Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-10-16

Tho Question Of the Hour


DIR. Felix L. 0sward, one Of the most
popular scientific writer's Of the day
says: 1.-THE friends OF reform have at
last recognized the truth that the tenn
psrate use ofalcohol is but the first
stage OF progressive and shame-prooI
disease, and that moderation and re-
pudiation failing, we must adopt the
motto OF eradication. We must direct
our blows against the votes Of the upas
tree; and there is no doubt that the
sharpest, il not the cheapest tool would
be the general enforcement OF Prohibi-
ton. The penalties of a severe pro-
scription law would sap the basis OF the
poison traffic by making its risks out
weigh the profits, especially the profits
OF catering to an eyer-decreasing de-
mand. For the very means used to
evade those risks would also diminish
the perils OF temptations to thousands
OF young men Of that owe their ruin
less to inmate depravity than TO the
evil influence Of an obtrusive example.
The army OF topers would die out for
want of recruits were the temptation
limited to the overlawed and ostracised
sale Of liquor. @
In touching on the medicinal features
ofalcohol he is still more radical. He
quotes DR.. N. s. Davis the most influ-
entail doctor in Chicago, and ex-presi-
dent of the American Medical Associa-
ton, that he has found mo case OF dis
ease, and no emergency arising from
accident that could not be treated
more successfully without any form of
permented or distilled liquors than
also the famous declaration of DIR. j. r.
Nichols, editor OF the Boston Journal
OF Chemistry, that Sin no instance of
disease in any form is alcohol medi-
cine which might not be dispensed
with and other agents substituted"
A crank is made to move things.
Better be crank than a clod, especial
lyin affairs pertaining to the good OF
society. There are about one million
prohibition cranks in the United States
to-day, and theta number is rapidly in
crossing.
THE Republican "straddle" OF the
temperance question in this state re-
minds one OF an old college song. AT a
banquet at Yale long ago one of the
singers extolled the praises Of cold
water as the drink above all others to
be desired by "God and men," Another
had lauded in bacchanalian rhymes the
virtues of rum" and now came the
chorus bowling and scraping defren.
TALLY to both, looking obsequiously
now at one and then at the other as il
to depreciate the slightest offense to
either, and sang:
/
Water and rum Is our delight;
Mix them up and make punch,
And that will serve to end the lunch"
HARD drink ruins more constitutions
than hard work.
THE saloon is an agent for the cor
ruption OF the home of every man who
is portion of it, 1t is direct attack
upon our children; it breeds moral
pestilence in every neighborhood where
it is located, it is the instigator of the
most of violence and the mother OIL
nine-tenths of the crime of our city;
the saloon power is threatening the ut
ter destruction of the quiet OF the Lords
day.
THE user ofalcoholic beverages come,
within the domain OF moral influence
the pledge, the temperance society, tn,
persuasive plea, the convincing argu
ment. The trafficer in these beverages
being oblivious to these influences O.
inierious to their operation, is outsid,
domain, and within that of the law
Thus the forces of civil law must be pu
IN motion toward him, and towards hi
business.
The New York Situation.