The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1882-02-02
Ingersoll on whfskey.

We publish This week beautiful ex-
tract from late volume of IngersolPs
Wit, Wisdom and Eloquenee by Nc
Lure, on the subject of Alcohol and its
horrors. Mr.. Ingersoll is an avowed in
fidel, but what Christian priest has done
so much as he for the cause of temper
anceP
l am aware there is prejudice
against any man engaged in the manu-
facture of alcohol. ] believe that from
the time it issues from the coiled and
poisonous. worm into the distiilery until
it empties into the hell Of death, dis.
honor and crime, that it demoralizes
everybody that touches it from it's
source to where it ends. I do not be.
lieve anybody can contemplate the sub
ject without becoming prejudiced against
the liquor crime.
All we have to do gentleman 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 ig-
,norance, of the destitution, of the little
children tugging at the faded and weary
breasts of weeping and despairing wives,
asking for bread, Of the talented men of
gel ils it has wrecked, the men strug-
! ,,iIng with imaginary serpents, produced
by this devilish thing; and when you
think of the jails, the almshouses, of
the asylums, of the prisons, of the scat
folds, upon either bank do not wonder
that every thoughtful man is preiudiced
against this stuff called alcohol.
1ntemperance cuts down youth in it's
| vigor, manhood in it's strength and ge
in its weakness. 1t breaks the fathers
heart, bereaves the darling mother, ex-
| tinguishes natural affection, grasses con-
| jugal love, blots out filial attachments,
| blights parental hope and brings down
| mourning age in sorrow to the grave.
| 1t produces weakness, not strength, sick
ness, not heath, death, not life. It
makes wives widows, children orphans:
fathers fends and all Of them paupers
and beggars. Feeds rheuma tism, nurses
gout, welcomes epidemics, invites chole-
RI, imports pestilence and embraces con-
sumption, 1t covers the land with idle
ness, misery and crime. It fills your
jails, supplies your almshouses and sup
Piles your asylums. 1t engenders contro-
verses, fosters quarrels and cherishes
riots. 1t crowds your penitentiaries
and furnishes victims to your scaffolds
1t is the life blood of the gambler, the
element of the burglar, the prop of the
highwayman and the support Of the
midnight incendiary. 1t countenances
the liar, respects the thief, esteems the
blasphemer. 1t violates obligations
reverences fraud and hOnors infamy. II
defames benevolence, hates love, scorns
virtue and slanders innocence. 1t in
cites the father to butcher his helples.
offspring, helps the husband massacre
his wife and the child to grind the par
icidal axe. 1t burns up men, it con.
sumes women, detests life, curses God
and despises heaven. 1t stuborns wit
nesses, curses perjury, detiles the jury
box, and stains the judicial ermine. 1t
degrades the citizen, debases the legisla-
tor, dishonors statesmen, and dsarms
the patriot, Is brings shame not honor;
terror, not safety; despair, happiness;
and with the maiovence Of fiend, it
calmly surveys its frightful desolatiQp
and unsatisfed with its havoc, it pois-
ons felicity, kills peace, ruins morals,
blights condolences, slays reputation
and wipes out national honors. 1t ours
es the world and laughs at its ruin.
1t does all that and mOre-it murders
the soul. 1t is the son Of villanies,
the father of all crimes, the mother of
denominations; the devils best friend, and
{In6S ynrst eCa;,,p