The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-04-11

that Ono-ndlI Cno QrunkarQS, and their |
progeny, criminals, in the world today,
became so from the example constant
ly before them, in their youth, of
drunken fathers. 1t is not so much
the faint in the blood as the horrible
sight before them, day after day, of a
Keeling, drunken, blasphemous father,
and shame to say, mothers very fire.
quently. 1t seems to us that death in
any form should be relief to the
drunkard's family, and far preferable,
than that they should be forced to
grow up to manhood only to follow
his footsteps, and, perhaps, meet a worse
fate, the penitentiary. Very few die
nate, the helpless widow, and the
fatherless child are sometimes forgot
ten in this mad rush for wealth, but
the hearts of the people are generous
and susceptible to the cry of distress.
Eleemosynary institutions cover the
land where the child is brought up un-
der better influences than ever sur
rounded the drunkards home; and
while it is sad to lose a father under
any condition, we believe, under cir
cumstances such as the above, it is
best for the child, best for society,"
The point is, however, why are these
things tolerated? Why will society
permit any man to squander his sub
stance in that which ruins himself and
family, and leaves the latter charge
upon the community? 1t is the weak
est kind of an argument that man can
do as he pleases with his own. He can
do no such thing, when by SO doing, he
interferes with recognized law, that
man shall provide for his own; and
any man who will squander his earn
ings in selfish gluttony, depriving his
family Of food and raiment, leaving
them burdens upon society, not only
robs them of their just dues, but robs
society of the cost of their mainte-
nance 1t is clearly crime, and the
man who does it, should be taken
away from the family, and placed
where his pernicious influence,
at least, would not effect them.
No law can be too drastic, if the rising
generation would be saved from this
damnable curse of drink. It is good
and just law to prohibit the boy from
entering the saloon, but what protects
him from the beer can at home? Seven.
ty-fve per cent of the drunkards today
drink their liquor at home through
gro1Czer rushing, as it is termed. What
protects the boy, surrounded by a
drunken father or mother and liquor
or beer within his grasp in his own
household? Nothing can do it, but
the intercession of almighty God. OF
the strong arm of the law that steps in
and removes the sot and teaches hin
better, confines him, and keeps him con
fined until he learns that his duty tC
himself, his family, and society lies ir
sobriety. With such law there will be
fewer suicides, fewer widows and orph
ans to mourn over the drunkard's bier
The time to act is not when he ha!
reached the suicidal stage, but the mo
ment he begins to neglect family for the
saloon and the bottle, the habitual drink
er should be taken IN charge and cured
1t is no hardship to remove any drunk
) ard from his family; on the contrary i
is a blessing to them, as IN eithe
event they are charge upon society
: for the drunkard will neglect them
When a man becomes so low; when h
permits the terrible curse of drink t.
so fasten itself upon him, that to salts
fly his gluttonous APPETITE he will neglec
dear loving wife and helpless children
> oftentimes squander what they earn il
debauch, and abuse and maltreat then
because they do not provide more,
thing done every day in the very teet
of humane societies and the law,
matters not what route he takes t
shuttle off the earth. so long as he doe
the Job we'll and makes a success of il
| CarbOlic acid is hot stuff, we have
faint recollection Of some whisky, con
q pared with which, carbolic acid wa
r ice water, and the party who dispense
S it had a license to protect him from an
l harm resulting to the intestines Q
+ brain of the fool who purchased i
2 Just so long as the law tolerates ma
a to drink his earnings and neglect hi
: family, just so long will instances Xix
g the above occur Death seems to be tn
q only protection afforded the drunkard'
), child.