An expose of the causes of intemperate drinking, and the means by which it may be obviated / by Thomas Herttell, of the city of New-York ; published by order of the New-York Society for the Promotion of Internal Improvement.

  • Herttell, Thomas, 1771-1849.
Date:
1819
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An expose of the causes of intemperate drinking, and the means by which it may be obviated / by Thomas Herttell, of the city of New-York ; published by order of the New-York Society for the Promotion of Internal Improvement. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    [ ] to ruin, without some efficient exertions to save us; least by our fall the revenue would be injured. True, in that case, (Merest would unite with patriotism, to sustain our manufactories; and the rival industry of foreign nations would not, as now, be a source of idle- ness, pauperism and crime, in our country. Can any one believe, that a tax imposed on houses of lewdness, would operate to discourage them, and lessen their number f The language of such a measure would be this : The evil is admitted to exist, but shall be toler- ated on condition of paying a tax to government, as the price of forgiveness and absolution. Thus, by permitting, tolerating, and forgiving the sin of keeping such houses, they would be legalized, and their num- ber and consequences increase rather than diminish.— Such are at all times the lamentable effects of taxing, instead of interdicting vice and immorality—and the impolicy of taxing tavern licences is not different.— The influence they gain in society, by becoming useful in point of pecuniary profit, to the authority by which they are created, serves to increase their number, and is in no wise calculated to mend the morals or improve the piety of the public. The introduction of intoxicat- ing liquors into our country, so far from being deemed by the government a misfortune, that the increased revenue arising from their importation, has been exult- ing quoted as evidence of the great commercial prosperity of the nation ! So thoughtless and inconsis- tent are men, otherwise distinguished for their wisdom, that as moralists and philanthropists, they will deplore the increase of intemperate drinking, as a public ca- lamity ; and in the next breath, rejoice as patriots, at C