The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1884-07-26
prohibition or High License
Which?

OfELousAS, LA, July II 1854
Editors COURIER
If you please, permit me through
ycu paper, to drop a pebble into th
great, calm waters of human thought
which lie out before us in a quiescen
state. Dead waters are unwholesome
while moving waters purify them
selves aud are healthy. Therefore, lie
this body OF water be stirred, though
by only Il pebble. Maybe some othe
and greater force will be brought int,
action and produce a storm, whicl
will be followed by a better state o
| things
Everybody of common sense vii
promptly admit that it is the duty o
every member of society, as far as il
him lies, to make the community about
him better and happier by his intelli.
gent zeal for law and order. And he
should manifest his zeal, not In words
only, but in deeds of gold.
Each citizen has, at least, several
things to do, in order to bring about
this much to be wished for end-the
better and more happy state of the hu-
man race about him. Among these
good things, are: Prohibition or high
lioense,-which Shall we prohibit the
manufacture and sale of Intoxicating
liquors as beverage, or shall we put
such high license upon the selling oil
wine and strong drink that only a very
small number will be able to deal in
this determination that maketh desc
I late"
1t is evident to any one, that some
thing must be done, and doue soon, to
destroy the serpent of the still, or to re-
duce his fearfully and rapidly growing
power for evil only. Our governors,
our legislators-both National and
State our judges, our doctors, our law
yers, our merchants, our farmers, our
mechanics and laborers our fathers,
husbands, brothers, sons and even our
ministers of religion are fast falling
victims to this chief instrument of hu-
man misery and woe. We cannot shut
eyes to the progress of this foe to
all morality, peace and prosperity ;
neither can we stop our ears to the
Swails and lamentations of, suffering,
dying multitudes in our towns and
country dictricts. Neither can we re-
fuse help to the down -trodden, crushed
and suffering portions of society about
us. Brutes have no hearts to pity and
to alleviate; but we are not brutes, but
men-warm-h hearted msa who are
ready and willing to do what we can to
bind up, to restore and to bless, the
bruised and lacerated throngs of our
land
Our Governors say something must
be done; for our State prisons and in
sane asylums are being crowded with
victims of strong drink our judges
and courts say that this evil must be
abolished or at least reduced in power
for cur .jails and dockets are already
packed with yiolators of law and order
through the poison of strong drink.
Our merchants of the towns say that
something must be done against this
chief hell-spirit of our country; for
their business is diminishing and their
streets are growing up with grass, as
new outlets are opened up in our prai-
ries, for these npas waters, which con-
vert comfortable homes into the char
mel houses of the damned. Something
must be done say our preachers /; for
our members are falling not onl,v
one by one, but by tens and by hun
dreds. God appeals to us to do some
thingsand save our people. The an
gels too, and the spirits of just men
made perfect, and the good of earth
and little children, and wives and
mothers, join in the mighty appeal to
us, and we feel ready to respond a
hearty amen.
But what shall be our first step
Of course. we would prefer prohibit
tion; but itmay be doubted by many who
are anxious to lend helping hand to
lift up society, whether we can ac-
complish this great work all at once or
not. III, then, we can't have the best
thing first, let us take it second, and
the next best thing first, which is high
license Let us fix license upon the
sale of wine and strong drink as bev-
erage that only a few in our parish will
be able to pay it.. and then the locust
sWarms of groceries will be annihilated,
and after while we will be able to
have not only parish but State prohi-
bition, and possibly national also. And
why not
The prohibition forces are on the
swar-patll,n in the North they are
moving along the Pacific and along
the Atlantic. and about the Gulf of
Mexico, and shall we not join our breth-
ren in the common fight against the
enemy of man , So may sit be.
JAS e. BRADLEY.