West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1882-02-08
The Business.
The Liquor Sellers account Of It.

sirs, It's no small job for decent
man to break himself down to this
miserable business. We liquor-sel-
ler's know that as well as the best
of you.
| had, for example, to choke out
all my conscience, and every mans
got enough Of that to give him a
quake now and then, let him do
what he will. | had to stuff this
plain lie into its mouth at the out
set, viz: That d license made 1t right,
which any fool knows is nothing
but a lie and then [ had to get
hard of heart, as to all my old faith
er and good mother had said thou
sand times in my hearing, Of the
mean guilt of the business, and as
to all [ had heard when boy in
church and Sabbath school, in the
same style. My wife, too, and all
our folks, even the drinkers among
them, | knew disliked it. But the
devil.in me held the bride and |
went in. ...
Then | had to take a lot Of men
for company whose talk, ways and
chara cter, (out Of the business) |
had abhorred, and the worst Of it
was, [ had to stay about all the
time with them; Earliest open,
latest Shut" the rum-hole's time
card reads.
And then into decent company
we rum-sellers do not expect to 90,
Sundays, our "back-doors" keep
most Of US busy Very seldom are
any ofus seen in any church, or at
any school-meeting, lecture, read
ing or any public good thing [
find that rarely any respectable
gentleman or lady thinks Of asking
me toa social party, scarcely to a
wedding.
SO we cut ourselves off from de-
cent things, and go skulking be-
hind screens and daubed windows,
and there we have to stay and hear
the maudlin gable, and the lowest
slang to be heard anywhere.
Then l know as well as others
that my business is a mean fraud on
society. | see it, Not grain Of
wheat, not kernel of corn, nor a
flat turnip, do | raise, and add
to the common stock. Nota stroke
of work which adds a farthing Of
value to anything, from years end
to end.
lido nothing but destroy. Liquor is
made from destroyed bread-corn.
Then | take it and destroy hands,
feet, eyes, bodies and souls Of work
ingmen, and with them go farms
and homes, shops and mills, every
thing labor gets and uses. Not a
human being or business can stand,
from Senate to pulpit, from hod-
man to street-sweeper, when | get
my hand fully on them. Give me
a chance, and I'll upset any living
man, or any business he can do.
That's the business.
So | know | have to set myself
squarely against everything men
call good in State or church, in bus
mess or society. Ihave to hate and
hurt all | can, out Of my business.
TO pull down, destroy, kill. That's
my business.
Imay as well confess it. sirs, as
liquor Pm Just a licensed de-
stroyer of every good thing in and
about man. If | had my way, i.
e., prospered in my trade fully, I'd
make every man and woman in
the town a drunken ruin; every
house amortgaged one every store
but mine, shut up; and every
home a hell. That's what the bus
mess is for; what I'm licensed to
do, and what YOU men, who make
license laws, and set me up, en-
power, appoint me to do. Never to
earn a cent, i. e., add a cents value
to anything, but destroy, ruin prop
critics, bodies and souls-that's the
business, mig business.
Next: Pm to carry on q system
Of extortion as to profits. Other
business may live on IGOR 20 per
cent. but | give $50 for barrel of
whisky, water it to two barrels, re-
tail at 10 cents a glass, and make
900 PER CENT