The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-09-21
enactments against them are null.

states, where, as a rule, it is rigidly |
but for all that, there Is
hundred fold more drunkenness IN
England than in e:Lnany OR France.
On the Continent of Europe Sunday
s a day of recreation as we'll as of
and rest, and the people of |
hose lands who come to America, !
bring with them their traditional GUS |
toms and it is difficult for them to
that what is regarded as
innocent in the fatherland cah be re-
garded as wicked here. There they
believe in the God of the Christians, AS
we do in the United States, but in some
respects their customs are different
from ours. AS our country grows old
er, we, as a people, will become more
and more fused into one grand nation
ality of character, as well IS of name
and institutions, and then an harmO-
nious sentiment will pervade the whole
community.
STIMULANTS
in one form or another have been used
in all ages, by all people, civilized or
savage. The inhabitants of the cOun-
tries bordering on the Mediterranean
chiefly use wine as beverage, and in
tox xication is very rare. In addition
large quantities; and as do most other
people, they consume an immense
amount of tobacco, tea and coffee. AS
you go farther north on the continent,
and towards the British Isles, alcoholic
drinks are largely used until you reach
the region of the EsquimauX, where
the rigOr of the climate causes the
consumption Of larger quantities of
pure oil rs diet, and many of the
Russians devour raw fellow, and con-
sumo large quantities of alcoholic
drinks, while in Asia the chewing and
smoking of opium is a general custom.
THE AMERICANS ARE NOT SOCIAL
ENOUGH"
says Senator Sherman. " have seen"
he says, ION the banks of the Rhine
and in Berlin, old and young men and
women aud children, of all conditions
of social life, listening to music, play
their games. and drinking their beer,
doing no wrong, and meaning none,
/ have seen i'll the villages of France
the young people dancing gaiiy, with
all the animation of youth and 1nno-
cence, while the old people We're look
ing on, chatting and joking and drink
ing their native wines, and could see
no wrong in all this.
20 this life-Iike picture, from my
own observations, can bear testtmo-
ny to its correctness. And unless GUS
toms have greatly changed, were you
today to enter 8 restaurant IN the wine
growing regions of France, call fol
break fast, and name every article you
desired, you would find too placed on
the table, not called for, bottle OF
water and bottle of wine, and when
L. II do mt M
every item charged except the water
and the wine. And if you would rise
early enough in the morning, you
would see working men going to theil
| labor, with little tin bucket of veg
etabIe soup, u roll of bread, and bot
| tie of their wholesome common wine
which costs three cents.
| CUSTOMS CANNOT BE CHANGED IN A
| DAY.
He who has just strength enough tt
carry two hundred pounds will fail Il
he attempts to carry fifty pounds more
And hewhO seeks to promote the cause
Of temperance through prohibition
will lust as surely fail, because. as Sen
ator Sherman says-and | am glad tC
give him credit when he does happet
| to be right" prohibition is impractic
able and i'm possible" But it is eviden
the Senator becomes confused WheI
he undertakes the discussion of the
Sunday law; for, tipping wink " t.
the Germans, he says, Il believe it
(the Sunday law provisions are un
necessarily stringent, but they are en-
tirely within the discretion of th'
Judge. He may limit the fine to ont
dollar, and the imprisonment TO on'
hour" But just then his SENSITIVE
conscience imagines that some on
calls out: "And you call that to,
stringent, Mr.. Sherman ?" Oh,
continues the Senator, "but the &C
cused may he fined one hundred dol
lars, and be imprisoned for 30 days.
INTEMPERANCE
is an immense evil, and none appre
ciate that fact so keenly as its victims
Twenty-eight years ago, the Democra
cy. with a majority in each branch
the legislature, passed law which L
still in force, and which the Republi
cans have never proposed to amend o
repeal, making it penal Otfense to SCI
Intoxicating liquor to be drank at tn
place where sold Or to a minor eXceI
upon a written order from his parent
guardian, or family physician /; or to
person intoxicated, or in the habit {
becoming intoxicated; and if that la'
had been sustained by public opinio
and enforced 10y the authorities, a ss
loon for the sale of Intoxicating liquor
would not be in existence in Ohio tC
day.
LOCAL CUSTOMS.
There are communities in Obi
where public opinion renders it impo'
sible to violate that law with impun
ty. There are communities, agall
where the law is dead letter, for tn
reason that public opinion is not
harmony with the law.
The law makes it penal oftense
carry
CONCEALED WEAPONS,
, and for second ofIeDse, the accused
; if found guilty may be fined five hui
dred dollars, and imprisoned in til
county Jail three months; but for a
that, three out of every five boys
the streets do carry concealed weapon
and scarce a murmur is heard again
this vicious custom; although our da
!, ly Journals are filled with narrative
l of murder, and of attempts to comm
: murder. Yet. no one has proposed
prohibit the manufacture of gunpov
der, pistols or Bowie knives; but tt
murderer is hanged for his ottense.
On the subject of temperance
THE PROHIRITIONISTS
are honest and sincere. Their theori'
!, are Utopian, but they believe them
sound. 1t IL to be regretted that
much cannot be said for the Republ
: can party.
AS rule, all their talk about ter
e perauce is sheer cheat, 1t is +
> newal, In another form, of the inf
y nous lie of 1878, that the Democrat
wished to exclude the Bible from ol
' schools; but by echoing and re-ech
5 ing the idiotic cry, from the lake
L the river, they succeeded in making
: sufficient number of fools believe tt
d lie 10 be true, to enable them to car
e the State, by something over two tho
: sand majority; but since then, no OF
e hears Republican allude to that bu
aboo, and in fact one of the chief d
: sires is that that fraud should be fC
l gotten,
9 1875 1880.
u And now the very men who addres
q ed meetings in 1850, beneath the fo
\ tering shade of the banners of Il
brewers and distiIlers, now raise Il
5 cry of temperance, and talk loudly
E heavy special tax on liquor dealer
although the Supreme Court has ju
l. pronounced such law to be uncons1
y tutional and in the same manner thu