The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-04-18
INGERsOLL ON WHISKEY

Col. Bob Ingersoll was lately employed
in case which envolved the manufacture
of ardent spirits, and in his speech to the
jury he used the following language:
"I am aware there is prejudice against
any man engaged in the manufacture of al
cohol. I believe from the time it issues
from the coiled and poisoned worm in the
distillery until it empties into the hell OF
death, disbonor and crime, that it is demoal
izing every body that touches it, from the
source to whear it ends. I do not believe
that any body can contemplate the subjec'
without being prejudiced against the crime
All we have to do is to think of the wrecks
on either side OF the stream of death, of su-
icides, Of the insanity, of the poverty, the
destitution, of the little children tugging at
the breast of the weeping and departing
wives asking for bread, of the man of ge-
MUS it has wrecked, the man struggling
with imaginary serpents produced by this
dsvlish thing; and when you think of the
jails Of the almshouses, of the asylums, Of
the prisons and of the scafolds, on either
bank, do not wonder that every thought
full man is prejudlced against this damned
stuff that is called alcohol. Intemperance
cuts down youth in its vigor, manhood in
in its strength, and age in its weakness. It
breaks the fathers heart, bereaves the dot
ing mother, extinguishes natural affection
erases conjugal love, blots out flial attach
ments and blights paternal hope and brings
down mourning age in sorrow to the grave.
1t produces weakness, not strength; sickness
not health; death, not life. 1t makes wives
widows; childrenl nlordhans; fathers fends and
all paupers. 1t feeds rheumatism, nurses
gout, welcomes epidemics, invites cholera
imports pestilence and embraces consumpt-
ion. 1t covers the land with misery, idle
ness and crime. 1t epgenders controversies
fosters quarrels, and cherishes riots. Ii
crowds your penitentiaries, and furnishes
victims to the scaffolds. 1t is che blood Of
the gambler. the element of the burglar,
the prop of the highwayman, and support
of the midnight incendiary. 1t countenan- =
ces the liar, respects the thief, esteems the
blasphemer. 1t violates obligations, rever-
ences frauds, honors infamy. It defamss
benevolence, hates love, scorns virtue and
innocence. 1t incites the father to butcher
hishelpless offspring, and the child to gri nd
the paternal ak. II burns up men, con-
sumes women, detests life, curses God, and
despites heaven. 1t suborns witnesses
nurses perfdy, defles the jury box and
stands the judicial ermine. 1t bribes vo-
ters, disqualifies voters, corrupts elections
polutes our institutions, and endangers gov
ernment 1t degrades the citizen, debases
the legislature, dishonors the statesman and
disarms the patriot. 1t brings shame, moi
honor; terror, not safety; despair, not hope;
misery, not happiness; and with the male
violence of fend, camly surveys its fright.
ful desolation, and, unstained with havoc,
it poisons felicity, kills peace, ruling morals,
blights confidence, slays reputation, and
wipes out national honor, then curses the
world and laughs at its ruin. 1t does that
and more-it murders the soul. It is the
sum of all villainies the father of oil crimes
the mother of all denominations. the deyil's
beet friend, and Gods worst enemy.