The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-16

cigars, we use the same Do they play at bill
lizards we have an "Itching" 10 do likewise
We see the "leaders" and fashion artists IN
all our cities and towns engage at horserac
ling; we must pool our issues" and ret to the
poor house Men IN high station are training
their sons and daughters III Ignorance and in
dolencc; the mass of the people see and ap
prove il. Rich mems sons are living on the
fat OF the land; poor mems children clam the
same privilege The leaders in church and
state have made social drinking fashionable
the Others have only followed that custom.
Let us call things by their right names. \
man steals my horsc-he Is a thief Another
robs his negnbor of his good name he is Il
slandcrcr and back bitter.
4 minister" tempts his fellows with taste
of strong drink; he is an enemy Of man and
on social terms with the devil.
The modern statesman thinks elcctiOnday
is the day for which all other days were made
| With him the drunken idiot counts as much
rs the purcst man, and he buys votes for wills
| ky at 10 cents apiece Such statesmen ough,
! to be hung as traitors to their country, which
/ they are.
If man treats his friend to a drink OF in
toXicating liquor, he is his worst enemy lt
| is lower than "rObbing his hcn.rOost") One is
sanctioned by custom, the other is not, A KAN
who blindly follows the customs of society be
cause others say it is fashionable should halt
and consider such folly. The worst enemy to
the young men of to-day is the damnable curse
Of creating" More drunkarls have been
caused by this habit than all others combined,
especially within the past Is or 20 years.
In the month Of July, 1877, in the city OF
Chicago, the first Anti-trcating Club in the
United States was formed by number of Ger
mans. They are all moderate drinkers, yet
they vowed they would neither treat nor be
treated IN any way at any time We sorely
need an anritrcating state law, making 1t a
crime for one person to invite another to drink
with him or for anyone TO sell liquors to any
two men at one time TO be drank on the prem
ScS
The morals Of a people constitute the index
to Decentralization, worth, strength and power.
That nation is safe whose morals are pure and
free from the vices caused by incompetence.
The Liberties of any people are easily destroyed
whose morals are dcbascd by drunkenness.
For 100 years this was called the land of free
dom" although millions of human beings
were slaves and gave the lie to that statement.
Twenty years ago our fathers taught us (littlc
boys and girls that Illinois was a free state"
Our histories and Biographies tells where their
authority arose for so teaching us At the
same time it was Il crime for negro To emil
CRATE into tins state whether a slave or freeman,
To-day we are called n sober people" But
the records show that up Ia within two years
agO we were fast becoming pHupcr~ and were
raising "A nation OF dIuukartl> The United
States is called the most enlightened country
on the globe, yet it would seem that we can
discount the worlds murderers, cutthroats,
villains and drunken riots. Our condition is
said to be improving, yet little more such
improvement and every residence will become
an ams.housc, every home an insane asylum,
every house Jail and every church peni-
Tertiary. 1t is time to halt.
What has caused such widespread rum? In
temperance. Who are responsible for 1t? You
and l. How can we help 1t? BY making it
Questionable to treat; by being honest and
acting as we think
| have referred to a few noted persons and
nations to show, first, that drunkenness was al
ways looked upon as an enemy of man; and
sec0ad, to show that the vast amount of intoXi-
cation, and its consequent misery of the past
and present, was caused by blindly following
the examples of leaders and associates.
You ask me If favor saloons? No; | am
uncompromisingly opposed to them Their
very existence is antagonistic to happiness.
The highest aim of man, so far as he Is social
ly concerned should be to make himself and
Others happy. No one has right to make
another wretched The law may give him the
power, but cannot convey the right to do so.
Any law that is not conducive to good morals,
that disintegratcs society or that endangers
life is vilainous and should be annulled.
We have been taught that governments are
instituted among men to secure the inaliena-
bic rights of life liberty and the pursuit of
happiness" Now of what use is that govern
ment which will not secure these rights to its
citizens? None at all, and such one should
be changed or abolished. Civil law is defined
to be IA rule of action prescribed by the Su-
preme power OF state, commanding what Is
right and prohibiting what is wrong" When
any statute authorizes wrong or denies "A
right, then it should be repealed. Any law
which tends 10 elevate mankind is a blessing
while one which degrades is curse
hold that the entire liquor traffic is wrong,
and that neither government or state has "a
right to sell the power to engage in it.
Persons selling liquors tell us that it is not
wrong to traffic IN intoXicants; but that the
wrong consists in the abuse of the power
Such statements do violence to the English
language, pronounce a libel on truth and call
past experience II lie.
Any business which, without an exception
IN the history of the human race for centuries,
leads to all manner of excuses; which makes
men crazy for violence; which leads directly
to hoodshed and murder; which makes thou
sands paupers and thus prepares them for va
grancy and crime; which heaps mountains OF
taxes upon communities; which inevitably in
duccs all manner of wickedness is wrong, a
crime
One aim Of mankind is to get "a home, and
no one is satisfied without it. Alcohol ruins
home forever When liquors fire the brain,
reason leaves its throne and mans brute.
Better he poor, sober and honest than rich,
drunken and dlsgraced
1t wrongs the liquor-seller TO traffic in the
poison, for no one can degrade his friends with
out depr"cating himself. 1t does violence to
taxpayers who will surely be callen upon to
pay 100 fold therefor
| deem II as dangerous to license liquor-sell-