The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-06-28
CURRENTCOMMENT
A Tragic Death.

An old man. sixty years OF age. came to Rich
mcnd. got a spree. penniess, wandered to
negro dsreputabie house, begged the privi-
lege of resting while. and died there. His
contribution to the world. after years of posi-
BILE production. was an empty whskeyN ticker,
ruined life, and more than tragic death. 1t
isn't very long, when You think of 1t. since
a mother. with shining face and singing heart
looked into the face of her innocent babe What
JOY those moments held only the angels know;
what hopes were born with the gift of her boy
only lips long silent in death could tell. In
heavens archives, perhaps, there is the record
of a mothers and a mothers prayer and
a me Tiers unselhsh devotion.
And this is the end. Along LIES pathway,
from happy childhood to hopeful youth. and
then to besotted and debauched manhood
and drunkard's death, alone, penniess, maud
lin IN negro dive.Richmond Virginian
What sad picture this is of human frailty
and yet how often too true. One of the saddest
sights on earth is an old man OF full maturity
OF years reefing to his home staggering under
the power of drink. bringing only grief and
sorrow to those whom he has vowed to love
condition goes into his own home and takes the
life Of wife and children and then lies down
amid the corpses he shas made. to sleep off his
del auch and awakes to the recognition of his
crime. in the destruction of his family. Is he a
no guilty intent, his dethroned and
he is responsible for his crime But who
detkroned his reason and transformed the God
made man into devil-nade brute His first
crime was disobedience of Divine law in MAX
Ing a drunkard OF himself. Surely
charge his drunkenness to the Almighty. He
gets drunk OF his own free will, and often de-
lteratey and without criminal purpose at
heart Shall drunkenness excuse murder or
other crme2 That is what courts and juries
often say. Certainly. in such case, some one
has committed murder. II the drunken man is
not the guilty party, who is? There Is another
party to the transaction. the who for q
little gain sold the poison that made him drunk.
There in law prohibiting the sale of intoxi
CO ting liquor TO man already under its in
nuence. Is the saioonkeeper who sold the man
a mcrderer. II he sold II to him while under
the influence Of liquor, We say unauestionably
he is a murderer Of the drunkard's family. slain
ur der such conditions man Is presumed to
DO responsible for the consequences Of his
acts to have intended TO do that which he has
done In fact. First. he violated the law In sell
ing liquor a man already drunk. The last
man has been acquitted on the plea OF dethroned
reascn dethroned by the malign influence of
hol affecting his brain to convert him
into an irresponsible demon. Some one has
committed murder; who shall be adjudged the
guilty party? II the man who actually killed
his own family Is set at liberty such plea
and the man who sold the liquor Is respon-
sihle for the crime. then let drunkenness be
Law declare that the plea OF drunkenness sh all
be received in mitigation of the penalty for
murder. Some protection is due the wives and
children of such men, and II the drunkard il
made to pay the penalty, though drunk at the
time, there Will he fewer drunken rnurdcrers
and more security for the wives and children
Roanoke World.