The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-05-11
TEMPERANCE.
Speech of
HON, HENRY BRANNON.
At the Weston II, E. Church
april 81, 1874.
LADIES ASD GLSrLEMEs /:

tee from lHls hfluVlANVu NV VtpheN Nh"'
should address this audience
this evening, l felt that
was uuaceustomed to making discpur-
ses Of this kind-that the tasE ought
10 have been committed to 6tter
hands, aud | hesilated to respond but
then came the reflection that the
whole country was being moved TO it,
depthE by an unusual impulse, and
that as citizen, prighbor and head
Of family, having an interes. in com
mon with you all, | had no right.
when thus called on for an expression
Of my views, to shirk the re4pousibili-
ty, but that it was my duty to answer
the call. Aud thus ain here to nd.
dress you upon that subject which it
would be simple evasion in me not to
Acknowledgements Its evils
what tongue or pen can portray them Z
Say what we may, We cannot overdraw
the catalogue Of its evils. l remember
having noted an author who, better
Thru almost any other. sums UP this
catalogue. Here is an extract from
his picture: "Intemperanoe not ouly
destroys health, but infiOts ruin upon
the innocent and helpless, for it in.
yadts tho family circle, and spreads
woe and sorrow all around; il cuts
down youth Ia oil It's yigOr, manhood
in its strength, aud age in its weak
ness; it breaks the fathers heart, be.
rcayes the doting mother, ex,inguish.
es natural affection, erases cOpjugal
love, blOA out 6lial attachment, bligh,s
parental hope, aud brings down
mourning age in sorrow to the grave.
II produces weakness, not strength
sickness, not hcalth-dealh, not life
It makes wives widows, children or.
phans. fathers friendless, aud oil at
last beggarS. II produce, levers feeds
rheumatism, nurses the govt, welcomes
spidemics, invites disease, imparts
pestileuce, embraces consumption,
cherisheS dyspepsia, and encourages
appoplcxy aud paralysis 1t covers
the land With idleness aud poverty,
disease and crime !. fills our jalls, poor.
houses and asylums; fosters quarrels,
cherishcs riots, condemns law aud
spurns order, crowds our penitentiaries
and furnishes victims for the scaffOld
It violates obligations, reyeteness
fraud and honors iufamy; ii deIames
bCnevolencs, hates love, sCorns virtue
and ISLANDERS innocence il inSi,as the
father to butcher his children, helps
tho husband to killbis wite. and aid.
the child to grind the purricidnl axe.
Il burns man. consumes woman, de.
tests life, curses God, dsspises nea-
ven. II suborns witnesses, nurses
perjury, deilCs ejury boz and stains
the judicial ermins; il brides votes,
corrupls elections, pOisons our institu.
tons, endangers government; it de.
grades the citizen, lowers The legisla.
tor, and dishonors the statesman. II
brings shame, not honor--terror, not
Batcty-despair, not hope misery, not
happiness; and then, with the malOv.
olence of tiend, it calmly surveys ia
frightful desOlatioa, and, insatiato
with havoc, ii pOisons felicity, kills
peace, ruins morals, blightg confidence,
Stays reputation /; then eurscs the
world, and laughs a. The ruin It has
inflicted upon the human race. Liquor
Oil how many earthly Gdens hast
thou made desolatel How nany
starved and naked orphans hast thou
cast upon the cold charities ofan un-
friendly world How many graves
hast thou filled With cOuaiing and
brokon-hearted wivcsl What sad
wrecks hast thou made Of brilliant
talents and splendid geniu'u. Would
to God there was one universal TEN
perance society, and oil mankind were
members Of IL; tho glorious cause oil
Christ would DO advanced, and myri.
ads Of bars.footed orphans aud broken.
hearted wives would chant praises Ia
Heaven for the success Of tha temper.
aucs cause; the lost would DO reclaim.
cd. and bleeding hearts healed"
True, this picture has been painted
again and again, and is called old vet
il Is we'll to see what monster we
cherish, and some Of US apologize for.
tits q horrid picture which Dr.. Gum
draws, yet, read and scan itclosaly.
ponder oyeril, aud say. 10 not every
word true? SO much for tho moral
view Lot US look at.it ia the view Of
political, aud then vital economy.
In an address OF Wheeling last
week, Judge Ferguson said: 1.-THE
traffic as it exists today would astsu.
ish any person who will carefully e1-
anime the subject. During the year
1873 there was paid to tho United
States government $40, 100000 tax
on distilled spirits, This tag repre-.
scuts about 1OO,OOO,OOO gallons.
These 100000 900 gallons, BY The
use Of strJchnine, fusil oil, and other
vile compounds, convert every gallon
into two, so that this quantity is dou.
bled, and made 200, QUO, 900 gallons
Tho retail value of these distilled spi.
rits is not less than SO per gallon,
which makes the enormous sum Of
100000 600, expended BY the PEG.
pie Of the United States for spirits
manufactured IN tho United States.
Then add the vino, brandy and rum
imported, and also tho wine and beer
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