San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-05-29
l.s.r.,oll on Alcohol.

Col. Robert Ingersoll, who has been
denounced as an iufdel. was lately en-.
ployed in a case which involved the
manufacture Of ardent spirits, aud 10
his speech to the jury he used the fol-
lowing laHs6age:
II am aware there is prejudice
against any man engaged the manufac.
ture of alcohol. l believe from the
time it issues from the poisonous worm
in the distillery until it ompties into
the hell Of death, dishonor and crime,
that is demoralixing to everybody that it
touches it, from the source to where
it ends, l do not believe that any.
body can contemplate the subject with
out being prejudiced against the crime
All wc have to do is to think OF the
wrecks on either side Of tho stream Of
death, of the suicides, ofthe insanity, Of
the poverty, of the destruction, OF lit
tie children tugging at the breasts OF
weeping and despairing wives asking
for bread, of tho men struggling with
imaginary serpents produced by the de.
vilish thing, and when you think Of
jails, of almshouses, of asylums, of the
prisons, and Of the scaffolds, ON either
bank I do not wonder that every
thoughtful man is predjudiced against
this vile stuff called alcohol
Intemperance cuts down youth in its
vigor, manhood in its strength, old age
in its weakness. 1t breaks the father &
heart, grieves the doting mother. ex-
tinguishes natural affection, grasses con
iugal love. blots out filial attachment,
blights parental hopes, brings age in
sorrow to the grave. 1t produces
weakness, not strength sickness, NOT
health; death. not life 1t makes
wives widows F.; children orphans; faith
ers fiends, and all paupers. 1t feeds
rheumatism, nurses gout welcomes
epidemics, invites cholera, imports
pestilence and embraces consumption
1t covers the land with misery idleness
and crime. 1t engenders controversies
fosters quarrels and cherishes riot.
1t is the blood of the gambler, the ele-
ment of the burglar, the prop of the
highwayman. and the support Of the
midnight incendiary' 1t countenance'
the liar, respects the the thief, and es-
teens the blasphemer. 1t violates
obligations, reverences fraud, honors
infamy. 1t defames benevolence, hates
love, scorns virtue and innocence. i
incites the father to butcher his help
less offspring, and the child to grind th'
paternal axe. 1t burns up men, con
sumes women, detests life. curses Goo
and despises heaven. 1t suborns wit
uesses, incities peridy defiles the jur!
box and stains tie judicial ermine. |
bribes voters, disqualifies votes, cor
rupts elections, pollutes our institution
and Injuries the government. 1t degrade'
the citizen, debases the legislator
dishonors the statesman, and disarml
the patriot. 1t brings shame no
honor terror, not safety; despair, no
hope misery, not happiness, and will
the malevolence of fiend, calml.
surveys the frightful desolation. Wit
unrestrained havocit poisons felicity
kills peace. ruins morals. wipes ou
national honor, then curses the worlt
and laughs at its ruin. 1t does tha
and more-it murders the soul. 1t
the sum of all villanies, the father o
all crime. the mother of all abomiDa
donations, the devils best frien d an
Gods worst enemy"