Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-02-28
INTEAIPERANCE.
A Celebrated Lecture by Right Rev. Bish-
Oh Ireland, of St. Paul.

op ireland, of St. Paul.
A finer audience never assembled in
Winona than that which greeted Bishop
Ireland At Normal Hall, Tuesday evening,
Feb. 10Th, and more thorough, logical
and scholarly discourse was perhaps new
err spoken by human lips in this city.
This eminent divine has enlisted the
sympathies of all classes, creeds and
shades of belief in the noble work which
he is pushing forward with all the zeal
and force of his great intellect and exal-
ted station. Hence it was not curiosity
alone which drew out such spontane
Gus gathering of our best citizens last
Tuesday evening. In every hamlet and
city of this great state Bishop Ireland is
known and loved by all classes as one of
the greatest benefactors of the people
that this generation has produced
1t is we'll known that the learned Bish-
op is no fanatic, DESTROYS of taking liquor
dealers by the throat and crushing them,
but rather a large-hearted Christian phil
anthropist who would lift up the people
from the want and shame, the delirium
and crime attendant upon the immoder-
ate use OF alcohol He makes his aud
fence feel the Importance Of his theme
and the intense earnestness of his own
convictions without abusing or offending
the most sensitive. Throughout the no.
bic lecture is characterized by mastery
array of facts, consistent logic, clear
common sense and pleading pathos
that are irresistible. His lurid picture of
the hideousness of the alcoholic plague
and the remorseless tyranny of strong
drink-the tottering step. the bleared
eye, the hectic flush or the death-like pal
or, the dethroned reason, the soul from
which the image of God has fled. the
cancerlike poison that wrecks body,
mind and SOUL drew copious tears from
many eyes amid the vast audience as per-
chance memory recalled some loved friend
or relative swept away in the whirlpool
of rum.
The tiger of the jungle, the lion of
the desert, feed and protect their young;
the drunkard curses, beats and Stays his
children, or leaves them to stare while
he takes the last cent in the house to buy
alcohol. Outside of hell there is no 9TH
er such hopeless, helpless spot in all Gre
ated space as the drunkard's home.
In republic, like ours, he said, intern
perance is doubly dangerous, and must
be checked 1T any cost. Total prohibit
ton is the last remedy, try all others
first, but the welfare of the people is the
supreme law, and if all else fail then pro-
hibit the manufacture of alcohol and see
that it is enforced. But it need not come
to this. 1t can be controlled if our leg
islators could be made to understand its
importance. The speaker would tax it
with the highest possible license because
it produces 80 per cent. of all the crimi-
mails, paupers and burdens Of the COM
monwealth. 1t should honestly pay 80
per cent. of the taxes. Enforce all the
laws on the books and lastly and best of
all educate the masses to understand that
total abstinence is best for them, and that
drinking is not fashionable. Remove the
bottle and decanter from the sideboard,
the wine glass from every banquet. Prac-
tice what we preach, and teach the rising
generation that alcohol means delirium,
disgrace and death.
For nearly two hours this eloquent
speaker held the vast audience in charm
ed silence, save where the stronger per-
iods of this grand discourse were inter-
rupted by spontaneous bursts of ap-
Dlause -WinOnn Herald