The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-09-21
The Alcoholic Grip.

al ReCleU.
The Alcoholic Grip.
Life, liberty and the persuit of happi-
ness, with the privilege of unlimited
whisky, was cited by some now for
gotten political speaker as the sum of
rights belonging to every American
citizen. If however we may not restrict
the traffic in whisky (alcohoD, which is
proven slow but deadly poison, what
right have we to control opium or any
other deadly drug or poison? Why re-
strain suicidal intent by rapid transit
and permit it by the whisky accomo-
dation? There is much of the camel
and gnat philosophy in such hair split
ting. Yet well-meaning good men
groan over case of accidental poison
ing and ignore without comment the
hourly, daily destruction worked every
where by the subtle demon alcohol in
his many alluring CARDS. His answer
to remonstrance at such inconsistency
is "man's unalienable rights must be
respected What sham, or rather
what idiocy! think such philosopher
should be disposed of on the "fixed
period plan and be put out of the way
before his ideas work harm to mankind
Statistics all go to show that aims
houses. free hospitals, poor-houses and
kindred charities could be reduced two
thirds but for the unrestrained abuse
OF alcohol. About Is rer cent of crime is
directly traceable to its influence. Nine
out of ten poor families living in dirt.
squalOr and filth would beyond doubt
be in decent prosperity if freed from
the clutches of this fluid fiend. The
hard earned wages that should support
wife and family are swallowed down to
to keep the vendor of alcohol in luxury
and atf1uence. SOrrOwing mothers, with
tear dimmed eyes, would not sit shud-
dering at each dismal passing clock
stroke on pay day if the tyrant alcohol
were dethrOned and cast out: for they
know Well-full Well-that each fleet
ing hour is consuming the butter, bread.
fuel and clothes that they had hoped to
provide for their hungry and ragged
children. Is it any wonder if driven to
desperation at the wan squalOr around
her, one should steal to save the lives of
her offspring But, all honor to her.
how very seldom does she do it?
For the criminal to say he drinks to
get up courage to commit crime is false
He steals to get money to sport and
drink. He has often no notion of crime
till his moral purpose is broken down
by indulgence in liquor and licentious-
ness. Professor may have required
Dutch courage to screw him up to the
sticking point, but professional crimi-
nails when meditating or planning raid.
and in its execution, keep absolutely
free from the brain stealer. After the
battle they will cast themselves into
senseless debauchery, but not before.
And the god they worship is the traitor
that mostly betrays them. Here and
there may be weak, cOWardly, lazy
nature requiring the stimulant of false
courage to commit crime, but he is
rare bird.
Drink draws man from his family
duties and ties. For brief, worthless
good fellowship he sacrifices his begot-
ten children to lives of poverty and
early acquaintance with misery and
crime. Young souls, that should bloom
under the genial sunshine of a fathers
love, wilt and Wither in the cutters be-
cause the poor mother must 60 out and
toll to put scanty morseI in their
hungry mouths. Through alcohol man
converts these little shrines of devine
love into sepulchres of murdered NOR
ais. By giving them daily example
of selfish, besotted indulgence, he teach
es them that self is god and law, and
leads them downwards into all the dis
NAL sewers and sinks of life whence
they will emerge as criminal parasites
preying on the public
And yet alcohol must not be prohib-
tied. PETORA.
MOney-Material Optimism.-Puck.