The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-12-16

IL IS source OF encouragement, SOME
times, to the young man of to-day, who
thinks the world is growing rapidly
worse, to hear the confidential conversa-
tion of some of the Old-timers, regarding
the good old days before the advent of
the wonderfully evil influences that pre-
vail now. How lovely were the times
then! True, Jim Slasher gouged out the
eye of Tom Cutter, at the general muster,
and Dick Groggins rammed knife into
the bowels of Jake Cusser, and there were
eight or ten fisticuffs on the Court House
square, and one man was seen going down
Broadway with piece of another mans
nose in his mouth, but there was none of
that brutishness prevalent which dis
graces the civilization of to-day. There
were no weapons carried in those days
the pistol was rarely thought of as a
pocket-piece. When man wanted to
stake the start" he just got bar or two
of lead and twisted it up in his hand,
merely "to give weight to the lick" and
watched his opportunity to attempt to
knock his opponents head off, like man.
Then there was none of the doggery-
-loafng and tippling like there is now.
The good old way was to buy good
liquor" by the pint and quart. sit around
the taverns and talk about the coon-hunts,
deer-hunts, and the like, until the monot-
ony was broken by some two men becom-
ing drunk enough to go out to the most
public place and chew one another's ears
off. Of course everybody did not do this,
only the more enthusiastic men, and we
refer to it to show how the race has deter
iorated.
A gentleman from the West now visit
ing Jackson, tells of an incident in his
experience-or rather under his observa-
tion-a generation ago, which is strong
point against US. During a great public
gathering in Jackson, he stood upon a
corner of two public streets and, glancing
around over the crowd, counted some
forty bottles of whisky, all being passed
at once, publicly, in the streets. Now,
when fellow wants to swill whisky, he
will slip off and hide himself. like thief.
The manhood of those old muster-days is
gone, and forever. When a man got
drunk in those days, he did not 60 home
and abuse his family-the liquor didn't
work that way. He just loaded up until
he got down, and the only inconvenience
caused the family was the cleaning up
after him 1t was customary in those
days to set out the good old whisky-stew
on social occasions, and the jug at log
rollings and house-raisings, just as men
set out square meal now. But those
good old days are gone! Those who re-
sided in Jackson thirty years ago will re-
member that we have no habitual drink
ers now who are as peaceable, and alto
gether as dove-like, as old Pete Morgan
was then.
But what of all this? Simply, friends,
that human nature changes very little, as
the years go on. 1t is a matter to be Sc
riously doubted if any man of the nine
teenth century would make such an exhi-
kition, in celebrating piece of good for
tune, as Noah did. And on down through
the ages, cases of the most beastly and
brutal character are recorded. In the
olden days there were praying people and
profane people, sober people and drinking
people, decent people and indecent people.
To-day there are more bad people than
ever before, perhaps. But there are more
good people, too. In the great furry of
the busy world it is hard to define just
what strides Christianity and sobriety are
making, but we believe they are gaining
somewhat The good people of thirty. |
forty and fifty years ago, were as good as
any people now. The bad people were a
good deal worse than many of the bad
people now. The same old struggle be- |
tween morality and immortality which |
has been maintained all along the ages,
will be maintained unto the end of time.
Where men drank in the public streets
thirty years ago, they are ashamed to be
seen drinking now. Possibly within the
next few years they will be ashamed to
drink at all. Let us hope SO, at least.