West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1883-01-17
WESTVIRGINIA FREEMAN.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Crime of Drunkenness, and
Society's need of Protection
against 1t.

a little space to present my
thoughts on phase of the Tenn
perance question that has not been
very fully discussed?
I refer to the crime of drunken
ness.
heartily concur in all that has
been written to show the hldeous-
ness of making drunkards by deal
ing in the liquid death. There is
not a truly redceming feature
about the business. May God has
ten the day when society shall be
protected from this enemy.
I Just as fully indorse the ex-
pressions Of pity for those wives
and children, and parents, and
brethren, and sisters, who have
been so cruelty robbed of that care
and protection, that honor and COM
partnership to which they are just
" entitled by the relations of life,
but which they haze not, because
the demon of drink has made the
father, the husband, the son, or
brother, forget his duty to his own.
| am not devoid Of sympathy for
the poor, degraded wretch who has
by his long indulgence brought
himself to lower level than the
brute.
Words cannot picture in colors
too dark, the sad condition of any
of these.
1t is always with a feeling of in
tense sadness that l look upon d
man setting out. on this road to
ruin.
Yet with all this 1 cannot but
look upon the drunken man as an
offender against society, from
which we have a right to be legal
ly protected Not only against his
overt acts Of crime, committed I'M
der the maddening influence of
drink, but against his very pres
ence in public places.
will offer some reasons.
1. A drunken man is an unsafe
person. A savage animal, how
ever well trained, is not allowed to
range at will on our thorough
fares because he is not controlled by
reason, and may at any moment
do injury to person or property. A
drunken man is no better. He is
even worse, for he does not even in
his drunkenness forget all the cum
ming and the ingenuity of his
kind. Who would send his child
alone into Il company of drunk
en- men? Who does not feel a
sense of uneasiness when wife OF
child is compelled to pass a road OIL
street W here drunken men are some.
times met?
A maniac is taken up by State
authority and confined. Why
should q self-made maniac be al
lowed lib9rty2 He is just az dan
gerous rs the other. In his sober
moments he would not he allowed
bv other means to render public
places unsafe, and if he did SC
would have to pay the penalty
Why should he be allowed to do SC
by this means? | know that he il
subject to confinement N many
places till sobered, or to prosecu
ton for damage if damage has beer
done. But is there not really q
damage done society in the very
fact Of producing insecurity? Ha:
not society right to the protec
ton which law with penalty
could give against this wrong,
2. A drunken man is almost al
ways guilty Of law breaking by
profanity or obscenity, or both
Has not responsibility d right t.
protection, not only from the thing
itself, but from the certainty o
the crime in one or both kinds, i
drunkenness come abroad.
A man would not be allowed t.
carry infected clothing on our pub
lie ways and streets, subject t,
prosecution only if the contagiol
spread. Society is protected
against the risk, and the man WIN
would essay thus to endanger lif
and health, would be subject to al
rest, even before he had reached tn
public square. Why should no
the other danger be forbidden t.
c+ond in M, hlic .