Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-10-02
A Plea for Prohibition.

SOCIAL TEMPERANCE MEETING, MONTPELIER.
SEPTEMBER 22p.
1t has been estimated that sixty thou
sand drunkards die yearly in our own coun-
try. Sixty thousand husbands, fathers,
brofiers, brought to the grave by that
monster, intempcrance But who can est.
mate the untold, the inexpressibe misery
that each Ct ths great pumbcr brought upon
his family whis living, aud the poverty,
ignorance and disgrace ontailcd on them at
bis death
But this death-rate Dies not include the
deaths Of wives and children stricken down
by the hand of the drunkard, or by the slower,
though not less sure process Of death, by de-
prvations Of the necessities Of life--to say
nothing Of what is worse than botb-the an.
guish Of mind consequent to a full appre-
citation of the moral and physical degradation
that comes to them through their near rela-
ton to these men mo not men, poor, besot-
ted creatures) Is" who, though made little
lower than the angels, and crowned with glory
and honor" have through drunkenness, the
parent Of every evil, made themselves ftI
companions for demons.
Another estimate must be made before we
can gain glimpse of the many conyoutions
Of the monster" That btetb like serpent
and stingcth like an adder"
Where, at the present time is the great
number that supplies sixty thousand recruits
annually Where are they who are to Gll
those graves his year and where those just
initiated, and those taking preparatory steps
land the draft still goes on until it reaches
the mothers arms. The mother clasps her
little sons in her arms and prays that they
may die ere they become infected by this
deadly miasma, and that her daughter may
fII an early grave rather than drunko hus-
bands home
Imagine the feelings Of wife when her
husband returns to her, late at night, intoxi.
Gated for the first time
Oh, the sleepless nights and wretched days
when she wrestless with her fate. She begs
and pleads with her husbaud-he promises,
perhaps, and tries for time, but temptations
surround him. and he fails again and again,
aud the time soon comes when prayers and
tears have no effect but to provoke anger and
threats. She with her children are subject
at all times to this rum-made maniac He,
even, in his sane moments, implores them to
keep out Of his sight, when the rum demon
has possession Of him, lest he should take their
lives with his own hand.
All, language is powerIess to express or
Imagination to paint the wretchedness and
misery that are theirs, who, bound to these
men by the nearest ties in nature, are the in
nocent victims Of their vices Theirs is the
slow but agonizing torture Of watching their
loved ones, fascinated, enthraled by the evils
of the tempter, going the downward road ic
destruction with no power to withhold. The
eloquent entreaties Of love, fall on deaf ears
The innocent belplessness aud dependence Of
the little ones, appeal in vain to hearts hard
ened by years of sei-indulgence.
Those who were once all that could be de.
sired in husband, father, protector, become
through the use Of strong drink, loath some
disgusting objects of mortal fear
Oh, the burden of misery, these poor crea.
lures carry. No comforter, no consider can
be admitted to such grief 1t is something
not to be spoken of, but oathsome disease
so be hiddeni oorered, and the husband alone
proclaims his shame
1t is written that drunkards can not inherit
the kingdom of heaven What of the drunk
ard.maker--tbe rum.seller 2 He Of whom i
may be said " He stitch in the lurking
places Of our villages, in the secret plac,
, doth he murder the innocent, his eyes or,
privily set against the poor" He who say
not your money or your life-hut your none
AND your iJe,-aye souL. If he would sal
: what he does in deed, then would he be
thousand times less dangerous But like ib
= willy old serpent, whose vicegerent he is, h,
tempts the eye, the ear, the taste To on
he says drink, it will give you strength. T.
another it will warm you, or it will cool yor
it will soothe you, and make you forge
all trouble-it will stir up your spirit T.
deeds of vaor and intellectual efforts Of whicl
you are not capable in a natural state. Drinl
thereof "Then your eyes shall be opened; Y
f shall be as gods'
, The tempted, looking around upon tb
wrecks of manhood, stranded on lfe's shor
by the reef Intemperance, hesitates. Tn
temp,er whispers" Ye shall not surel,
die" " you have strength you can drink o.
not, as you please" " Abstinence is sign o
weakness, a sign you fear to drink, lest yor
have not the power Of control" " Drink an,
show the world you are your own master
and man." But the poor inebriate who i
already bound in the tolls of the serpent
needs no urging save his gnawing appetite
which leaves him no rest day or night, bu
cries q" Gire, gige' to feed the fire it alou,
has kindled. His whole life and energies ar,
given to the qualification of his unquenchabl'
thirst Every other sense is deadened o.
swallowed up in his awful craving. DrinJ
he must, If in his power to obtain, if it cos
the lives of his dearest friends
What shall what can we do? What but
prohibition can save the tempted from temp
tation-- the drunkard from himself2 Certain
", we have done little but use the milder rem
edy-mora suasion, and what the result1
>irty thousand drunkards, with as many
more stepping upon their heels and still they
come Each grade of drinkers crowding
the other along up to that state of perfect
drunkenness.
Count this innumerable host, their crimes