The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-03-24
derstan' that ort to know best about it. y

nenI. a Orunkard speaking out IL
temperance meeting.-they had never
heard of such a thing in their lives.
Verify, Backley was going to add one to
the roll of modest villages made famous
by unusual occurrences.
~ 'spose, Mr.. Chairman" continued
Joe Digs, that the pint of temperance
meetin's is to stop drunkenness, an as ]
am about the only fully developed
drunkard in town I'm most likely to
know what this meeting is mounted to. u
Squire Breet inclined his head slight
ly, as if to admit the correctness of Joe
Digs position.
''Will the gentleman have the kind
ness to explain!" asked the lecturer.
'I'm a comm to it, sir, eff my head IL
come through replied the drunkard.
''You folks all b'leave that its lovin' liq-
uor that makes me drink it; now, 'taint
no such thing. never had chance to
taste fancy drinks, but 1 know that ev-
cry kind OF liquor that l have ever got
hold of was more like medicine than
anything nice"
''Then what do they drink for?" de-
panded the excitable member.
'I'll tell you," said Joe, ''if you'll
have little patience. l have to do it
in my OWL way, for amt used to pub
lie speaking. You all know who l am.
My father was a church member, an so
was my mother. Father done days
works fur dollar an quarter a day.
How much firewood an clothes an flood
dye suppose that money could pay for2
We had to eat what came cheapest, an
when some of the women here wuz sit
tim comfortable O. nights knitten' an
sewin' an readin', mother was hangin'
aroun' the butchershop, tryin' to beat
the butch down on the scraps, that
wasn't good enough for you folks. Soon
as we young ones was big enough to do
anything we was put to work. I've
worked for men in this room twelve an
fourteen hours day, / don't blame 'em
they don't mean anything out of the
way-they worked just as long them
selves, an so did their boys. But they
alters had somethin' inside to keep 'em
up, and | didn't. Does anybody wonder
that when L harvested with some men
that kept liquor in the field, an foun'
how it helped me along, that l took it,
an thought twas a regular Gods bless
sin? An when | foun' twas a hurtin'
me, how was to go to work an give it
up when it stood me instead of eatables
/ didn't have, an never had, either"
''You should have prayed" cried old
Deacon Towser, springing to his feet;
''prayed long and earnest"
Deacon, said Joe Diggs, 'I've heerd
of your dyspepsy for nigh onto twenty
years; did prayin' ever comfort your
stomach?"
The whole audience INDUCED in pro-
found laugh, and the good deacon was
suddenly hauled down by his wife. The
drunkard continued:
''There is lots of just sich folks here in
Backley. an every where else-people
that don't get half fed, an do get work
ed half to death. No bocy means to
'buse 'em, but they do have a hard time
of it, an whisky s the best friend they've
got"
81 work my men from sunrise to sunset
in summer, myself" " said Deacon Towser
jumping up again, can Pm the first man
in the field, and the last out to quit. But
l don't drink no liquor, and my boys
don't neither"
''But ye don't start in the mornin' with
hungry little faces a huntin' ye-ye
don't take the dry crusts to the field for
yer own dinner, an leave the meat an
butter at home for the wife an young
'uns. And ye go home without bein'
afraid to see half fed wife draegin'
hersels around among a lot of puny
young uns that don't know what's the
matter with elm. Jesus Christ himself
broke down when it come to the cross,
deac'n, an poor human bein's sometimes
reaches a pint where they can't stand no
more, an when its wife an children that
brings it ON, it gifts man awful"
''The gentleman is right. 1 have no
doubt" said the Chairman, $50 far as
limited class is concerned, but of course
no such line of argument applies to the
majority of cases. There are plenty of
well-fed, healthy, and lazy young men
hanging about the tavern in this very
village"
Il know it, said joe Diggs, ''an' I
want to talk about them too. | don't
want to take up all the time of this
meetin', but you'll allow that ! know
more bout that tavern than anybody
else does. Ther is lots of young men
a hangin' around it, an why, 'cas it's
made pleasant for EN-, and it's the only
place in town that a. I've been faith.
full attendant at the tavern for nigh un-
to twenty year, an | never knowed a
hanger on there that had comfortable
home of his OWN. Some of them that
don't go to bed hungry have scoldin' or
squabblin' parents, an they can't go
visitin', and hearing fine music an see
nice things of every sort to take thei-
mind off, as some young men in this
meetin' house can. But the tavern Is al
lus comfortable, an there's generally
somebody to sing and tell a joke, an
they commence goin' ther' more for a
Ileasant time than for a drink, at fust.
There's lots of likely boys goin' ther'
that wish to God d stay away, an I've
felt like tellin' 'em so, but what's the
usel Where are they to go tol"
They ort to flee from even the ap-
pearance of evil" said Deacon Towser
"But where be they to flee to, Deac'nY'
persisted Joe Digs; would you like 'em
to come visitin' to your houseY'
''They can come to the church meet
ings," replied the Deacon; ''there's two
in a week besides Sundays, an some Of
'em's precious ssasons-all of ems an
improvement on the wicked tavern"
"'Ligion don't taste no better'n whis-
key, till you get used to it," said the
-.