Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-06-17

FOr tDe utNu WAS W pay.
All those men in the congregation who
have sometimes been drunk, will stand up
and sing.
Before you sing, as in this vast multitu de
discover small number sitting on their
seats who would by this demonstration show
us that they are innocent, and as their ears
are too sensitive to listen without being
panied at something in the following dis
course, and as they belong to that class of
men called nice men, for their own good and
more especially ours, they will please retire
by the way of the side door.
My text for this days discourse you will
6nd in the 26th chapter of the Proverbs of
Solomon and the Ard verse. in the Catholic
Bible:
"a whip for horse and snaffle for an ass, and
rod for the back of fools"
There has been all sorts of whips employ
ed to beat the wicked and ungodly rumseller
out of his degrading employment. First, the
faithful Washingtonians travelled all over
the country, spreading dismay and terror
amongst them, by holding up to public gaze
the naked skeleton Of the poor drunkard to
whistle in the dreary winds of contempt.
Overweight pictures of the intemperate
mans condition, the desolation and ruin of
his family, the deep distress and heart-rend
ing scenes in private families, all behind
the curtain that hangs over the domestic
circle, became as familiar to every body as
ousehold words, and therefore lost their
effect.
Next came the sly and cunning Sons Of
Temperance. And here allow me, my hear
ers, to derogate so far from my subject as
to tell you what relation /" Halo" himself
holds to this order of Sonship: az Halo"
is son of his mother, and farther than this
no man can safely 60. (2) He is o son of
thunder, for he was born in a terrific storm,
that set the heavens on FIRE, while deep-ton-
ed thunder roared all along the skies, which
sent forth flames Of lightning that in all hu-
man probability would then have burned
the world up, had it not been necessary, pro
bono pubiico, that Halo" should live to preach
this sermon. (3)He is Son of Temperance,
or ought to be, and would be, had he not
been expelled from this Order for drinking
whisky which another man drank instead Of
himself. But never mind-such is the vile
have said, for there is no such thing as hu-
man heart any more) that the innocent must
suffer for the sins of the guilty. These Sons
of Temperance have ceased to buster about
in open daylight, like their illustrious pred
ecessors, but in the shades Of the evening,
sswhen night had drawn her silvery curtains
round and fred them with single star"
they gathered themselves together in some
secret place away from the busy cares OF
life and there, safely secured by strong bars
and bolts against discovery by outsides, af-
ter clotLing themselves in secrecy and robes
of their own righteousness, they did things
which you can find out if you will 60 about
it legitimately, as did your humble speaker.
Further than this your deponent saith not,
on pain of making an ass of himself
These Sons of Temperance have accomplish
ed nothing towards ameliorating the condi-
tion of the poor drunkard.
They may have been to some extent rod
to smite the vile monster who in violation of
the laws of his country, has dealt out small
doses of slow but sure poison in the shape
of bad whisky, adulterated brandy, rum
and gin, and last but not least lemonade
with Ca stick in it."
Last of all the whips came the Maine Lii
quor Law. Will some person turn that man
out who says s'give me the liquor and you
may have the whip" No greater humbug,
my hearers, was ever spread out on the
statute books of any State than the Maine
Liquor Law. In vain you may oppose the
strong arm of the law to the will Of the
people in country like ours, where an in
csndiary spirit, in the shape Of democracy,
so universally predominates. When law
is passed by Congress or our State Lesis-
latures which in any way conflicts with the
interests of any portion Of. the people, the
first thing they think Of is to ferret out some
sxpedient by which they can evadei it. And
what obstacle can resist the ingenuity Of
the Yankees? So far as this law has beer
tested, it has proved q failure. Now, my
hearers, what can be done? So far, nc
whip 1s found g Is. ar,ss the eror.
| should have said. There Is but one thinl
that can be done, of which / have an!
knowledge, hat promises success. AMI
that is, to pass . law, and put it in force
] making the man who sells liquors for an,
! purpose whatever responsible for oil tn
damage that Yeaulta from ita ahusa in mind