Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-01-31
IngerS0il Oh Alcohol.

want piece lot deciamati0n IN sht
lodge room viii find 1t a good speei
mem. Ingersoll may lie weak on reli
gion but he is sound on temperance.
[ believe, gentlemen, to certain
extent. it demoralizes those who sell il
and those who drink it [ believs
from the time 1t issues from the pOis.
ened and coiled worm in the distil Ter,
until 1t empties into the hall Of death
| lishonor, and crimes, that it democrat
zes everybody that touches it from lis
ource to where it ends | do not be.
! ieve anybody can contemplate tht
subject without becoming preiudicet
against that liquor crime. All VIZ
have to do, gentlemen, is to think o.
the wrecks on either bank OF the
stream of death, Of suicides, OF insan.
lty, of the poverty. of the ignorance,
Of the restitution, of the little chill
dren tugging at the faded breast oil
weeping, d-spairirg wives asking fol
bread. of men struggling with imagin
airy serpents produced by this deve!!i II i
thing; and when you think of the
jails, of the almshouses, Of the asYlu.ns
of the prisons. of the scaffolis, upon
either bank. L do not wonder that
every thoughtful man is prejuliced
against this damned stuff that is call
ed alcohol
Intemperance cuts down youth in
its vigor, manhood in it's strength.
and age in its weakness 1t breaks
the fathers heart, bereaves the doting
mother, extinguisnes the natural atfec
ton, grasses cenjugal love, blots out
tilial attachments. blishts parental
hope, and brings down mourning age
in sorrow to the grave. 1t PRODUCES
weakness, not strength; death. not
life. 1t makes the wives. widows;
children, orphans; fathers, tends;
and all of them 3eggars and pauptrs. It
covers the land with idleness; poverty.
disease and crime. It feeds rhuma-
tlsm, nurses govt, welcomes epidemic,
invites cholera, imports pestilence,
and embraces consumption. 1t fills
your Jails, supplies almshouses, and
demands your aSylums. 1t engendero
controversies, fosters qnarrels, and
chesi<hes riots. 1t crowds your pen
itcntiaries, and furnishes victims for
your scatfoIds. 1t is the life blood of
the gambler, the element of the burg
lar. the prop of the highwayman, and
the support of the midnight incendi
airy 1t countenances the liar, re-
spects the tl.eif, and eSteems the bias
phemer. 1t violates obligation, rever-
ences fraud. and honors intamy. 1t
defames benevolence, hates love,
scorns virtue, and SANDERS Innocence.
1t incites the father to butcher his
helpless offspring, helps the husband
to massacre his wife. and aids the chill
dren to grind the parricidal AK Ii
burns up Men, consumes ~oman, de-
tests lite, curses God and despi5es
Heaven. 1t suborns witnesses, nurse,
perjury, dcflcs the jury box, anJ
stains the judicial ermine. 1t bride,
votes, disqualities voters, corrupts ell
eetions, and endaHgers our COVER
mcnt. 1t degrades the statesman anJ
dlsarms the PARROT. 1t brings shame,
not honor; terror, not safety; despair,
not hope: misery, not happiness; ana
with the malev> lcuce OF fend, il
calmly surveys its trlshttul desolation.
and. unsatlated with havoc it poison,
felicity, kills peace, ruins mortals
blights confidence, Stays reputation
and wipes out national honor; then
curses the world and laughs at its ruin
1t does all that and more--lt murder.
the soul. 1t is the sum of all villain
les, the father o, all crime, the mother
of all denominations, the dcyel beo
friend. and Gods worst ene:ny.