The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-02-17
THE SOCIAL CURSE
Which Kills the Peace, Ruins
the Morals, Bhghts the Con
fdence, Stays Reputa-
ton. and Wipes
Out National
Honors.
Il Murders the Soul, is the Sum Of
Villainies, the Father ef AIl
Crimes, and the E0ther
of AbOnlinatiOas.

VA 2AAO2--AClE4JS41s
Colonel r. G. IngersoIl, in speak.
ing to jury in a case which involved
the manufacture of alcohol, used tht
following eloquent language:
Il am aware that there is Il plcju
dice against any man engaged in tn,
manufacture of alcohol. [ believe
that from the time it issues from tho
1iled and poisonous worm in the dis
tillery, until it empties into the hell OF
death, dishonor and crime, that it de
moralizes everybody that touches it,
from its source to where it ends. I dc
not believe anybody can contemplate
the subject without becoming preiu-
diced against that liqu,r c me. All
we have to do, gentlemen, is to think
of the wrecks en- either bank of the
strea II of death; of the suicides, of the
insanity, of the poverty, Of the igno-
rance, Of the destitution: of the little
children tugging at the breasts of
weeping and despairing wives, asking
for bread; of the talented men Of &C
MUS that ii has wrecked, the nel
struggling with imaginary serpents,
produced by this devilish thing; and
when You think of the jaiIs, aims
houses, of the asylums, Of the pris ms,
Of the scafolds upon either bank, l do
not wfnder that every thoughtful
man is prejudiced against this damned
stuff that is called alcohol. Intem-
perlnce cuts down youth in its vigor,
manhood in its strength, and age in
IFS woa knees. 1t breaks the fathers
heart, bereaves the doting mother, ex-
tinguishes natural affections, grasses
conjugal loves, blots out filial attach
ments, blights parental hope and
brings down mourning age il sorrow
TO the grave. It produces weakness.
not strength; sickness, not health;
death, not life. 1t makes wives wild
ows; children orphans; fathers fends,
and all of them paupers and beggars.
1t feeds rheumatism, nurse S gout, well
comes epidemics, invites cholera, im-
ports pcsti'en and embraces con-
sumption. 1t covers the land with
idlcness, misery and crime. 1t fills
your jaiIs, supplies your almshouses
and demands your asylums. It en-
gcnders controversies, fosters quarrels
and cherishes riots. 1t crowds your
penitentiaries and furnishes victims 10
your scaff5lds. 1t Is the life blood of
the gambler, the clement of the bur
g ar, the prop of the highwayman and
the support of the mid Iighti c3ldiary.
1t countenances the liar, respects the
thie., esteems the blasphemer. 1t
violates obligations, reverences fraud
and honors infamy. 1t deflmes be
nevolence, hates love, s;orns virtue
and SANDERS innocence. 1t incites
the father to butcher his helpless off
spring, helps the husband to massacre
his wife and the child to grind the
parricidal AK. 1t burns up men, con-
sumes women, detests life, curses God
and despises heaven. 1t suborns wit
nesses, nurses perjury, defles the
jury box, and stains the judicial er-
mine 1t degrades the citizen, dc
bases the legislator, dishonors states
men, and disarms the patriot. 1t
brings shame, not. honor; terror, not
safety; despair, not hope; misery, not
happiness; and with the malevolence
of q fend. it calmly surveys its fright
full desolation. and, unsatisied with its
havoc, it poisons felicity, kills peace,
ruins morals, blights confidence, Stays
reputation, and wipes out uat'oI
honors, then curses the world aud
laughs at It's ruin. It does all that
and more-it murders the soul. 1t Is
the son of villainies; the father of all
crimes, the mother of denominations.
the devils best friend and Gods
worst enemy"