Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-17

BISHOP IRELAND AT JONES' HALL.
"A Large Audience--A Timely and Flo
quent Address on Temperance---An
Interesting and Apprcciative
| Hearing.
Monday evening, in response to an in
vitation from the Protestant clergy OF
Austin, Right-Rev. Bishop Ireland, of St
Paul, delivered a temperance address.
Bishop Irelands reputation as a tenn
pcrance worker brought out a large audi
ence OF all classes, without distinction OF
religious belief or social condition.
At the appointed time, Bishop Ireland
came upon the platform, attended by
Fathers Perrin of LaCrescent, and GEMS OF
this city, and Revs. Wright, Lathrop and
Stanley, and took their seats, a sight not
often witnessed in Austin or elsewhere
while in the audience sat men of varying
Christian faiths, and no faith, all linked
into one brotherhood, in the face Of the
portcntious evil Of intemperance
Elder Lathrop then presented Bishop
Ireland to the audience in some extended
and felicitous remarks.
Bishop Ireland then addressed the audi
ence for an hour and half, his remarks
being often interrupted by applause. We
can attempt, in the press Of other matter
only brief resume of this able and con.
vincing speech.
The Bishop expressed himself as highly
pleased to meet so large an audience in
the interests of the cause of temperance,
1t indicated to him the deep interest that
pervaded this community on this most
important subject He believed the PEG.
pie were out in large numbers because
they were interested to help on the cause
When he could see such an assembly III
every town and village he would hope to
see the evil OF intemperance banished
from the land.
! In America, as in no other land, all
rests with the people. AS they wish SO
1t is. We can expect no good cause to
prosper until the people wish it to. 1t
must become popular. We see some of
this spirit here tonight
| love the cause. l return thanks for
the privilege of addressing you upon it.
The cause OF temperance demands your
homage, your love. and your admiration.
1t is in response to the natural senti-
ments of patriotism and religion that we
feel so strongly upon this subject. The
reason why so much apathy prevails is
that men do not think upon the extent
| Of the evil temperance seeks to remove.
Intemperance is frightful, hideous
plague, ubiquitous in its nature 1t sends
its poison arrows all through the land.
| 1t holds its orgies in the cities and towns
alike. All classes arc tempted by it..
Not the Ignorant, the poor, or the weak,
but the wise, the rich, and the strong as
we'll. 1t degradcs all alike 1t leads
down to death. 1t destroys families and
homes. 1t undermincs society," 1t closes
the avenues of the soul to the income of
religion. 1t sends the soul into the pres
ence of the Supreme Judge to hear the
| words mo drunkard shall not inherit the
kingdom of heaven" 1t is a sea of mis-
cry. 1t dcluges the land. 1t breaks
down all barriers. 1t reaches for new
victims and grows strong with new tri-
umphs, a very demon let loose. This de-
mon is alcohol. The evil is the abuse of
this element, in whskey, rum, beer and
such drinks. am not going to say the
use of alcohol is always sinful and injur-
ious. While lay down this proposition
l do so with great caution. The practical
use of this opinion may lead to stumbling.
The limit is shadowy and easily passed.
The territory Of its use is very narrow.
Only very small quantity of alcohol is
taken into the system before the mind is
disturbed and the body injured. The
evils increase as the use Of alcohol in
creases. Nor is this true alone in the
case of inebriates, but many minds are
injured and souls and bodies ruined in
those who drink only in moderation.
All evils may come in cases where ex-
a few draughts of alcohol will fire up the
passions Most peculiar is the influence
OF alcohol AS soon as it touches the
lips 1t seeks the destruction of it's victim.
1t stimulates the energies then follows
relaxation and then alcohol is needed to
revitalize the faded powers, and so, little
by little, 1t coils about it's victim like a
serpent. 1t binds him to the chariot
wheels and drags him to destruction. 1t
is like the victim in the tolls of the nigh
ty Niagara, borne down by an under cur
rent until he is plunged over the brink.
They seek their safety most who shun
it altogether. Taken beyond a certain
point, alcohol becomes virulent poison.
1ntoxicant means poison. Man has
never tortured from nature more de-
structive poison; it poisons body and
soul. The drunkard welcomes all kinds
of diseases. He falls the first victim. He
has not the igor to resist and overcome
poison. In England there is life insur
ance company which has two departments,
one for men who drink, and another for
those who do not, and the rates are much
who do not. Men who are temperate
bear the exposure to heat in the desert,
and cold in the Arctic regions, much bet
ter than those who drink, as seen by the
testimonies of Livingstone and Dr. Kane.
Sir Garnet WOlseley, cOnquerOr of E gypt,
said the best generals and soldiers were
total abstainers Delirium tremens indi-
Gated the full workings of the alcoholic
poison.
Alcohol affects the mind likewise.
Through the mind man is exalted until
he is made in the image of God and only
little lower than the angels. When the
mind is gone, all is gone. Enter the
asylum for the insane and see the wild,
reasonless eyes rolling and flashing.
Pity them-but the mind is asleep They
cannot help it. But we do we'll to be in
dignant and angry when we see men uol-
untapily destroying their reason. Man
is full of base passions, and reason re-
strains them. Alcohol suspends reason,
and the passions are let loose. Herein is
the diabolical influence of alcohol, that
it destroys all good, and stirs up ali evil.
Those most given to its use are the most
depraved.
The distilleries and breweries fill the
land. 2t gallons of liquor to every man,
woman and child, produced annually IN
the land.
After the Bishop had read some details
of the amount of liquor manufactured,
and the number engaged in the nefarious
business, he pictured, in grapic colors,
the saloon-keeper as he exists, not the
ideal saloon-keeper. His only aim is to
fill his till with dimes and dollars. He
does not care how much misery he inf1icts
upon men, in body and soul. He cares
not that happy homes are destroyed, or
that souls 20 down to hell. Such is he.
Alas!
In the United States are not less than
185, 758 places where liquor is sold or one
place to every 279 souls. This, said the
Bishop, is about the average of Austin.
Some men have home-saloon. They
lay in liquor by the package or barrel.
This is worse than the saloon, for it con-
teammates home. Having it at hand they
drink always for all occasions.
Could l gather into one holocaust all the
victims of alcohol for one single year,