Middlesbrough & Stockton Gazette and General Advertiser. — 1870-04-15 (Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, England)

MRS FRI HUS ON THINGS IN GENERAL AND " CURS " IN PARTICULAR. DEAR SIR,—It is not often that we find corroborative evidence spring up so quickly as in the case of my authentic history of Puck's supposed death and burial with which I furnished your readers a week ago. Puck, on Friday last, admits reading my contribution as far as the allusion to bullock's pluck, and leaves us to infer that the bare mention of the delicacy called up such pleasurable reminiscences that he forthwith fell into a day dream, from which his bosom friend (whom I won't mention more explicitly) aroused him to a sense of his position. It was then so near the hour for publishing that no time was left for a visit to the parnassus whence he draws his aanguineous inspiration (to wit the establishment of a K.C. within a thousand miles of the Royal Exchange). He wauts his readers to believe that I am the cause of his short Measure, but I will let you into a secret if you will promise to tell every one you meet. If you will road the whole of his broaa sheet you would find therein a letter signed W. Hudson, and which any one might suppose—from one or two passages in it —was from the gentleman who was smuggled into the Town Council some time ago. But (to use a process much in favour with the News) "arguing from the known to the unknown," we find sufficient internal evidence to prove that " Puck " and "W. Hudson" are—well, in league. I don't exactly catch the meaning of his allusion to a " mangy cur" unless he wishes to enlist the sympathy of a generous public for the Butcher's Dog, who has been doing so much of their dirty work, and who possibly may have contracted the unpleasant disease he names in his constant poking into all their filth. But if this is his meaning, why can't he ask plainly for a second edition of the famous antidote which his friends so successfully applied after a recent libel ease ? To a humane mind there is something very shock. I iragin reading through the fearful lists of horrors ' springing from drink in this immediate neighbourhood quite lately. First there was the Barnard Castle affair, where a youn„,,, man was shot by his wife's drunken father. Then the Darlinton tragedy. A drunken wife connnitted for trial for kicking her drunken husband. Your own issue of last week contributes fresh instances. A drunken innkeeper in the town buying a pistol with the avowed intention of shooting the wife he had sworn to love and protect. (Query—Will this be any bar to a renewal of his licence!) "A man (mind drowned in the (lock"—" conjectured that he must have fallen into the water in a state of intoxication." Again, "a man found dead near Middlesbrough." The evidmice showed he was habitually intemperate. Last seen alive "very drunk," some ten hours before he was found dead% Lastly, "attempted suicide at Middlesbrough," the evidence showing that the would-be suicide was not a teetotaler, at any rate. These are, of course, in addition to the usual cases of drunkenness brought before the magistrates week by week. They are also in spite of the vigorous efforts of the two Temperance Societies, whom every one admits to have taken a fresh lease of activity within the last year or two. It is plain enough that the present state of the law is not sufficient to repress the evils arising from what is known as the licensing system ; and for my part I think the only effectual way to deal with such a horrible nuisance is to annihilate the traffic altogether. lam sure Mr Bruce's measure—when it comes, and that when may well be emphasized— will not attempt to annihilate the traffic; and I am equally certain that it will be a dead failure, just as all attempts short of prohibition have always been failures. The fact is, and the whole history of licensing proves it, the traffic cannot be regulated. Where alcohol is imbibed, it must and will have its own particular effect upon those who imbibe it, for "who can touch pitch and not be deeded ?" You see this time the whole of my scrawl is taken up with my own notions. Mrs E. tells me I may just say that in her opinion, when a body has nowt to say they had better say it and not try to say anythin., else, and as she has nowt to say to you this week, she wont say any more, but just Lida me sign myself yours to command, p. pro.