Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-01-02
Two Aspects Of the Case.

One beautiful afternoon in August there
came to me the heart broken wife of
State Prison convict. We tried to plan
for his pardon and restoration to home
and the world. 1t was a very sad case.
He was the only surviving son of a very
noble man-one who lived only to serve
the poor, and the tempted and the crimi-
nal. All he had, all he was, he gave uR-
reservedly to help thieves and drunkards.
His house was their home. His name
their bail to save them from prison. His
reward, their reformation. 1t was hap
py hour to hear him tell of the hundreds
he had shielded from the contamination
and evil example of prisons, and of the
large proportion, he had good reason to
believe, permanently saved. Out of hum
dreds, he once told ne, only two left him
to pay their bail, forfeited by neglect to
show themselves in court according to
agreement-only two.
Bred under such a roof, the son started
in life with a generous heart, noble
dreams and high purpose. Ten years of
prosperity, fairly earned by energy, in
dustry and character, ended in bank
ruptcy, as is so often the case in our risky
and changing trade then came a strug-
gle for business, for bread-temptation-
despair-intemperance He could not
safely pass the open doors that tempted
him to indulgence, forgetfulness, and
crime. How hard his wife wrought and
struggled to save him from indulgence
and then to shield him from exposure
How long wife, sister, ,..and friends labored
to avert conviction and the State prison.
"I would gladly spare him." wrote the
prosecuting attorney, " if he would stop
drinking. He shall never go to prison if
he will be a sober man. But all this
wretchedness and crime came from
rum."
Manfully did the young man struggle
to resist the appetite. Again and again
did he promise, and keep his promise,
perhaps month-theR fall. He could
not walk the streets and earn his bread
soberly while so many open doors
opened by men who sought to coin gold
out of their neighbor's vices-lured him
to indulgence. So, rightfully, the State
pressed on, and he went to prison. An
honored name disgraced, loving home
broken up, wide circle of kindred sore
ly panied, a worthy, well-meaning man
wrecked sorrow and crime. "An comes
of rum," says the keen-sighted lawyer.
As parted from the sad wife on my
doorstep, looked beyond, and close by
the laughing sea stood a handsome cot
tage. The grounds were laid out expen-
sively and with great taste. Over the
broad piazza hung lazily an eastern ham,
mock, while all around were richly
painted chairs and lounges of every easy
and tempting form. Overhead were
quaint vases of beautiful flowers,
and the delicious lawn was bor-
dered with them. On the lawn it
self gayly dressed women laughed
merrily over croquet, and noisy chill
dren played near. A span of superb
horses paved the earth impatiently at
the gate, while gay salutations passed be-
tween the croquet players and the fash
ionable equipages that rolled by. 1t was
a comfortable home as well as a1uxurious
one. Nature, taste and wealth had done
their best. 1t was a scene of beauty,
comfort, taste, luxury and wealth. All
came from rum. Silks and diamonds,
flowers and equipage, stately roof and
costly attendance, all came from rum.
The owner was one who, in a great city,
coined his gold out of the vices of his fell
low men
To me it was a dissolUing rieso. lost
sight of the gay women, the frolicsome
children, the impatient horses and the
ocean rolling up to the lawn. / saw in
stead the pale convict in his cell, twelve
feet by nine, the sad wife going from
nor's Council, begging mercy for her
0cer-tenpted husband. heard above the
children's noise, the croquet, laugh, and
the surf waves, that lawyers stern reason
for exacting the full penalty of the law.
al this comes from rum. Woe unto him
that giveth his neighbor drink. Woe un-
to him that buildeth his house by un-
righteousness and his chambers by wrong.
- Wendell PliIli1s