Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1885-11-18

EDfroR CoUR1lR.-Having in the
Temperance Column d the CouRiEa
for tho past year, published the ar
gumen1 affirmative Of prohibition,
may ! not, in justice to the negative,
ask the insertion Of q ~rejoinder?
As host at our domestic table, we
may prescribe the cuisine, by card,
invite whom We will, and, if auto
cratic, insist on dress and style; but
a. : public caterer, custom, policy,
law and self.interest dictate impair
TALLY. A public Journal feeds the
hungry brain, whether the saddle
Of venison," | g~ratuitously send,
meets the epicurean taste Of the
Judge or no, some starving wretch,
who like myself, helps sustain the
establishment may find it savory
and delicious" Prohibition, that
latest absurdity, born Of our prolific
mother, fraud and folly, installing
health spr disease, would prescribe
as q specifc-not the "elixir Of life"
but . poison, the ingredients Of
which are courts, litigation, spies,
i~nformers, perjury, fines, imprison-
ment.
Concede what is patent, that the
inhibition Of liquor weuld save the
few from crime. Yet Of the vast
whole who indulge, the "wine that
sparkles" makes love to their pas
sions, proffers and invites the kiss
Of peace, woos by its seductive arts
the vicious from vice, through its
potent spell, the murderous thought
is converted into the forgiving act,
l~assoes and binds combativeness,
and destructiveness, paciies, human
ICES, cures. Because some ritualist
plucks out an eye or cuts Of a hand,
or some mother, crazed by bible
reading, butchers her offspring in
their innocence, to save them from
sin and the sinners doom, as there
in taught, shall we then Danish the
bible from the pulpit and the fire.
side--a solace to SO many, too many
their all. Shall we prohibit the
preaching Of Word, and depose the
Ministry because of the thousands
who, frensied by their thick laying
on of judgment, and in %colors, lurid
with flame, paint the PIT Of the
doomed, and thus crazcd, enter the
gate Of death by throat cutting, poi
son, hanging and drowning, self
murderers, and yet-murdered.
The elements are natures archi-
tects, working for mans greatest
good, yet singly, or in combination
they sweep to destruction and death
millions of property, thousands OF
lives. Shall we then indict natures
God, and bring an action before the
"Bar Of High Heaven" for their alb
rogation2 What are faith and re-
pentance without free moral agency?
yet by compulsion of law, the drunk
ard is made sober, and by the sci
ence of theology, free moral or ply
steal agency being denied him, is a
drunkard still, and hence-lost.
4. Subtract the non-drinkers from
those who indulge. weigh in the bal
ance the two extremes, and of MUIR
ders, suicides, arson, robberies, OF
scandal, Islander, lying, hypocrisy
character. stabbing, forging and
. fraud, profanity, meanness, and
moral cripples, the scales would
: break down under the weight Of
these "holier than thou" reformers.
: Reverse the question Of prohibition
> and by law, compel all men, womer
and children, to drink, its very alb
surdity knocks the UNDERMINING o
temperance reform from its poise
bnrying the builders aud worship
ers Of a false Mohammed under tn
: iuggernaut Of ridicule and scorn.
!, Anger, love and jealousy, more
{ than intemperance manufacture eli
ents for the divorce court, and Grim
0 mails for prisons. Fashion that ty
. rant, whose scepter rules all-mor
: than liquor, impoverishes, ant
J brings ruin and poverty.
I'll Cosmetics, paint, false hair, jewel
9 ry, ribbons and that Glove of a bon
I net" etc, ETC., have made insolvent
:. and driven to drink, insanity, ant
Q death-more than prohibition eve
r reclaimed, and to the poor hous
+ more than the sin of drunkenness
= has b~equeathed to charity.
!, From the time Of Constantine,
n the fifteenth century. more bloo'
was shed, more lives destroyed
and wickedness perpetrated. undt
that king-Proscription and Christ
!, a~nity-than intemperance eve
/, connived at, or Of guilt was char
able.
From the army, whose general
. temperance, come the wolves