The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-02-08
AUSTIN LETTER.


a.aaa..aa--
mo. III
AUSTIN, Jan. aO.-tspecial Correspond
enoo. las illustrative Of the extent to
which the puritanical spirit OF rampantism
and Intolerance sometimes delights to go,
| will direct your attention TO the bill ro-
Gently introduced by Representative Halle
wood, Of Delta county, captioned IA bill to
regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors in
local option districts" The majority Of
the judiciary committee to whom it was re-
ferred have reported adversely, while the
minority favor it. Observe the reading of
section ID.
"The preceding section (relating to the
81, 900 fine and imprisonment in the county
Jail for term not exceeding two years Tor
the sale or exchange of Intoxicating IL
quors) shall not apply to the sale OF wine
for sacramenta purposes, nor 70 that OF
alcoholic stitnulants as medicine, in
cases of actual sickness, upon the written
prescription Of p regular practlcing physl-
cian certifying upon honor that he has
made personal examination OF the appli-
cant, and that said applicant is ac-
tualy sick, and that the alcoholic
stiumuiaut named in said prescription is
absolutely necessary for said applicant as
medicine" This is drawing the cords
tight. Now observe the penalty: And
any physician who shall issue or DE in any
} way engaged in issuing any prescription
for alcoholic stimulants without personal
examination of the applicant. or shall,
, after having made such personal exa ma
ton. issue, or be in any manner engaS -
issuing such prescription, when the ap....
cant is not actually sick, shall be deemed
| mil " of mis-
yiction for the first offense, shall be pun
ished by fine, not less than 500 and inn
prisonment in the county jail not less than
thirty days. And for the second and each
successive offense, the punishment shall be
by fine not less than $3.50 and imprlson.
ment in the county jail not less than three
months"
! This, certainly, is amending the local OPP
ton law with vim. Let us suppose some
cases and note the hsrdships that would be
worked In the country there are farmers
who are entirely familiar with the peculiar
local diseases and disorders. He knows
well that certain mixture or prescription
! containing whisky or brandy is just the
thing needed for self, wife, child or servant.
And now this bill compels him to send ten
!, or more miles, if practising physician
| happens to reside no nearer, to procure this
certificate, through personal examina-
tion," thus subiecting him to an unneces-
sary expense OF $40 fee or more. Suppose a
cowboy out on the prairie, or a laborer on q
the sure remedy against the poison where
of, conceded antidote, whisky cannot be
sold to him by druggist, or anyone else,
without the certificate from personal ex-
animation" by regular. practicing ply
sciian," and who happens to be miles and
hours away. In the intermin the unfor
tunate attacked individual dies. II one
| oh NH ha
to be ''sold or exchanged for his case,
without the doctors being sent for to give
him the required prescription. And so
go. Whilst drunkenness is IL
terrible evil and affection, and
whilst we should do all we can to eradicate
it, we should be cautious not to pander to
that perhaps greater evil OF puritanism
which would square the actions of all hui
mainly by its own narrow, contracted ideas
of what is right, proper, or eXpedlent.
| This same puIitansm, the embodiment OF
intense selfshness itself, has caused more
suffering, aud sought to abridge human
liberty and human rights more than any
other one cause known to civilization. Let
the question of local option be submitted
to tile counties, districts or communities,
| if YOU will, and let their people pronounce
| upon it, but i'll the name, and Tor the sake
j and credit of the enlightenment OF the day
and age, let this bill of the representative
| from Delta receive so etiectual a quetus
! that such attempts will henceforth hide
their diminished heads. Whether even the
| local option effort will amount to anything
remains to be seen. 1t is o notorious fact
that, since the adoption of the prohibitory
amendment in Kansas, there has been tree
whisky in nearly every >iQwn OF the state,
and so of other states, bat ri any rate, let
the rial be made in Texas, and then the
test will be fairly placed beyond the region
of speculation.
6JThe penitentiary lease business is the
subject of much comment here. There will
| be "A resolution introduced in the house to-
day 10 seek its amendment Colonel Ma
than Atten, of Houston, is here, and is said
| to be willing to give some $40 600 more than
the present lessees. WHAT pity the state
! itself cannot take direct charge oil these
penitentiaries. There would he, am in
| formed by competent authority, clean
! profit of some $4,000 annually from this
source to the treasury. The very general idea
prev 4iling here is that the present lessees
are making q fortune out of their bonanza,
and the splendid house latteriy built by
constantly alluded to as cor
robatory evidence of the current belief.
The pententiary board, however, thought
that these leases are "fal better than to
have the state resume" The board, you
will remember, is composed Of o. NJ. Rob
erts, f. r. Lubbock, Thomas J Goree. /
extract the following terms Of the leases
1. The state leases each penttentiary for
fifteen wears. one-half of all the convicts to
oe assigned to each.
The lessees TO assume ana carry OUT ~
node o"dd a .nnan 1n IL 'On'''''' W am '''
3. me lessees TO pay All expenses con-
nected with the penitentiaries, o, whatever
description, that the s. ate would have to
nav Il IN stale account.