The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1881-11-12
TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
Edited by w. R. Fowler.
..Death by Delirium Tremens.v .

of coroner's jury over the body of
man, who a few days since, died in
our city. Some one with kindly in
tentions, desiring to cover with the
mantle of charity the manner of his
friends departure from this world,
reported to the RECORD as the cause
of death general debility" But is
ceals facts Is not kindness to the
living more necessary than charity
for the dead And does not kind
ness to the living inspire plain and
earnest presentation of facts, although
they may be very unpalatable ? Facts
can not harm the dead. They are the
best instructors that the living have.
The death of this man is but one of
many fearful facts connected with the
woeful work of the liquor traffic.
Men should face these facts. Those
who are helping to make drunkards
by selling the alcoholic poison should
ponder these stubborn, irrepressible
facts. Lives are cut short, death is
made awful, sorrowful memories are
left as an only heritage to friends-all
through the Internal influence of al
cohol which men deal out to their
fellows for gold. Whatever excuses
the rumseller may offer cannot make
the facts different or his responsible
ty less awful. Alcohol is poison.
Its effects blight not only the victim,
but his friends and society at large.
Who wants to be an instrument in
bringing about these results, red with
the blood of human sacrifices? Who
would not rather eat his crust and
drink his cup of water, than fare
sumptuously every day, fed with the
fruits of the liquor traffic.
The confirmed drunkard-and he is
by no means rare person, although
he may not confess his complete en-
slavement to strong drink-should
face these facts. He is hurrying on
to the brink. His future is black with
the disgrace and doom of miserable
death. If any argument could pene-
trate the mind and stir the soul of
the inebriate welded to his cups, it
ought to be the argument from the
death of this man. His turn may soon
come.
The moderate drinker should also
face these facts. He says that he will!
take the chances. He boasts of his
al o,,l IL,
gets that the chances are against any
man who drinks. The rule in form
ing habits, both good and bad, is an
increase from indulgence. This is
natures law. And where habit is
fostered by depraved appetite, a
glip not easy to be shaken off. is sure
ly, even il slowly, fastened upon the
soul and body of the victim. Self
control will ,Jrove a rope of sand in
the presence of strong temptation.
Moderation is simply the DEVILS bait
to lure men on and on, till they are
caught and held fast in the net of un-
dridled excess. From the death-bed
OF this victim of intemperance comes
the impressive admonition, "Touch
not, taste not, handle not"
The sober citizen, the reformer, the
philanthropist, the christian, should
face these facts. We are reminded in
this sad event of the too oft forgotten
truth, that the blame may lie very
near our own doors. We are very apt
to lay the responsibility of evil upon
tickle chance or fixed fate. Or with
theology little more refined we
may endeavor to silence the accusa-
tions of conscience by referring the
work of the devil 10 the will of God.
That i'll this professedly christian COM
munity, man in the prime of life,
should die such a horrible death,
traceable to the use of alcoholic pois-
on, the sale of which is authorized by
the will of the majority, makes us
think that Canon City had more to
do with this affair, and others like it,
than chance, or fate, or the Creator.
Public sentiment, the tone of our city
government, the usages of society
s@ oio poWcriul influences 10 aDet
the wrong or aid the right.
There are two or three things about
the death of this man which, though
sad, ought to prove an instructive
warming. Ii am correctly informed
he came from respectable family.
Rum makes man forget all honor
and self-respect, and then he is read y
to stain the family name.
His family were christians. The
lessons of piety that he learned on a
mothers lap and by fathers knee,
were forgotten in etupefyipg intoxi-
cation. lie himself walked erect, a
christian and church-member. But
in an sviI hour he fell. Step by step