The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-07-26

this class can be reached is in their
person, by the strong arm of the law.
Some men are like mules, the only way
to subdue them, to make them obey, is
with club; and the only way to make
this class stop whiskey drinking, is to
ished, then, and only then, will it cease
to be pleasure, or possess the amuse-
ment it is claimed attends it. If get
ting drunk is against the peace and
welfare of the community, the glory of
God, or the happiness of the soul,
then why not class it with other
offenses that are severely punished
and do not entail one half the misery
and suffering that follows intemper
ance; let it receive punishment in pro-
portion to the harm it does. A man
who steals few dollars or loaf of
bread to keep himself or loved ones
from starving, or in the heat of pas
sion intlicts an injury upon his fellow
man, we send him to prison for years,
oftentimes for life; yet, here is an Of
fense committed day after day against
nature and every public good, goes
unpunished, and it is the direct cause
of nearly every crime. The man about
to commit some desperate act invari-
ably fills up on whiskey to give him
the requisite nerve, and ninty-nine
times out of hundred, it it were not
for the nerve. madness rather) that
this poison lends to man, the crimes
that are committed, and for which the
offender is punished, would have been
left undone; it robs him of reason, OF
all moral restraint. Therefore, when
we consider that so many of the
greater crimes of the world are COM
mitted through the agency of this
vice, is it not time to frame some law
by which we can prevent or control its
use? Let our legislators enact some
law that will punish intoxication in
the same ratio that other crimes are
punished, making the punishment for
first and second offences so severe
that it will impress the boys just bud
ding into manhood, and who too soon
make for the bar-room and destruction
convince them that if they will i'm
: peril their lives, if they will rob them
selves of their reason, and destroy
, their young manhood, and by so doing
r imperil the lives, peace and happiness
" of others, they must suffer the conse
Q quences in precisely the same manner
: as if they had imperilled their owl
: lives, or property by the commission O
: any other wrong action; this would hav'
n a wholesome effect upon the young. II
9 those who are already confirmed drunk
j. ards, let the law deal with them in tn
t same manner it would with any Othe
9 wrong doer, and they would soon cease t.
It consider it a pleasure, or amusement t.
S reel through the streets committing al
l. manner of indecencies, every descriI
l. tion of crime, destroying their man
l; hood, neglecting their families dis
W grace to themselves and their friends
y Let the law be equally severe wit
r. the saloon keeper, make him an acces
So sorry to every man, who, through tn
y, influences of his whiskey commits
ly crime. Why is he not an accessory
IL True he does not perhaps by words az
III wise any man to commit crime, sti
ut he knows that if he continues to sc
n liquor to a man until he becomes il
" toxicated, that man will, nine time
oil out of ten, commit some wrong a
I'd ton, and he is, with this knowled{
conscious that he has robbed this ma
Re, of his proper senses by selling hi
d.; this liquor) an accessory to any wro1
lie action he may commit, just as muc
ly as if he had encouraged or advised hi
IT. by words to do the same. Oh, he w
ne exclaim; 81 am not responsible for hi
ID or his actions, pay license to sell,
lis pays me for my liquor, and ha
We nothing to do with the consequence
as, Yet he will continue to sell liquor
lg. this same man Frequently KNOWN
to the mans propensities) until he is
ly, toxicated beyond all reason, and VIII
be his last cent is gone, throws him in
ay the street to be killed perhaps, or