBlSlutlNC OOug usSNiHcS
when II enacts a license law to pcrpetuate and
tolerate the sin of drunkenness. An instructive
feeling of melancholy always accompanies the
knowledge of the death of owbeing; but
when TINT melancholy Is enhanced by the thought
that the States laws were the primary cause OF the
death OF that fellow being humiliation aud regret
long for that regenerate time when purer and
better intelligence shall dictate the relations Of
the citizen to the State.
THE LAWS sEIFIsHNEss
The legislative enactments legaizing the liquor
traffic are not only selfish but vindictive. The
distlller of alcohol and the retailer of its COM
pouds may poison as long us they make dime ut
It, not only themselves but as many of the States
citizens as they will, If they have given bond and
bought license to conduct their business; but
let either attempt to conduct his business without
bond or license, ard quick as the vengeance of u
violated law can be mnrshalcd such enactmenls
are paruded for enforcement and all the appliances
Experimental machinery are started in motion
TO make them effective TO proclaim, as 1t were,
that unless the Government Golfer receives u
premium the citizens of a State shall not be
poisoned with the compounds of alcohol, and In
the most irefll mood deal in the most rigorous and
merclless manner, by fine, coniscaton, and im.
prisonment, with those who attempt to distill or
sell liquor without license Surely the legisla-
ton of that government is bad ana unpromisng
when its law making power has to license
temptation TO sin and vice In order to raise Il
revenue for its support.
j. b. JOHNSON, NJ. ID.