Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-01-05
TEMPERANCE READING.
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The proposition Of a member OF the City
Council Of Richmond, Vc., to add 70 the
revenue Of that city by requiring all liquor.
drinkers 20 take out drinkers licences at
one dollar year. TO be nontrans cradle, Il
commented upon at length editorially bY the
New York Observer, which suggests that be
fore the law becomes general throughout the
three grades Of licenses, the moderate
drinkers. the common tipplers, and hard
drinkers, and says ironically:
IF It were required by law that these
different licenses be written out plainly on
stiff white cardboard, and suspended by a
cord around the neck, IL would at once put
an end to all that confusion which now
exists is respect to the different grades Of
drinkers, and thus relieve the public mind of
q great amount OF anxiety. The old
fashioned signs which Nature has devised to
distinguish the lovers Of strong drink are not
always rightly apprehended and some
times lead to embarrassing mistakes. Men
who never use intoxicants as
beverage sometimes bear the marks of
the hardened and inveterate drinker.
But all mistakes and unfounded aspersions Of
character would be avoided by having the
licenses neatly framed and hung from the
neck. The moderate drinker would never be
confounded then on any occasion with the
u
but could point triumphantly 10 his license in
vindication Of his manhood and indepeud-
ence. The tipplers and the regular sots could
never then be 80 mixed up by mutual indulg-
ence that they could not be quickly sorted
out by the police and each receive the con-
sideration due tohis particular rank. Further
more, ID is obvious that if these licenses con-
tanned among their provisions a few sentences
describing the peculiarities of their wearers
It would be Of great public advantage such,
for example, as the following: For and in
consideration Of the sum Of dollars paid
yevrly into the public treasury the holder Of
this license is authorized to make brute of
himself as often as he pleases, and to commit
such acts as he may be impelled to commit,
and shall be guiltless therefor before the
law; this, with other specifications, such as
i am wife -beater, 4 am ugly when I'm
drunk Look out for me, I'm dangerous j
smash furniture i am only an IDIOT lam
just silly would insure justice all around,
both to the licenses and to the members Of the
community in which they move"
II adds: Seriously speaking, we believe
that the liquor drinker should not be allowed
to escape share of the odium which attaches
to the traffic in strong drink. OF course the
proposition to license drinkers is utterly i'm
practicable, but the idea Of branding men
publicly who deliberately turn themselves
lulObo anu ueuuS Iuo uooO lheOAASoh"a
is not far from right. We confess to very
little sympathy with this class. There has
been in our opinion altogether too much leui-
ancy shown toward the poor drunkards'; /;
they have been pitied and treated to soft
words and gentle remonstrances when they
ought to have received stern reproval or se-
we're punishment. Drunkenness ought to be
regarded as crime in law, with penalties
sufficiently heavy so make men realize the
real enormity Of the offence. Instead of be-
ing regarded as disease, or weakness an
indulgence excusable at times, and under GER
tain circumstances to be laughed at and
passed over lightly, it should be always and
everywhere considered in its true light as
hideous sin, and an offence against the laws OF
God and of man. Men should be made to I'M
derstand that they have no more right to de-
hberately reduce themselves to the grade Of
wild and savage brutes, to make Of them.
selves luuatiCs and demons, than they have to
rob their neighbors or to commit arson or
murder"