The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-04-09
The Fountainhead Of Evil.

corruption for which the government of
this city has long been notorious. Our
citizens smile grimly oyer cartoons In
the comic papers representing
our local officers as gang
of rufflanly rum-sellers, 1ow-brow-
ed, heavy-jawed, ignorant, greedy,
shameless In rapacity. The in1unce Of
the saloon In politics is a theme so ia
miliar as to be trite. Against that in
fluence efforts are being continually
made to array the intelligence, public
spirit and conscience of the community.
Temperance societies struggle courage
ously with the gigantic evil OF drunken
ness. Preachers denounce and protest
against it. But 1t shakes of all the ele
ments ranged against it, and continues TO
poison, debauch, brutalize all who ONE
in contact with it. The truth is that
the Nation has not yet taken this tre-
nendous evil with sufficient serious
ness. The early advocates of temper
ance were looked upon as bigots and
fanatics. Now the cause has become
respectable, but still popular apathy
prevails. Reformers, both politica aud
social, begin as rule with the second
ary instead of the primary causes OF
corruption. To remove the abuces
which choke healthy progress in all
our large cities, it Is necessary to DO
more than change parties or modify
governmental methods or shift respon-
sibillties. Municipal corruption, crime,
poverty, ignorance, immortality, all
flourish rankly because the people tole
ate Rum. At the bottom Of nine-tenths
Of all the evils from which modern So
clety suffers, this cause Is to be found.
1t Is not confined to the lowest classes.
1t weakens the purpose Of educated
men. 1t palsies the energies Of benevo-
lent men. 1t breeds allies for the pow
ers Of evil In almost unsuspected quar-
ters. Itgenerates spirit Of Indifference
which Is as effective against retormas
active friendship for intemperance.
The Ill effects of drink are known to
all noted by scarcely any. The daily
journal presents its perennial records
Of political abuses, of the franchise
marketed, ofvenal ignorance swamping
enlightened patriotism, Of plundered
treasures and systematic official chican-
cry and theft, OF private defalcation and
bankruptcy, Of murders and assaults, of
divorce and desertion, Of profllgacy,
destltution, suffering and shame In
myriad forms, and behind each and
all these calamlties and evil deeds may
be seen Intemperance as the prime
cause. 1t Is everywhere. 1t makes and
mars In every relation Of life. 1t pur-
sues thousands from the cradle to the
grave. 1t reinforces every malign in
fluence and agency. 1t battles all efforts
at better things. Yet the public do not
regard it as an enemy to be fought with
incorporating and persistent hostil-
ity; they even sometimes seem to think
that 1t Is better to let 1t alone altogether.
But there must be much deeper and
more general realization of the neces-
sity for radical reform In this mat
ter. The popular conscience must be
stirred and reused through the
popular intelligence. 1t is but few
days since body of rum-sellers In this
State solemnly and officially declared:
"That as citizens and taxpayers we
have in common with our fellow-citi-
zens the advancement Of the Interest OF
the whole people," These same men
further declared their business "to b.
Legitimate and worthy Of protection aud
support" These expressions show to
what exten. Of audacity, tolerstion and
Indifference naturally lead. The pub
lie are required to Support" the men
who are engaged in the most evil and
corrupting and degrading occupation
the world has ever suffered from, and
1t is impudently announced that the
advancement of the interests Of the
whole people" Is sought by these ven
dors of poison and manufacturers OF
crime and ruin.
The National conscience, the commun-
ity conscience, must indeed need rous-
ing, when such hardy insolence and
brutal defiance of decent public opinion
passes almost unnoticed. Some in
flusnce stronger and more rapid In It's
operation than the slow process Of evo-
luton Is required to set In motion ef-
fectlve reform sentiment. The curse Of
modern civilization may else become Its
destroyer before remedy Is applied.
Let 1t be remembered that there can BE-
no true freedom with venal and de-
graded franchise; that the best devised
governmental institutions are useles,
when political corruption excludes
from their control the fittest members
OF the community that IL Is futile TO al