The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-06-22


proven that he Is the most efficient and
successful speaker in the State.
May God grant him strength and
health to perform this double duty.
A Friendly Talk with the LII
quOr sellers.
The evils which follow the liquor traf-
fc are so glariug that no description is
needed. Liquor dealers have such a
train of mora! evil following thep, that
they can never escape from it. Go where
they may and The sighs and wailiugs OF
grief stricken parents, heart broken
wives, beegared and disgraced children,
and men whose hopes and prospects are
all blasted meet them. And yet there
are many men, good in every other re
spect, who are engaged in the terrible
traffic. We have conversed freely with
many of this class. thus engaged, and
We know their feelings and course OF
reasoning, and how they trife and ST.
lence their cousciences on this subject
And it is this class with whom We seek
friendly talk. We cannot reach, nor
shall we attempt TO converse with ano,h
CT class Of liquor dealers, who are lost to
all reason, shame, self respect aud every
thing lovely aud desirable. We can do
rothing with this class. But our heart
,loas .,,., 49,, ,e,,- IL g.. ,,foss ,,,a,;o,,
cd, many Of whom are members of the
church, ard are really and truly trying
10 be Christians. How much we sym
pathize with them, their heart struggles,
their doubts, difficulties, and their oft
uneasiuess about their business.
These men tell us that they do no,
like the liquor traffie-that they would
not pursue it, if they knew what to do
and how to getaloug outside of it, Many
of them have engaged in the mercantile
business. aud we are assured by them,
that they cannot succeed, without intro
ducing Intoxicating liquors in their trade.
They say, that the better people will do
their trading in the larger esta blishments
and the smaller groceries and provision
dealers, must get their patronage mainly
from the more humble white people and
the eolored people, and that the latter
class will not deal with them, if they
cannot find whisky among their goods
What am l to do 2" say such small re-
tail dealers. Il must close my business
or sell liquor say they. II have &
family to provide for-my all is invested
and what can [ do, if / allow my bust
ness to come to paught?" Again, if ]
do not sell my customers what they need
some less conscientious man will settle
down along beside me and root me out.
We cannot help feeling sort Of
sympathy, for those who thus reason
notwithstanding our adherence of the
traffic, aud our deep sense of the enor-
nous wrong. Now. We want to point
those who thus reason, to few facts in
history. No better evidence of the great
wrong of the liquor traffic need be given,
than, that though it may bring gain, yet
II never prospers through two genera
lions. Verify the curse of God is upon
it everywhere. God hath nc: said ia
vain. woe unto him that giveth his
peighbor drink that putteth thy bottle
70 him and makest him drunken" The
woe of the Lord sounds out everywhere
against the iiquor traffic.
Generally liquor sellers who prosper
for season, eventually meet losses and
come to poverty IN the end Some make
money By selling liquors, and no one &C
quaipfed with the mercantile business
md The habits of the people will deny
but there is profit in selling and buying
liquors. But those who thus grow rich
IN three fourths of the cases, die poor
Riches thus gained, viii not remain
Aud If riches thus obtained stick to Q
man while he lives, it slips away from
his children after he is dead. God visits
10 this way. the iulquities Of the fathers
upon The children. Go into any commu
nifty aud ask the older and better mem.
bers Of society to look back over the
past, and review the history of the liquor
dealers of their acquaintance, and you
will find everywhere, verifcation Of
these facts. And if these facts be true,
and history will prove them true, what
is the use of sacrificing feeling. con-
science. refinement and every moral sen
sibility, TO pursue course which brings
gain at first, but poverty and misery in
the end; if not upon ourselves upon our
children after us ? What parent would
like thus to curse his child
Friends you have embraced wrong
idsas. Your Judgments have been per-
ssrfsd. and your reasoning has in some
'srt blinded you. You caDuot prosper