Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-03-06
Space.
Local CDtIOu ;,

To the Eitor of iHs Alexandria Gazette:
My Dear Si:-It is really painful TO be CON-
PEELED to make isus with ooe, whose COD.
ssrVatism. cool. calm judgment aud almost
unltsrm reliability in matters of public policy,
are so conspicuous ss yours. But, if mistske
oot: you havs erred in your views Of local
oD lln, and suoh error. appearing 10 tho ed:-
torlal column IF the Gszstte, will bs greatly
detrimental to what msy prove Q wise and
benehcent movement.
AS tsr ss An able to determine the around
cork OF your opposition, it is touId 10 .he tu-
lowing declaration: Thousands of men drink
moderately and give DO offsnse to apy one :;
hundreds, perhaps. drink to excess. dissip pate
shslr means, commit crimes. and reduc, their
families to poYeftY-becauss . few men abuse
their right to take drink all. (says the local
optlonlsi,) must be deprived of that right"
Here you observe that thousands" drink With
impuuity, and Hundreds" only, ipjuriously-
q "tcW' abuss the right the great mass" do
oot. | thitk have correctly slated the dues
ton. have given this feature of the drit king
ussges OF society the most clreiu Investigation
l am capable OF, and from sour,as cf informa-
too derived trum carefully collected stats,ics of
others. was astonishsd to learn "that while
huodreds drink moderately" with 20 evidence
OF serious trouble to themselves, "thousauds
carry moderate dIiokIng to exosss;" thus re-
yartiog your rule, and throwing the weight of
evidence against you.
The result Of this Investigation disclosed such
an astoundir 6 fact, viz: THAT Is of all psrsous
who drink distilled spirits or mixtures thereof,
10 every hundred, either bscome COL & mad
druOksrds, or die from diseases eogerdsred By
suoa habits" 1 would not accept it. then
determined to ask for fac 9, which l would an, :
Jz, myself. AID be enabled to arrive at reliable
CONCLUSIONS. | Fl g. sought 40 interyi.W With
TWO aged, Intelligent AID most es Unable gentl, =
men who ware then upon the spot where they
were born and raised. They want back 10 their
childhood days AID traced the history of every
man who was theo farmer aud living withlo
i've miles of the placs they occupied. The rt-
drunkards. or from diseases arising from the
use Of spirits. Ttis nuuber constituted fou,-
6tths OF all the then sdat male population. Il
IS proper to state that ntisher OF these gentle
men were total abstioeuoe men, or had any
c'onecilon with the temperate, oause 10 auy OF
ns phases. Ooe of lhese WAS . physician of
h'gh standing, the other most successful
farmer. They We're astonished at the resul. of
their eva Investigations, acc d:csred that they
would GOT have believed it had it not been pat
ept to tbeir own knowledge aud observations.
Size, that line, have followed the teach.
logs of o1 y seven careful Investigations, AID |
em compelled to admit, that four out cf every
i've persons, whom l havs ever known, who
persisted, continuously in the use Of ardent
spiris as beverage. havs become confirmed
drupksrds. or have faen victims to som. NOR
Isl mAla6y eugspdared by such uas. It tho
few" who c.u drink with, even personal i'm
puuy, "the tbeu;ald," who cannot. Your
premises being false, yout coucusious if lop-
CAL ere false also.
But you spprehend if lha lr .fia 10 LIQUOR,
ls to be decided by poIu ar suffrage, it viii es-
tsbilsh precedent, which mey ultimately
resch religions aud other Viisl questioos. There,
am sure you do violeIoe to yCur uniform good
iu!gneut. Religious liberty aud maty other
rights are guaranteed by tie fundamental l,e
of the land. No one doub'a. that mao has,
abstrsctg. tie right to drink wbi:key if be
chooses; and here, again, you have unwittinRIy
committed blunder, for local option does not
touch, or propose to touch, any sunp:uary
rights Of auy individual. The objsos is to de-
Q d, whether one OF more persons shall b., au-
thoriz:d to establish mandatory cf vics,
disease. insanity and moral ourrup lon 10 apy
coumuoiy sgainst the protest Of the bts
ciz.ns OF hat community. No ooe bas .
right to traffic in liquors Without permit from
some body,
The county judge cln permit against the
wishes OF every man, woman and child 10 the
community. He Can, if be thinks the applicant
does not possess ihs requisite gu ,lacations PRO.
hiblt, sg6inst the wishes Of the same parties. II
1 wish 10 build dam, and construct a mill on
my own pr misses, / can net do 60 without the
consent Of twelve of my neigh bors. rA.f ed ~
the court AS the law already regulates the
traffic in liquor. is local option any 10 ore an in
v.slon OF the rights of individuals. t1an the pres.
ent law2 I AN sure you would say it is not.
The proposed law regulates local option just as
it regulates licecss, and the one will be 20 more
'mt law" IS you intimate. than the other.
hence there Gan be no danger under it, of open
Jog the )odS stes o. lcentiousness aud orgaLiz-
ing crusades against religion gambling, thea
tres, &c
As to the eff,civaness OF local option laws, I
known, no more than yourself I balieve the
sst law would be to prohibit sne trsfd1, by Law,
r. allow it to be established olly when q ms.
ionty OF the people are in favor OF it.. But real
ly have little hope OF the suc ;ess of any law
or 9th ,r tenn parance m )vement, so long as mem.
bers Of Christi 70 churches N Ike, buy, sell, and
use inio1icatir 6 or malt liquors - . beverage
But m wi liLg, bsc.use think it 10 copsti'u
tion,l g. violation OF no inherent rights to give
local ottlon fair trial. Very truly yours.
USE RIVERSIDE PURIFIED WHISKY for
Il