Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-08-15
Ingersoll on Temperance.

In speaking to a jury in a case in
volving the manufacture of alcohol,
Col. Robert Ingersoll used the follow
ing eloquent language; 81 am aware
that there is a prejudice against any
man engaged in the manufacture of
alcohol. l believe that from the time
it ISSUES from the coiled and poisonous
worm-in the distillery--until ii
empries into the hell of death, dishon-
or and crime, it demoralizes every
body that touches it from its source
to where it ends. | do not believe
anybody can contemplate the sub
ject without becoming prejudiced to
the liquor crime. All we have to
do, gentlemen, is to think of the
wrecks on either bsnk of the stream
of death, of the suicides, of the in
sanity, of the restitution, of the little
children Juggling at the weary and
faded breasts, of weeping and de-
spairing wives asking for bread; of
the talented men of genius that it has
wrecked, the men struggling with i'm
aginary serpents produced by this
devilish thing; and when you think
of the jails, the alms-houses, of the
asylums, of the prisons, ofthe scatfolds
upon either bank, | do not wonder
that every thoughtful oman is pre-
JUDGED against thus damnable stuff
called alcohol.
"Inteniperance cuts down youth in
its vigOr, manhood in its strength,
and old age in its weakness. 1t breaks
the fathers heart, bereaves the
doting mother, eXtinguishes natural
affection, grasses conjugal love, blows
out filial attachments, blasts parental
affection, and brings down mourning
age in sorrow to the grave. 1t pro-
duces weakness, not strength; death,
not life. 1t makes wives widows
children orphans; parents childless,
and all of them paupers and beggars.
1t feeds rheumatism, invites govt,
imparts pestilence and embraces con-
sumption. 1t covers the land with
idleness, misery and crime. 1t fills
your iails, supplies your alms-houses
and demands your asylums. 1t en-
genders controversies, fosters quarrels
and cherishes riots. 1t crowds YOU
penitentiaries and furnishes victim.
to your scaffolds. 1t is the life BLOOD
of the gambler, the element of thu
burglar, the prop ofthe highwaymar
and the support of the midnight in
cendiary. 1t countenances the liar
respects the theft, esteems the bias
phemer. 1t violates obligations, rev
erences fraud and hOnors infamy. /
defames benevolence, hates love
scorns virtue and ISLANDERS innocence
1t incites the father to butcher tn
helpless offspring, helps the husband
to massacre his wife, and the child t,
grind the parricidal ak. 1t burns u
men, consumes women, deteSts life
curses God, denies heaven. 1t sub
Orns witnesses, nurses perjury, denie
the jury COX, and stains the iudicia
ermine, 1t degrades the citizen, de
bases the legislator, dishonOrS tn
statesman and disarms the patriot
1t brings shame, not honor; terror
not safety; despair, not hope; misery
not happiness; and with the malevo
lence Of a fiend it calmly surveys it
frightful desOlatiOn, and unsatistiet
with its havoc, it poisons felicity
kills peace, ruins morals, blights con
fidence, Stays reputation, and wipe
out national honor, then curses tn
world and laughs at its ruin. 1t doe
all that and more-it murders thu
soul. 1t is the sum of villainies, TIN
father Of all crime, the mother o
abominotions, the DEVILS best frienC
and Gods worst enemy"