The Opelousas courier., 1884-09-13
Prohibition or Bigh License !;
Which 2-No. ..
Editors COURIER

| We have only recently, as you and
| your readers know, made some sort
of an attempt to ventilate or air the
above named subject, before the good
citizens of st. Landry parish.
We have also used our abilities,
however imperfect, to urge our worthy
and well meaning people to organize,
and move i'll strong and unbroken lines,
assuming the aggressive, and dealing
heavy blows simultaneously alta points,
until this most monstrons and alarming
ly destructive enemy--the spirits of
wine-has not only been defeated, but
routed and absolutely destroyed.
But so far as we know, our words
have not accomplished their end-have
not disturbed the great slumbering
waters of thought, which roll ont and
out forever before us. IT'S true, how
ever, that few of the many night birds,
of the croak lingo class, common to the
dismal marshes and lagoons along the
shore, have been aroused little, and
have uttered their melancholy "crOak,
croak" which, when it is interpreted
means-tdont disturb matters, you
can't do impossible things, and you
can't wipe out intemperauce. and the
use of strong drink as beverage, you
will do your cause harm by attempt
ing to force an issue," etc. Thus 'ca,c"
the cr0akers from their miasmatic re-
gions and haunts of nexious exhalations.
Now it is either very fortunate OF unfor-
tunate that the. world and the church
have had these prophets of evil, and
murmurers to deal with for uneounted
ages. They have lived in the same
filthy swamp and uttered the same
cheerless crodks filling weak hearts
with gloomy thoughts, and dissipating
Joy and hope. 1t is a wonder that
some men of parts, will suffer them
selves to be influenced by such doleful
sounds. But suppose man is naturals
ly superstitious, and he can't without
an unusual effort, overcome the feeling
and drive away the little mean fear,
created by these uneuphonious notes.
We meet with this class of authors
of dismal Sounds in the famous siege of
Troy. They uttered their lamentable
cry, and by it made the night hideous to
cowardly souls. But they did not dis
courage the warlike Greeks in theil
great enterprise. It Is true that the
Gege lasted about ten years, but
it was finally taken, and Troy fell and
some of the croakers, to rise no more.
Again, when Cyrus the Great pro-
posed to possess himself of Babylon
and release the captive Jews and take
from her the despotic power by which
she oppressed the earth and chained
n ~ h. -, ln, thc
"eToakn was heard in some parts of the
] palace, and among some of the soldiers
and citizens. But the brave and the true
could not be frightened by mere .eroaks.'
They arose and did their duty and the
| great work was done. So itwas in the
siege of Jerusalem and SO it was il
the cold Revolutionary war; Men
were hired in that great fight, to utter
their dismal forebodings against the
struggle after the apparently impossi-
BILE, projected on the dark mists of the
i future by continental Congress.
/ There were others of the same category
i who volunteered their services te
lrsssssSSoak" throughout the long night o.
carnage and death. But the night a
last passea-ayay and the beautiful
morning of polifiaaal and religious lib.
erty arose in all of fits splendor, ane
the darkness of battle aGds..lls ctoaAef'
retired together.
And now all the States are engage
} in another and grander revolution
against another and a greater, more
despotic and deadly king whose name i
(not George III, but) Alcohol; we hea
The same "croakers'' from swamps, la
goons, and marshes - North, South
East, aud West, and even from oul
own st. Landry Parish, that it can't b
done it can't be done I Of course on
worthy citizens ofwhatever nationality
creed or party, viii let these disma
, spirits coidly alone, and will buckle OF
, the whole armor and not only go dowl
into the fight, but if possible, press in
into the very forefront of the battle
They will bring into the red hot fell
!. all the force at their command, to crust
this enemy, aud release our fathers, on
husbands, our sons, our brothers, ant
our neighbors, from his clanking chains
aud save what little wealth, honor
love and religion, yet out of his inferna
and destructive grasp.
See what has been done by our breth
ern in other States aud iii some of on
own parishes.
Hear the tread Of millions as they g
out with waving bannersand glitterinI
swords, TO fight this strongest force Q
: hell and death. Hear the thunders 0
: the mighty guns from Kansas, fror
Mississippi, from Georgia, from Califor
> MIA, and from many other States, a
{ they press the battle to the gates. Sc
: the countless thousands who have falle
victims. Hear the cry everywhere TO
brave men to engage in this fight, an
: then let us as citizens of ST. Landr
: rise and 60 forward and do something
{ Let our merchants and tradesmen driv
I this enemy to all men from their place
/ Of business. Gentlemen of the counte
! and shelf, this curse is in your way
J hindrance to your better business
!. The merchants of Arcadia, La, severe
years ago, declared to our Dist. Conf
4 officially. that since they had adopte
! Prohibition their business had been bel
!. ter and more satisfactory. In BastroI
\ La, some Of our most successful mel
!, chants never sell a drop of this fer
I water from the boiling lakes of bel
4 Let our professional men rule it out /
their lodging rooms and homes, out |
their Offices, and out of their heads an
|. s5Omachs, and urge those about them !
b opportunity offers, to be wise in tt
Z same way. Let our parish and tow
d officials be like minded and set I'll
s 50 Yar oxyasan FJc at n1r uaI1ro rne