The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1885-03-12
RUssELLvILLE, POPE CO.. ARK. MARCH II. 1885.
Essay on Intcmperance.
READ BEFORE THE GUMLoG PUBLIC
SCHOOL BY NoRAH TUCKER.


SCHOOL BY E0RAH TUCKER.
Tie first Temperance society in
this country, vas organized in Sara
toga county, New York, in March
1908. / believe there is a prejudice
against any man, engaged in the
manufacture of liquor. That from
the time it issues from the coiled
poisonous worm IN the dlstillery un-
til it empties into the hell of death,
dishonor, and crime that it demoral-
ICES everybody that touches it from
it's source to where it ends. do
not believe anybody can contemplate
the subject without becoming preju-
diced against that liquor crime. All
we have to do, friends, is to think of
the stream of death; think fos mo
ment of the suicides; of the insanity
of the ignorance; OF the poverty and
destitution; of the helpless little
children tugglng at the faded and
weary breasts of the weeping and
despairing mothers. Let me call
your time to the talented men it has
wrecked, and the drunkard strug
Cling with imaginary serpents en-
tangled by that develish drink of
liquor. Think of your jalls, and pris
ons, and the almshouses. Why is it
then that every thoughtful man is
not against that awful glass of liq
uor? 1t is the fear of every father
the dread of every mother. 1t puts
out the fire on the hearth, and con
demns wives and children to hunger,
cold and rags. Intemperance brings
down youth in its vigor, manhood
in It's strength, and age in It's weak
ness, it cuts the father to the heart
bereaves the weeping mother. cxtin
guishes natural affections, blots out
loye. reduces parental hope, brings
down mourning age in sorrow to the
grave. 1t produces weakness, not
strength, sickness not health, death
not life. Wives becomes widows,
children orphans, father fiends, they
all become paupers and beggars. 1t
invites cholera, embraces consump.
tion, feeds rheumatism, nurses gout,
nothing good comes from it. 1t Gov
ers the land with endless misery and
crime, gives call for your jails and
almshouses, demands your asylums,
crowds your penitehtiaries and furn
ishes victims to the scatlold. 1t is
the life blood of the gamblers, the
element of the burglar, the support
of the midnight ipcendiary 1t coun-
tenances the liar, respects the thief,
esteems the blasphemy, violates OBJ
igatiens, scorns virtue, reverences
fraud. 1t defames honor and be-
nevolence, hates love, and SANDERS
innocence. 1t incites the father to
butcher his helpless offspring, helps
the husband to murder his wife, and
the children to grind the paricidal
axe, burns up meE, consumes women,
detests life, curses God, and des-
pises heaven. 1t suborns witnesses,
nurses perjury, defiles the jury box,
degrades the citizens, .debases the
Legislators, dishonors statesmen,
brings shame not honor, terror not
happiness. 1t calmly surveys Its
desolation. kills peace, ruins
morals, blights confidence, slays rep
utatlons and wipes out national hon
or, then curses the world and laughs
at its rum, 1t does all this and more,
1t murders the soul. 1t is the son of
-. IL
the mother Of denominations, the dew
ills best friend and Gods worst en-
emy,