Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-06
TWO SIDES OF ONE CANVASS.
temperance Lecture by Wendell
Phillips.

temperance lecture by Wendell
Phillips.
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. It was a sad case
He was the only surviving son of verv
noble malone who lived only to serve
the poor, the tempted and the criminal.
All he had, all he was, he gave unre-
servedly to help thieves and drunkards.
His house was their home. His name
their bail to save them from prison. His
reward their reformation. It was a hap
ply 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 hun
dreds-yes, thousands-only two left him
to pay their bail, forfeited by neglect to
show themselves in court according to
agreement-only two.
Bred under such roof, the son started
in life with a generous heart, noble
dreams, and high purposes. Ten wears
Of prosperity, fairly earned by energy,
industry and character, ended in bank
ruptcy, as is often the case in our risky.
changing trade; then came struggle for
business, for Observation-Disclosures
-intemperance. He could not safely
pass the open doors that tempted him to
indulgence, forgetfullness and crime
How hard his wife wrought and strug-
gled 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 spare him gladly" wrote the
prosecuting attorney, :" if he would stop
drink. He shall never go to prison if he
will be sober man. But all this
wretchedness and crime comes from
RUM"
Manfully did the young man struggle
to resist the appetite. Again and again
did he promise, and keep his promise
perhaps a month, then fall. He could
not walk the street and earn his bread
soberly while SO many open doors
opened by men who sought to coin gold
out of their neighbours vices-lured him
to indulgence. So, rightfully, the state
pressed on, and he went to prison. An
honored man disgraced, loving home
broken up, wide circle of kindred
sorely panied, a worthy, well-meaning
man wrecked. Sorrow and crime "aU
come Of rum," says the keen-sighted law
yer.
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 extensively
and with great taste. Over the broad
piazza hung lazily an eastern hammock,
while all around were richly painted
chairs and lounges of very easy and
tempting form. Overhead were quaint
vases of beautiful flowers and the deli
cious lawn was bordered with them. On
the lawn itself gaily dressed women
laughed merrily over croquet, and noisy
children 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 we'll as a luxuri-
Gus one. Nature, taste, and wealth had
done their best. 1t was a scene of
beauty, comfort, taste, luxury, and
"OaiCh. IieC Ct"0o )IOHt rum. hOllho dUu
diamonds, flowers and equipage, stately
roof and costly attendants, all came from
RIM. The owner was one who, in a great
city, coined his gold out of the vices of
his fellowmen.
To me it was dissolving view. I lost
my sight of the gay women, the frohc-
some children, the impatient horses, and
the ocean rolling up to the lawn. I saw
instead the pale convict in his cell twelve
feet by nine; the sad wife going from
judge to attorney from court to Cover
nor's Council, begging mercy for her
overtempted husband. I 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
-AN this comes from RIM.
Woe unto him that giveth his neigh
Dor drink Woe unto him that buildeth
his house by unrighteousness and wrong,
for the stone shall cry out Of the wall,
and the beam out of the timber shall an
swer it."