Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-09-22
A KOTI EN SYSTEM.

Mr.. Guthrie, son OF the Rev DR.. Guth-
rie, said of the licensing system at the an
nual meeting of the League in Glasgow
The law is at cross purposes and contra.
diets itself, We provide ramified ma
chinery for creating criminals, and then
supply az elaborate an organization for
furnishing them. daughter and ap-
plause.) We tear down the fabric of soce-
ty with one hand, aud then with the other
try to build it up again. Sir William Col
Inns and license publicans TO make sim
ners, and thereupon the churches license
Canon Wilberforce and DIR. Marshall Lang
to convert them. The whole thing is nelh-
er in accordance with the laws of God nor
the laws of nature for you cannot gather
grapes of thorns or figs of thistles; and as
sure ns legs make Birds" 80 drinking
produces drunkenness. (Applause.) The
law is largely at fault here. We strike on.
ly at the law and the drink. We do not
attack the individual. We do not blame
the magistrate, though we cannot help
thinking that when he commits a man for
being drunk aud incapable, he sometimes
commits mistake. We do not find fault
with the publican, though we have often
thought tliut he ia the man who ia incapa-
BILE. Nor do we cast reflections ON the po-
lice they only do their duty IN taking
home the finished article, weigh ell with
too many drains, without any scruples. 1t
is the system that Is rotten -lapplause)-the
whole licensing system. That requires to
be remedied, renodelled. and remade.
(AppIause) One OF our Conservative no.
blemen, travelling in America, lately,
view ed with aristocratic Indifference all
the wonders of lie great Republic; but
when, on going through large gaol, he
was shown in u cell. publican, confined
there for having made II man drunk, the
nubleman said, at IL worth coming aJl
the way to see that man |" Aud lifting his
hat, he added, "Nuw am face 10 face with
the grnndest institution l have seen IN
Americap Laughter and npplause,)
II it il true that .he deaths from drunken
neSs in this country nnmber anything like
150, 900 year, IL need lie no wonder that
good people are henrl-bioken ior drunken :
ness. We want them. still further, to be
heart.broken from drink. Aud Instead OF
our churches praying that they may be
saved from drunkenness, we ask them to
pray that they may be kept from drinking,
because, unless the grace OF God preserve
good men from drinking, il will not save
them from drunkenness without miracle.
The physical effect will follow the physl-
cal cause. A given amount of alcohol will
produce the same result On the brain of
every man. whether lie be jew or Greek,
bond or free and you csnnot get away
from the fact that the drinking of intoxi-
eating liquors is the cahse, aud the only
cause, OF drunkenness. 1t Is written, "Th,u
shalt moi tempt the Lord thy God !" and
say II IA drinking Chrisiian presumes upon
ihe grace Of God, unnecessarily. TO rlsk
temptation In drinking, II appears tV me
nmazi,igly Doubtful II the grace il genuine,
Hear, hrar.) was very much struck
with the fear worthy Christian lady IN
our neighborhood had about her son COM
ing 10 Glasgow-.nol thst he would be temp,
Ted to go into bad company and drink, but
TINT he would yet into bad company and
be tempted drink Hear, hear, and ap
plause J Are not the warning words ol
The prophet as applicable now as when
they were uiiered--"Woe nnlo him thu
} giveth his neighbor drink" lApplause.,
1