The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-01
ONE nusDRED YEARS EGO.
Views of the Fathers Upon the Question Of
Temperancc-Liquor and Politics Then.

Views of the Fathers Upon the Question Of
Representations and Politics Then.
John Adams, second President Of the United
States, in his diary, more than q hundred years
ago. recorded his opinion of the use Of spirituous
liquors and of their sale at public houses as fol-
lows
Public Houses-"Indeed scarcely ANYTHING
that have observed in the course Of long life
has a greater influence on the religion, morals.
health property, liberties and tranquility of the
world mean public houses. The temper and
passions the profaneness and brutal behavior,
inspired by the low sort of company that fire.
quent such houses, and by the liquors they
drink there are not very compatible with the
pure and undefled religion of Jesus-that re-
hgion whose principle is to renounce ALI filth
ness and superfuity of naughtiness That mat
tention to the public ordinances of religion, as
as well as to private devotion, which I have
reason to think so prevalent in these times is
no unnatural consequence of the very general
resort to these licentious houses The plentiful
use of spirituous liquors begins with producing q
strange confusion of mind; appetites and pas
sions, too violent for the government of reason;
proceeds to involve men in debts, and of conse-
Quence in lying, cheating, stealing, and some
times in greater crimes that ends in total and
incurable dissolution OF manners"
Thousands and thousands are every year ex-
piring in Europe, and proportionable numbers in
this country, the miserable victims of their own
permitting the causes of their ruin to exist.
Allured by the smell of these internal liquors,
like the ghost in romances allured by the smell
of human blood, they resort to these houses,
waste their time, their strength and their money,
which ought to be employed in the management
of their affairs and families till, by degrees
much expended, little earned they contract
habits Of carelessness, idleness and intern
perance; their creditors demand; they
promsesto pay, but fail; writs issue, charges are
multiplied for the main tenance of others as idle
as themselves, and executions strip them of all
they have, and cast their miserable bodies i1to
loathsome prisons
1.-THE number of these houses has been lately
SO much Augmented, and the fortunes of their
owners so much increased that the artful man
has little else to do but secure the favor of tay-
erners in order to receive the SURFACES of the
rabble tina; attend these houses, which in many
towns with in my observation, makes very
large perhaps the largest number OF voters
And General Israel Putnam, of revolutionary
fame wrote as follows
BROOKLYN Conn., Feb. Is, 1882.
''To tho Honorable County Court
'"Ientlemen-Being an enemy to idleness
dissipation and intemperaEce, l would object
against any measure that may be conducive
thereto and as the multiplying of public houses
whosthe public good does not require it has
direct tendency to ruin the morals of the youth,
aud promote idleness and intemperance among
all ranks OF people, especially as the gran0 Oh
ject OF these candidates Tor license is money aud
where that is the case men are not apt to be
overtender of peoples morals on purses. The
authority of this town, think, have into a
great error in approaching an additional number
of public houses, especially in this parish. They
have appreciated two houses in the cen
ter when there never was custom III
mean travelling custom) enough for one.
The other custom Tor domesticl / have been
informed, has Of late years increased and the
licensing OF another house. fear, would increase
it more AS kept public house here myself
number of years before the war; had an OPP
portunity of knowing, and certainly do know
that the travelling custom is too trifiing for a
man to lay himself out SO as to keep such a
house as travellers have right to expect, there
fore, hope your honors will consult the good Of
this parish, so as only to license one of the two
houses. l shall not undertake to say which
ought to be licensed your honors will act accord
ing to your best information. | am, with es-
teem your honors' humble servant,
SOUTH BEND Feb. q. ISRAEL PUTNAM"