Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-05-03

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he street.. o lying O. rs navemSnf
. vistim Of inta1n paranos. varied 49,
Summary are che ssatimnssa az -
paaanrn-hT. Sona blame ca snan-
some the Eumseller and disaillar. Others
the governmenk some dapIors tie
neglect ofmoral Efaininh in oar nssl,l;n
schools, sorns bnfate Chfsskian sas;a
ties for lack nf enaray in Aha lsoElr Il
rselamatien. while osheza asnonnas
The Aational and State nnrarnusnl.ls
Tor The non- esisrtmeni * stfsna s.
E61offnN&nxY f8ma
Yet there Are very lsw who are
willing 10 let their reflections upon
the subject carry their c0naniences Ear
enough to fix the responsibility where
It really belongs. That besoeted gr,e-
cimen Of degraded humanity may, in
this instance. be merely overcome for
the first time though the influence Of
evil associates; or he may have been
. drunkard from his youth, 90 that
the use Of ardent spirits he's become
rs natural to him as the taking of his
daily food; or he may be. Is S often
the case. the vitiated offspring OF
drinking ancestors; drinkers who
might not have been drunkaris but
only moderate drinkers, whose inces-
SAINT tipping. however, from genera
ton to generation. or, perhaps, whose
excessive drinking during even one
generation. has 50 affected the tender
and delicate organisms ofthe nervous
and cereble systems, as to produce in
the descendent form of hereditary
disease, now developed in a morbid
craving for spirituous liquors, and a
natural tendency to drunkenness.
In either case. the primary cause il
the liberation Of the manufacture of
the articles producing such pitiable.
disgraceful, and We may say, pestilen-
tial results. But, viewing the sub
ject in this latter light. and rejecting
how that the use Of Intoxicating
drinks, not to say their abuse, Be.
comes in this manner q blight upon
mankind and a curse to posterity, we
are unable to perceive so long as their
production Is not only tolerated, but
BY authority permitted and encour-
aged, how any citizen, no matter how
ever free from it in himself, can az
pect to escape his own individual
share ofthe awful responsibility there
to attaching. Ii not every person
.Who does cot use all means svitkia his
power to counterfeit this monstrous
evil. in real fact q partner in this
business? Under a system of govern
ment in which it is the prerogative Of
the people to have the laws made TO
their liking. if personal opposing ef-
forts are not sincerely and earnestly
made, it assumes the character of in
dividual crime that such an insidi-
ously deteriorating and destructive
agency should be permitted to exist,
while everywhere its victims are daily
demanding our pity as we'll as excit-
ing our disgust.
1t Is true, as q nation, we SWIVEL
over the wretchedness of the drunk
ards home, and the suffering of those
depending upon him for support, but
while We wipe the tears from our
eyes with one hand. with the other
We are taking the money that
pays for the privilege Of making more
Of the poison, with additional fees for
the further privilege of keeping it
constantly and temptingly within the
reach of these almost helpless victims
of Unborn disease, or, at least, of bu-
man weakness thus backed BY public
cupidity. And If we hold that it is
wrong to grant the distiller, the brew
err, and the vender the privilege to
carry On . business the effects of
which are "evil and only evil continu-
ally" especially do we hold that it is
not only wrong. but mean, after we
have pocketed their money paid Us
for that privilege, to turn round
and abuse them for using the
privilege paid for. and TO endea-
vor to clear ourselves of all re-
sponsibility. By attributing 10 them
alone the degradation, misery and
crime resulting therefrom. How can
we convince man of wrong when he
faces us with government voucher
for bis conduct, and we know that
the thing is both permitted and en-
couraged by the people, who are the
source of the government
It Is the people then-not the rum
seller and the distiller-it 10 the peo-
pie who are to be blamed for this
whole evil and all its effects. And
while it may be proved that cur
breadstuffs are wasted, our industry
crippled, our almshouses and jaiIs
filled, and that the nation loses more
Of substantial wealth thereby in one
year than it receives from it in ten,
to say nothing Of the continued bane-
full effects it entails upon children yet
unborn, it leaves us without either
the dealers plea of profit or
the drunkard's plea Of weakness
and temptation. and fastens upon ns,
50 long as it exists. the sole response
hility Of this whole reprehensibIe bus
iness and its consequences.
But, il there no remedy? Must We,
knowing these things. and witnessing
and even sharing in the fearful result
of this curse, suffer it to run its
blizhtlng course. because, perhaps. the
means already used to stop its pro-
eress have proved inadequate? And
il may be pertinent to inquire in this
regard, are we sure that those means
have 50 corresponded with sound
wisdom az to claim the attention and
respect Of those sought TO Be infn-
enced thereby? and have thev c .ap-