The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1884-05-08
AN ACCURSED BUSINESS,

1t might be profitable for the citi-
zen who has the good Of his fellow
men at heart to engage in an occa-
sional moments calm reflection with
regard to the evil influences brought
to bear in the community, for the de-
gradation and ruinof mankind. There
are now in the Jackson jail great
crowd Of prisoners, and should you
investigate the cause Of the incarcera-
ton Of all Of them, you will fnd-al-
most without a single exception-that
it was Intemperance. There are two
men charged with having committed
murders while intoxicated, and there
was another man shot down last week,
while trying to break into the house
of colored women when he was fool
ishly drunk. And we might go on
Indefinitely, recounting the evil re-
suits of the dramshops in this COM
munity. The procession of drunk
ards is still reeling on, and the Devils
Agent still chuckles over the misfor-
tunes of his superiors, as he rakes in
their money.
The worst feature of this internal
business Of drunkard-making is the
persistent effort on the part Of its
apologists and hangers-on, to give it
respectability. The Temperance
writer Or speaker is solemnly assured
that, while he may express the belief,
in soft terms, that the work Of des-
troying man may not be altogether
lovely, he must not say anything
against the sweet-scented crowd who
are engaged in it. While he may say
that the business might be better,
still he must insist that the world is
constantly growing better because of
the doggery-keepers, having lived in
it. But all of this nonsense comes d.
rectly from the doggery--
A writer or speaker on the subject
of Temperance, or any other subject,
cannot have personal prejudice
against men engaged in any particu-
lar business, aside from their evil do
ing. It is the strict adherence to a
sacred principle which impels such
speaker or writer to denounce the evil
work and the men who are engaged
in it. The doggery keeper and liber-
tine are wonderfully solicitous lest the
advocate of moral living shall lose all
his friends and influence by such ad-
vocacy, and the meanest debauchee
can tell the advocate Of moral living
exactly how far he ought to go in ad-
vocating righteousness.
Every man has some influence. 1t
is his duty to exercise that influence
for good-to live an upright, moral
life, and to tell the truth in bold and
fearless terms. The cowardly and
trucking attempt to cover up the
crime of a scoundrel is not the sum
total Of broad views. The advocate
Of righteousness is a public benefact-
or-the apologist for crime is to that
extent a criminal. There is in man.
kind too much Of the philosophy of
the old colored man who said: II al
lus praises de bridge wot carries me
ober.'' It would seem shocking to
think Of the young physician rejoic-
ing in the prevalence Of disease in Or
that he might haveprofessional calls,
and perfectly horrible to think of the
young lawyer, struggling with the
world, to rejoice in the prevalence Of
murder, that he might secure cases, in
the defense Of criminals. Yet it is
this spirit which actuates the apollo
gist for the crime of doggery-keeping.
If he does not patronize the dogger-
les, they patronize him, and it is vic
tory for humanity when a man has
the moral courage and decency to tell
such men that they are doing wrong
by their horrible business, for they
themselves known it when they go
into it-a,ad admit 1T themselves.
We hold it to be the sacred duty Of
every citizen to point out the evils
and horrors of Intemperance, and en-
deavor to impress upon the minds of
his fellows-especially the young
that the saloon is the most dangerous
place in the community, and that
nothing but disgrace and death await
those who become addicted to patron
izing such Infamous places.
"Didn't Git 'Em Out!''
GREAT many wears a0O an old cltl- |