The Courier's "position."

Editor of Aroüs : I think the editor of the Covrier ha proved to us by his poHlion that we aro hutpoor, weal; miserable hodieg, Hable to err, so wo will try and have for him thn charity that suffereth long and is kind. He tella us that ho has spent much time aud money to have. the. saloons olpsejl mi 8ab-, bath and every evening at 1 1 o'clock, and to obtain an ordinance requiring the saloon keeper to pay a Hcenso tax for the privilege of selling liquor, &c, &c, and ufter a. desperate struggle these things were accomplished. Now if he did so much, " and so dctests and abhorsthe infamous liquor traffic," why does he take the poaition now to encourage these same men to resist the laws, wlien we are struggling and praying for their enforcenient V And when the laws inake it tho duty of .the city attorney, kuowing of any violotion of the law, or on being sorvod with affidavit of auch violation, to instituto suit without delay, would ask how such city officers could givo 1 Ícense to sel! liquor", or in any way encourage the traffic. Aud theu tho editor of the Couricr is iu favor of paying, by direct tax on al the proporty of the State, the mauufacturer8, for their property and never allow auother gallon made. Now, these manufaoturors are making and selling these liquors in violation of law; besides " ninetenths of our taxes go to repair the inischief done by bad uien and to proteo hou est people against their depredations Tens of thou&ands of men are takon from the producing force and kept as consumers, while they watch, feiret out, anc try rogues. " Look at the oost to property holders for this vioe .of intemperance It sends to jail '200,000 people each year and 200,000 more to the poor house. How many persons have to be paid for taking care of these, how many houses are built what amount spent for food and clothing medicine and funeral expenses. This country paid in one year $524,000,000 for bread and f2,020,403,524 for liquors. Besides the havoc wrought by the unsounc heads and unsteady nerves of moderate drinkers, this amount of alcoholic poison. threw upon the public for support 1,000,000 sots and 2,000,000 of pauper childreii The sum of expense for that year frora time lost, crime caused, pauperism, litiga tion, and imprisonments from intempo raneo was $3,015,224,206." This amoun the country is forced to pay, and then, shall we pay tho manufacturers for their property when enforcement of the law shall make their business unprofitable How preposterous the idea. But this is the question that now troub les the editor of the Courier, shall the per sons engaged in this unlawful business ia our city be stopped without a moment' warning, before they can make arrange ments to sell or exchange their property their oostly places, when they have so im proved and supported by tax our city The money paid to these persons for li quor built these palaces (if I am correctl' informed they commenced business witl small means if any), and had it not been. for their business would have made man' homes and lawful businessplaces beautifu and much more attractive than these brick places, with shaded windows giving us to understand that the business is un lovely as well as unlawful. And the law declares that all pay ments f er liquor sok in violation of the law shall be oonsiderec as having been received without consider ation, and in violation of equity and law and can be recovered by the person who made the payment, his wife, child, paren guardián, husband or employer. How many houses would these rum sellers hav if they should pay these oufferers wha the law demandsV And since they com menced the business the law abiding citi zens of Ann Arbor have probably paie more tax for the mischief done than al their property is worth. Would it b reasonable to pay them for this property 1 think all will answer no. I will now conclude the money part o the business, for " what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loso his own soul." I am glad one reason i urged for leniency besides the money one these persons are our neighbors, thei children attend the same schools and si upon the same mits, &c. The bible re quires us to love our neighbor as ourselves and if we could not, with the love wo have for ourselves, engage in the liquo traffic. can we allow our neighbors to do it without making every possible effort to induce them to abandon thig soul destroying business. We want these children that we love saved from the temptation of the business and the liability o leading a worse than a useless life, anc our prayers, although they may be very different from theirs, shall continue for their reformation. As wo consider character worth muob more than money, I would ask the editor of the Coïirier how many young men havo in these saloons had all their prospects for life destroyed ? They came to this city to prepare by study for usefulness, but were enticed by the attractions within these places to enter, and behind these screens took their first glass, and are now moral wrecks. I think such cases can be counted by the hundred ; can any amount of property sacrificed, atone for such ruin? And think of the sorrow taken to the lomes and hearts of these fallen ones. Iu our own city parents are prematurely gray and are pining away because of the profligacy of their sons. How many within tho last year have even been carried to our prison aud there incarcerated , while the poor mothers in anguish have spent sleeploss nights ? How many wives aud children fear to see the husband and 'ather return from these costly places, becauso of brutal treatment ! Wo heard of one mother who ou one of our coldest nights in April, so feared her husband that she took four small children into a cold unfurnished room, locked the door as ie approached, and reniained the'ro all night. How many such families are deprived of every comfort, and are compelled to do the hardest drudgery to obtain a mere livelihood, while the husband is spending his earnings, and mortgaging his once happy home to build and supDort those costly structures ! All we owe these liquor dealers is our strongest effort and prayers to induce them to abandon the business ; they are not happy men when they stop to reflect, and always act as if they wero ashamed of the business. [f we can induce them to engage in some useful, lawful trade, they will be better and happier men, even if they ocoupy smaller houses. The Courier editor says : " But no man under our laws is without rights." When men engage in an unlawful business they do not expect protection from law, and if our officois grant it thoy are amenable. I do not think tbo editor's opposition to the prosecutions can prevent thom, an State authority suporsedea his. We have the law and ahall abido by it, and if our city officers fail us we can oall upou ■ the, State for help,. And aouther . roason why we are deterrained to work and pray for the temperance cause is our desire to savo the drunkard and bluss his f'ainily. - Some of these men have said to us there should be 110 liquor made or sold, and hoped in their hearts we would aucoeed in our undortaking. The wives, children, and piirents of the drunkards are urging us to go forward ; and the bleesed Jesus says : " Inasmuch as ye have done it to ono of the least of these ye have done it to lue." God has assured us that he hears prayer, and we are dotermined Yh his help and approval, in love and kinduess, to go forward doing our duty, until the work is accomplished, if it requires a life time. The word and law of God urges us onward. Let us not be weary in well doing : for iu due season we shall reap if we faint not.