Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-05-20
Break the Jugs.

Suppose the State government
should turn loose upon society an
nually, certain number of raging
lions, tigers and hyenas? What
would the world think? How
would YOU like to know, mothers
and fathers, that every time your
child went from your door, he would
be IN danger Of being devoured by
one of these monsters, turned loose
by the State, in your community?
Yet your State government docs
worse. 1t licenses thousands of
grog-shops, which deserves no better
name than hell-traps, to entice your
SONS TO ruin most utter and complete
Walk out in your town at night; sa-
loon after saloon presents one broad
glare of flight; sounds of music come
from within; and, If you could peep
behind the green shades that screen
the inner workings from the gaze of
the uninitiated, you would see card
playing, billiards, dice, dominocs,
obscene pictures, obscene statues, and
You would hear obscene and blaSphe-
nous language, such as you never
heard before. And there, perhaps,
you would find your boy. Your boy !!
Think of it! Your boy becoming a
gambler and drunkard. The boy
in whom you have had so many fond
hopes resting, in the years gone by.
Your boy whose opening genius
and building talant gave you such
hopes and anticipations of joy, in his
coming manhood, as made your
heart throb with delight. How
would you like the picture? Could
You see him go on? Would you try
to save him? Could you let him 90
on, and stand still yourself, and see
him wreck his manhood in the terri
BILE whirlpool of intemperance
you say you cannot do this? But
you are doing it. Ifyour own boy
is not there, your neighbours boy is ;
and he will soon entice yours there,
too.
What can you do? You can de-
mand of State governments that these
hcll-traps shall be closed; you can
urge and press your claims until, like
the unjust judge, it will hear. Wo.
Men gave, during the late war, hus-
bands and sons to establish govern.
ment. Her devotion to government
should be respected, and government
should, in turn, protect her from q
drunken husband, and an impover-
ished home. 1t should save to hel
the sons she offers to society, and tC
the world. Shall not the voice of the
perishing and the doomed lend us en-.
ergy? Shall not the hope of genera
tions to come give us courage? Shall
not the gospel of Christ doubly arm
us, and inspire us for this work II
our Congressman and our Lcgisla
tors could but hear the walls of wild
ows, the cries Of starving orphans
the curses of men dying with delir
ium tremens; if they could but know
the pangs of poverty endured, wealtl
squandered, hearts broken, happy
homes destroyed, andall on accoun
of the license they give men to max,
ami sell spurious liquors, surely they
would help. But they care for non,
of these things. The cry Of the wild
ow goes up against them, however
Gods vengeance will awake at last
Let Christians never rest unit
they have stopped every distillery
and closed every drinking shop
This is the kind of jug-breaking W
want to attend. Who will help us I,
break them? Will you, kind read
er? Will you help us to close thes
doors of infamy? In behalf of ach
ing hearts and dying men, help; il
behalf of suffering woman, help; il
behalf of the youth -four land, help
in behalf of humanity and the saliva
ton of your fcllowman, help, an,
help now.