Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-09-29


will i, be ,hus?-we are told in an an
cient book, that .sevil communicates cor
rupt manners" and ii was belief in
this saying that led to the formation
this society. We saw entering into the
cement that is consolidating US into a
community, great moral evil, and be-
ieving in The truth Of another adage, no,
so ancient as The one before quoted. that
Union is Strength" we agreed 10 unite
our influence In This way agains. the
growing evil. II was not because we
feared that as individuals we should be-
come drunkards unless we signed the
pledge--why, Mr.. President, there are
many ladies' who are members of our
society who supposes they were afraid
of becoming drunkards? No-but some
some OF them are mothers, and they
have sons who are to be influenced by
society around .hem-why, then, should
they no. use all their influence to induce
a right state OF public sentiment! There
are young LADIES', too members of our
society, and we hope they meant ii to be
understood tha, i'm all their relations they
studied to be on the side Of Temper
ance. @
Yes, Mr.. President, ii was to exert an
influence on the side of Truth that we
united our torres. and il is that we may
speak and act on that side that we came
here to day. II is not tina. we may ru
Oily decry all who do not think with Us.
bu. that we may tell our opposers what
are our sentiments, and 10 encourage
each other TO more activity in the cause
we espouse.
l said we came TO express our SEMI
ments to our opposers, not o decry them
because they do not think with rs. and
there is one cut,em by which inIemper
ance is greatlv increased in all this west.
ern community, by nearly all our poilti
cal men, of which | wish to speak. 1t
is lha, of selling liquors to the various
precincts to buy votes. |, who was bro,
up in a land OF steady habits, never until
| come 10 this rpuntry, heard of such a
practice, and it is ID me the Cyclops of
our political gatherings; indeed ltreT Bile
before il as should have done befnre the
monster, so graphically described by the
ancient poet. But my western Il south
ern friends never heard of an election
w.thou. liquors, and they as yet have TO
learn i, can be. Many of them are men
of dlscernmes,, of kindly sympathies,
of honor and of candor; and could we
only gain their ears and set before them
in generous and kind hearted manner
The evil of which | speak. they would
certainly give the cause serious tho't.
Would | could have taken them by the
hand and led them into some of the pre-
cIncts where they sent their whiskey last
election. Ii is no picture of Imagination
but living reality that draw, when
tell you what would have shown them.
would have led them to whiskey jug,
around which were collected crowd ot
boys and young men, and ia silence lief.
them TO witness The effects of its con,
tents. No doubt they would have soon
turned away in disgust a. the others
which the demon inspired, even the
youngest lads 20 pour forth. and had they
lively imaginallons they might possibly
have seen burning motto on the jug
some what similar 10 those that famed
ous from the imp distilled liquor of Dea
con Giles.
But oaths are no, all--see lha, glt-
.ering knife drawn by a young man upon
his companion, and yonder in the scorch
ing rays of the summer sun behold a
youth Of noble brow lying prone on the
earth like the meanest reptile, the con
tenls oi the Jug have done their work or
him and he is dead; yes. dead for awhile
TO all around him, and how degraded il
his own sight when he awakes again tc
consciousness. There. too, is the grey
haired man half stripped, and the mar
OF middle age with enough Of the spiri
to make him vaunt OF his strength, swing
his fists, mouth his oaths and wish fol
some one npon whom to vens his rage
might add to tins picture, but sure il i,
enough. said we knew some of on
poiitlcal men who sent out their liquors
in accordance with general custom, |,
be men Of noble hearts and generous
sympathies. and if they have followe,
me through This scene, know they mus
say in their inmost heart. would not b
carried 10 my chair of Office on such al
inglorious shield. .
/ There are few who would persis, i
this practice, could they see the crow
of evils which follow il, do not shak
The head my anbeliesing TREND, and ex
claim against The nirlgues of poll,ics
men saying: They will do anything /
ge, into Office While il is true 4
some. 1t is noiso OF all; and | repeat
that there ,sse noble minded. gensron
, hearted wen In Fremont who will lc,.
. a. The ssil. and in looking will -, :, &c :
enormsy. and may the day E,an,,,n, -
D dislah when it shall be saif v;,h l;ano,
, nVone vote was parek, are proud Of
fher last elec.io.eealth. her enter rise
aed aed now; 40. for es bu. far prouder viii oe
Nv while | beg the class whom |
l.lave addressed to look at this subiec,
.houghlfally. and cand'dly, ask the al
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