Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-04-01

Alcnhnl.

2AsSI4UA-
| A scArHISG IDENTIFICATION OF INTEMPER-
ASCE AND ITS CAUSES.
| Colonel II. G.. Ingersoll, in speaking Ia
jury in case which involved the man
ufacture of alcohol, used the following
eloquent language:
Il am aware that there is prejudice
against any man engaged in the manufac-
ture of alcohol. believe that from the
time it issues from the cooled and poison
ous worm in the distillery until 1t empties
into the hell of death, dishonor and crime,
that it demoralizes everybody that touches
it, from its source TO where 1t ends. l do
not believe anybody can contemplate the
subject without becoming prejudiced
against that liquor crime. All We have
to do, gentlemen, is to think OF the
wrecks on either bank of the stream of
death OF the suicides, of the insanity,
of the poverty, of the ignorance, OF the
dsstitution of elittle children tuggng
at the faded and weary breasts of weep
ing and despairing wives, asking for
bread Of the talented men of genus
that it has wrecked, the men struggling
with imaginary serpents, produced by
this devilish thing and when you think
of the jails, of the almshouses, of the
asylums, of the prisons, of the scatfolds
upon either bank. ! do not wonder that
every thoughtful man is preiudiced
against this damned stuff that is called
alcohol. 1ntemperance cuts down youth
in its vigor, manhood in its strength, and
age in its weakness. Ii breaks the faith
er's heart, bereaves the doting mother,
extinguishes natural affections, erases
conjugal loves, blots out filial attachment,
blights parental hope, and brings down
mourning age in sorrow to the grave. 1t
produces weakness, not strength; sick
ness, not health death, not life. 1t
makes wives widows, children orphans,
fathers iends, and all of them paupers
and beggars. 1t feeds rheumatism,
nurses gout, welcomes epidemics, invites
cholera, imports pestilsnce and embraces
consumption. 1t covers the land with
idleness, misery and crime. 1t fills your
jails, supplies your almshouses and de
mands your asylums. 1t engenders con-
troversies, fosters quarrels and cherlshes
riots. 1t crowds your penitentiaries and
furnishes victims to your scatfolds. 1t Is
the life blood of the gambler, the ele-
ment OF the burglar, the prop of the
highwayman and the support of the mid
night incendiarv. 1t countenances the
liar respects the thief, esteems the bias
phemer. 1t violates obligations, rever
ences fraud, and honors infamv. 1t de-
flames benevolence, hates love, scorns |
virtue, and ISLANDERS innocence. 1t III
cites the father TO butcher his helpless /
offspring, helps the husband to massacre !
his wife, and the child to grind the parri |
cidal axe 1t burns up men, consumes
women, detests life, curses God, and de |
spises heaven. 1t suborns witnesses,
nurses perjury, defiles the jury box, and
stains the Judicial ermine. 1t degrades
the citizen, debases the legislator, dis |
honors the statesman and disarms the
patriot. 1t brings shame, not honor ;
terror, not safety; despair, not hope /; |
misery, not happiness and with the |
malevolence of tiend, 1T calmly surveys !
its frightful desolation, and, unsatistied |
with its havoc, it pnisons felicity, kills |
peace, ruins morals, blights confidence,
slays reputation, and wipes out national
honors, then curses the world and laughs |
at its ruin. 1t does all that and more
it murders the soul 1t is the son of all
and the father Of all crimes,
the mother of denominations, the devils |
best friend, and Gods worst enemy"