The Opelousas courier., 1893-01-14
What's the Matter

In the w. C. IT. u. column of last
Saturdays Clarion appeared series of
extraordinary statements, which looked
very much as if the author had been
imbibing too much of that egg nog,
which had been 80 highly recommend
ell in ia recent article in the Temper
ance column, with the rose water left
out and something stronger substitut-
ed. But as our neighbor the Demo
crat has reviewed the article referred
to we reproduce it here without further
comment:
A writer in the Clarion's temperance
column says:
1t is saddening to think of the way in
which some of our townspeople cele-
brated Christmas. The papers have
many laughing comments to make on
the way the boys painted the town
red, y" whooped up things,' etc.
Another thing which struck me with
force was tho attitude of the press in re-
gard to these sprees. The papers, one
and all, condoned them by jesting and
making light of very serious thing
Personal acquaintance with the editors
makes us positive that not one of them
approves of drunkenness nCf rioting,
but it 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
oar papers will think twice before again
jesting about so serious thing as the
we'll to wish them "God speed" on the
road to destruction.
While we agree the main with the
writer, we must demur at the sweeping
charge made against the local press and
that the DEMOCRAT, at least, was not
excepted from the indictment. We
madef no comments whatever on the
way tele boys are alleged to have "paint-
ed tAn town red," &c, on the occasion
referred to; and we are at loss to un-
derstand how or why we should be
charged with making I" laughing com
ments and "jesting about so serious
a thpg as the drunkenness of our boys"
condoning" these alleged serious
breaches of good morals, and virtually
encouraging our boys son the road to
destruction" These are very serious
charges, aud 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-
ferred to. In the Clarion of Dec. 31st,
however, we find several flippant al
lusions to the way Christmas was cele-
brated by some ia Opelousas, and these,
as far as we can find, constitute the sole
grounds for the above charges.
The Courier and DEMOCRAT. as we'll
as the Clarion, have placed their col
umns at the service of the Temperance
Union, and the ladies have frequently
availed themselves of the kind proffer
and it therefore seems singularly un-
fortunate that the only one of the three
papers at all amenable to these charges
should have been selected as the vehi-
Gle by which to make them for, had
either of the other papers been asked to
publish them, their incorrectness would
have. naturally been pointed out to the
writer before they were put in type.
While we cannot account for the strange
mistake, we are quite sure that the wri-
ter did not intend to wrong us yet, as
silence on our part might be miscon-
strued by those unacquainted with the
facts, it seems best to make this ex-
nj nation