The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-03-02
The Liquor Dealers Resolution. u

Messrs. Editors-The community is familiar with
the TACT that special grand jury OF the city Court
was deemed necessary, that said jury mas oeen
making Investigations and reported the result W
The Court.
| Why was this grand jury deemed necessary and
at whose prompting Was 1t summoned are queS-
lion which ought to be ana the JaGsS
ntent6erea. result of the investigation Is suf-
Gent answer The nrst 81 Indictments-Sl OF which
we note, for the Violations the laws governing
the safe vi Intoxicating liquors. This is serious
charge To bring against contessedIy Iaw-abtd1ng
community. But is Lhts state of affairs OF origin
more recent thh the sessions of the last grand lu-
ry !? Dlu these IND $ 5mething OF which their
predecessors were Ignorant Ii lot, why this zeal
Is IL not elect yrowa,4g puollc ses.ts-
ntent, which, Witnessing the growth OF evil has, at
last, demanded It's overthrow Which, deemtng the
laws Ineffective In reyututtg has at last ali over
land been demanding The u0otttlow " Lae liquor
troLEcf
ought to have been done. But IL is all that
anu should be DONE The people not to be qui-
eted with this The consummauon which they wish
should not he lost sight OF nor their attention al
lowed t. De dtUeiteu NY strategy TO side issues.
This is evidently the design OF The resolution
adopted by the liquor dealers OF Staunton, Feb'y
zlst III view of the facts, the nigh moral tone with
which they SPEAK is certainly refreshing. One
might imagine that, perhaps, the ary goods nter-
by Inc tempting DISPLAY OF their nnery and
the great bargains offered, had stolen away the
senses OF the wives, mothers and daughtefs of the
community that the grocers and c01yectioners
depauching The health Of boys and girls by an
unrestrained sale Of sweet things that the obnox
ious classes were Introducing utscord ana disease
IarS the t4uor ueaterS, the guardians and conServ
aLors Of the peace, health anu morals OF the COM
mun1ty had uttered their protest and determined
10 punish The Offenders. But we read the resoiu-
tion more carefully, and 10 1t speaks of violation
OF law, and especially In the matter OF selling
ts.toGtcu1.tS to minors and on sundays. Some OF
their own number, then, have been guilty OF q v1o
aon OF law, and The others singing under the dis
grace fopudlate ana Will help 10 punish them But
Is IL proper, Mr.. Editor 10 speak of one two
as the "Liquor Dealers 2" Did these men against
whom, we believe, there was brought no indict
ment, mold that meeting and frame that resolution
But we look again, and that they are going
to do ali that tney recite ''hereoyter. WfL it De IN
yreut hereuter? But what about the Dast Per-
haps, however, they intend to appear before the
court and confess 1--WE have sinned, we have for
reited our licenses, we surrender them, make no
request that they he restored. But they do in
Innate anything OF this kind in their resolution
They pledge themselves to bring to condi0n Du1-
tShntet any persons "herenJter violating the laws
those laws for the violation of which there stand
upon the books of the court 81 indictments Is
1t difficult to imagine the smile upon the counte-
nances of the liquor dealers as this resolution was
read and adopted? DO they imagine an Intelligent
people can be hoodwinked Dy such sham ? They
the descent of wrath they would direct it
from their heads. The remedy for the present evil
they suggest, lies in the enforcement of the law
they themselves will see that IL is enforced In the
light of the past, they be entrusted to obey 1t
themselves, much less enforce 1t upon others? 1t
is said IL is easy to be deceived into selling to mi
norS. How about Al indictments And is there such
Widespread ignorance OF the Sabbath to excuse
80 Indictments selling intoxicants on that day
But Is the enforcement of the law (which has new
er yet been doneJ the remedy the times demand |
The evil attending the sale of intoxicating LIQUORS
has been on the increase, and the people are claim
ing the right to say whether 1t shall continue |
Staunton should have this right. Let mere reso
luton, then, of the opposition cause any efforts to
be relaxed It, The highest interests of the
country Will sooner or later restrict these liquors
medicinal and scientific uses, with power that |
dare not be resisted. Why do our highest inter-
est demand 1t now? j.