St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-01-14
A Serious Error.

A writer in the Clarion's temperance
column says:
It is saddening to think Of the way in
wnlcn some ONE OF our townspeople cele-
brated Christmas. The papers have
many laughing comments to make on
the way the boys "painted the town
red, whooped up things" etc :
Another thing which struck me with
force was the attitude of the press in re-
gard to these sprces. The papers, one
and all, condoned them by testing and
making light Of d very serious thing.
Personal acquaintance with the editors
makes us positive that not one Of them
approves Of drunkenness nor rioting.
but 1t is clear evidence that it is the
fashion to excuse person for any act
committed while under the influence of
liquor: One who voluntarily gets drunk
should be held as responsible for his
acts as when sober. We sincerely hope
our papers will think twice before agaiu
Jestlng about so serious a thing as the
drunkenness of our boys. One Lad as
well to wish them God speed" on the
road to destruction.
While we agree in the main with the
writer, we must demur at the sweeping
charge made against the local press and
express our astonisllment and chagrin
that the DEMOCRAT, at least, was not
excepted from the Indictment We
made no comments whatever on the
way the boys are alleged to have "paiut-
ed the town red,' &c, Oh the occasion
referred to; and we are at loss to M
derstand how or why we should be
charged with making Laughing COM
ments " and "jestiug about so serious
q thing as the drunkenness Of our boys |
:" condoniDg" these alleged serious |
breaches Of good morals, aud virtually |!
encouraging our boys con the road to |
destruction" These are very serious |
charges, and should not have been .
lightly made. So much for the DEMO /
Graf. We may add that an examination
OF the copies Of the Courier issued since
Christmas reveals the fact that that pa,
per also is innocent Of the charges re-
tered TO- In the Clarion of Dec. 31st,
however, we tiud several t1ippant al
uslons to the way Christmas was ceIe-
,rated by some ID 0peousas, aud these.
Is far AS we can find, constitute tic sole
for the above charges.
The Courier and DEMOCRAT, as well
Is the Clarion, lave PLACED their col
'mns at tie service of the Temperance
Jnlop, and the ladies have frequently
vailed themselves Of the kind proffer
nd 1t therefore seems siDgularly un-
ortunate that the only one of the three
apels at all amenabe to tllese charges ,
Lould have been selected as the yehi- {
ie by wblcl~to make them; for. bad
lther of the ether papers been asked to
ubllsh them, their InporreetDeas would
ave naturally been pointed out to the :,
ritter before they were put in type
' lille we cannot account Tor the strange .
lstakc, we are quite sure that the wri- Y
# did not intend to wrong US yet, as t
lencc on our part might be miscon- ;
rued by those unacquainted with the
cts, it seems best to make this cx- q
anatlOn.
Col. II. A. Kennedy, whose death iD Il
ew Orleans we announced last week. l.
IS 4 hsatheE Of aLss.ss,..G5s G5sui6agasdy of q
Us that lie belonged dn1iDg tLs Truth Ii
18th La Infantry, Gibsssfsse war to n
came a captain before hsUfi's brigade, y y
18th year and e9l@aea'fs3 @as fsdbaah baa Is lis d.
at hirfh hTozz4e=F<No 'N1 y