Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-11-01
temperance.
WHO SHOULD OPPOSE THE
RUM TRAFFIC

ly, everybody is not reused up to the
Importance of active, personal oppo-
sitlon on his part, not only to his in
diligence of the drink habit, but to
the influence of rum in politics.
There is no man in this great country
but is either directly or indirectly
interested in the determination of
the drink traffic.
First are the parents. There is no
father but desires his sons to grow
up honest, sober young men, fitted
to do battle with the world and win
the guerdon of wealth and success.
AS strictly business principle, leav-
ing out of sight all other factors, it
pays for young man to be a total
abstainer. The merchant does not
want in his office drinking man.
The business man does not want a
clerk who is a drunkard. The man.
ufacturer does not want an employee
who goes upon a debauch Saturday
night and comes to work on Monday
with his brain clouded by the fumes
of alcohol, his muscles tremulous
and faccid, and hiz body entirely
unfit to do days honest, thorough
labor. The railway companies, as
rule, will not have employees in
the operating department who are
addicted to the use of liquor; human
life is too precious to put it at the
mercy of an engineer whose senses
are dulled by liquor, of switchman
who might when half drunk turn the
wrong switch and send the train to
destruction. Year by year the feel
ing among employers of labor, es-
pecially of intelligent, trained labor
is more and more against drinking
men. There can no stronger words
of condemnation be spoken of an
applicant for position or trust or
responsibility than those two, ''He
drinks -
Every parent, therefore, owes it
to his sons that they be reared to
habits of strict sobriety. 1t should
be a part of home teaching in every
family in the land. Every boy
should be impressed with the truth
that indulgence in rum handlcaps
him heavily in any life work upon
which he may be entering. Parents
too, should interest themselves in
every effort to regulate, to restrict,
to crush the saloon, for thousands
of young men who have gone down
to drunkard's graves would never
have learned the drink habit but fol
the temptations the saloon throws
| out.
We have said nothing of the sor.
row, and shame, and suffering OF
parents whose children have gone
astray-who have left the path of
sobriety to become the prey of the
rum demon. Nor have we taken in.
to consideration the loss of all tina
can make this life happy to the run
victim himself, not to speak of The
fact that he barters all hopes of eter
nifty for the wretched delirium oil
drunkenness. No drunkard can in
herit the kingdom of Heaven. Mucl
might be said upon this subject; bu
we are now looking at the drinl
question simply from bushes
standpoint, and must pass on.
Every business man, no matte
what branch of trade may engag
his attention, should be opposed /,
drinking and to the rum traffic. Til
reason is as simple as it is strong
Every dollar that passes over tn
counter of the saloon means tina
just one dollar less will be paid int
the tills of men engaged in Reputable
and legitimate traffic. The man VIII
spends his money for rum would
were the opportunity of buying til
: vile body-rot cut off, spend it fo
more and better food for himself ali
!. family, for clothing for them, bette
y furniture, and carpets, and pictures
and books, and everything that goe
to make a home comfortable an
t beautiful. If the millions that al
y spent for rum every year in til
: United States were spent for thes
If things, would not trade be better
Would not the consumption of tt
If necessaries of life largely increase
SO plain truth needs no demonstr
If ton. SO far as the drinker is col
lie cerned, the money he pays for Il
I'd vile stuff Is worse than lost. 1t n
a. only brings him nothing valuable
return, but it ''puts an enemy In
n, his mouth to steal away his brains"
Nv yes, and not only his brains.
steals from him his health, the estee
l. and confidence of his fellow-men
e. prospects of long life, all hope of
"a serene old age surrounded by cor
ne forts purchased with the savings
in an economical, well spent life of |
Of, Dor. 1t drags him down, and wor
III. than all, with him 1t drags all W
is are dependent upon him down il
= the slough of poverty, misery, igr
rid rance and degradation.
The women of the land-G
|. bless them are almost to u
,,tt- against the Rum curse. Woman
s "a: tender heart, ever open to the nj
he appeal of want, and misfortune, q
we suffering, impe her instinctlvely