Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-05-12
TEMpERANoE pRpARTMENT.
EDITED by pERRYsBuRG W. o.T.u.
The Blessings OF Prohibitton.

vince them that it ought TO DO adopted,
unless there be some legal obstacle, the
question was fortunately settled many
years ago. BY repeated decisions Of the
highest courts Of many OF the States, and
Of the Supreme Court of the United States,
the constitutional right of the Legislatures
TO prohibit the manufacture and sale of
strong drink is established beyond doubt |
or question. But IL is claimed by our ene-
mics. that Legislative prohibition has failed
to prohibit in those places where il has
been tried, and they assert that in Maine,
where stringent prohibitory laws prevails,
intoxicating drinks are easily attninable
by those who want them. The falsity Of
this assertion has, however, been proved
repeatedly; and there Is no doubt but that,
except in two or three of the larger cities
oil the State, this law is well observed
and as rigidly enforced as is any other
criminal law. And SO far as there is any
failure in its enforcement, such failure ia
not due to the inefficiency OF the law, but
to the indisposition Of the people and the
office-holders in those localities 10 see Il
enforced. These facts prove nothing
against the soun,lness OF the principle or
the policy of prohibition.
The absence of any legal obstacle to the
enactment, and Of any obstacle to the en-
forcement of prohibition, enables us to con.
slider the lesson which the results of the
experiments alluded to inculcates Those
portions OF the State of Maine, where the
law ia most rigidiy enforced, present the
advantages of prohibition over license IN
II striking manner. Here the most prom.
inent and observable evils, which come
from inlemperauce, pauperism and CRIME
are wanting. The community is not
disturbed by riots, or midnight brawls. or
any other scenes Of violence, and disorder.
Peace, good order, industry and thrift, pre-.
vail. Aims houses are scarcely needed, and
the jails are empty. II we go to Vineland,
New Jersey, or TO Greeley, in Colorado,
the same condition of things Ia found.
| Police expenses are II mere nothing, and
the sum required for the maintainance of
those who may he the subject of public
charity is 30 small, that il would be pro-
vided by an ordinary church collection.
Then across the ocean, in unfortunate aud
suffering Ireland, we find place similarly
blessed. Bessbrook is u linen manufactur-
ing village IN the north of Ireland, found
ed, in 1854, by George Richardson, Qua
ker and n temperance man, who excluded
strong drink from the village he founded,
and has kept 1t out ever since. This man.
ufactory employs 5000 hands, aud pa va
out weekly $4,000 in wages, and uses TO-
900 tons of coal and Sl,000,000 worth OF
raw material annually. A correspondent
of one of our leading newspapers, writes as
follows:
ave wandered through this immense es
tablishment, marked its lofty walls O
chiseed granite, the complete arrangement
of it's several departments, the skill ant
accuracy with which every detail OF til,
vast business was carried on, and Learned
the power and value of intelligent organi
cation as we never before perceived it. w,
looked into the faces of the men in cha re,
Of the various sections of the establish,
ment, and read in their countenances re
, pose OF character, an expression OF sobriety
and Intelligence, which plainly showed
that they brought more to their business
than mere mechanical skill-thn, the,
knew how TO serve God as well az the cor
e porations by which they were employed
, The operatives generally, looked health,
and cOntented, and appeared TO enjoy thei
work. No strikes ever occur in this con
cern, for all feel that they are promoting
q their own interest when they advance th,
prosperity of the company.
Q Around this great establishment lies tn,
= beautiful village Of Bessbrook, inliabite,
mainly by the workers in the mills; il
:, streets we'll laid out, wide and clean foun
, tains of the purest water gushing up il
d every square and at almost every corner
O tasteful cottages built with brick and stone
, of varied form and color; hardly IL hons
:. without its patch OF green-sward and flow
. er garden every house occupied, and ney
IL blocks in course OF erection, and elaborat,
and ornate than any of the earlier struct
ures. We saw fine large churches of I'll
n various leading denominations Friends
: Epicopal lians, Presbyterians, Methodists
y and Roman Catholics; elegant schoo
e buildings, and tlrongs Of children rompin
around them; nice library building an,
free reading room, a we'll arranged dispen
j. sary and savings bank.
n We are informed that the dispensar
:, was supported by slight tax on the earn
!" ings of every employee, and this tax no
T. only secured medicines and medical al
r. tendance, but also half pay for every in
valid belonging to the firm; SO long M h
was unable to work. The savings banl
d was well supported, some OF the operative
being depositoTs to the amount Of 81 90
to $4,000. We saw one of the largest dai
y ries in the land, where milk and butter q
II the best quality are furnished to the vii
10 layers Just NJ the cost OF production
1, Some things found in prof,lse abundanc
~ in almost every locality are utterly luck
IN ing IN Besslrook-no idlers, no pauper,
- no policemen (while the country at larg
" is held at the point Of the bnyonet) u
- drunkards. All these are lacking becaus
!" there are no rum shops.
Is No rumseller or rum drinker can fin
re- amy place in Bessbrook /; they are kept on
OF it ns strictly us u wolf is kept from
sheepfeld, or u hog from n Jewish sanctua
w. ry.-And in this single fact We have til
e most obvious cause OF its marvellous pro-
IL, perity. Mr.. Richardson is n al rct teetoa
, Ter, and all his associates in the bushes
are Ii ON equally as jealous for the caus
" OF total abstinence and the law of loci
,g option administered by them exclude
every intoxicant from their premises.
What an amazing contrast this little vi
lage presents TO almost every other localit
Of in the nation in which il is situated II
re a healthy spot IN the body that is almo,
ia wholly covered with gangrene. Sine
& about the lime Bessbrook came into exis
ence, Ireland has lost 100000 OF her il
u hubitanls. Bessbrook ia the picture ,
of thrift, beaaty, prosperity and progres
a. Outside OF il the scene is mainly one
g. dirt, decay, discomfort aud drunkenness
Here are the results of abstinence M
prohibition. The result OF indulgence an
license are all about us. Why then do
-. the majority oi mankind choose the la
Wv ter? w. HARRINGTON.
H. Poughkeepsie, Feb. 20. 1882.
ng ----
The Erie Railroad Company decides
l2 discharge every empoye who is not a