Smyrna times., 1886-09-29

Saloon Keepers" Sufficient to dis
gust Christian men and cause them
wake up and ask What is the mat
ter ?"
The destruction Of the Civil War was
most manifest in the number who
died from disease. The number killed
and those who died from wounds did
not equal half the number who died Of
disease from exposure and prison life.
1t is estimated that the number aggre-
gated 225,000 men in four years of
warfare, making about $4,000 annually.
While there was sufficient to cause
many hearts 10 bleed, yet the destruc-
ton of intemperance from disease IS
manifestly more every year since the
war. Intemperance will number its
victims by hundreds of thousands. 1t
creates diseases and hastens OH prema-
ture death. Mr.. Nelson, of England,
has shown that the mortality of
drunkards at the ages from twenty-one
to thirty is five times greater than the
rest of mankind ut the same age-that
at the age of twenty, when the gen
eral population have an equal chance
of living forty-four years, that the in
temperate line less than halfOfthat time
only 154 years. The London insur-
ance companies claim that from the
age of 10 to 80 years that three intern
perate people die, to every one who is
temperate. During the great fever
which ragged in London in 1879 the in
temperate were the first and greatest
victims" DR.. Cartwright, of New
Orleans, wrote: 1.-THE yellow fever
came down like storm upon the de-
voted city of dram shops, about 5000
of the intemperate died before the epi-
demic touched a single sober man, so
far us l can get at the facts" On the
authority of London periodical we
would state that in the whole of Eng
land, Scotland and Ireland, not n sim
gle member Of a temperance society
has fallen prey to the disease, while
it has slain not less thaU 10000 of the
Incorporate, and we might continue to
quote authority proving the great dan
ger from drink. Sickness, poverty,
wretchedness, and death are the nat
ural consequences of strong drink.
With those who lost friends in the
war they had some consultations of
| honor and patriotism, having offered
their lives upon the altar of the cOun-
try, having the consciousness that they
died in asgood and noble cause. In evil
dence of which we meet at the grave
every Both of May to pay honor to the
noble dead.
How isl it, with the one who sacri-
! fees his or her life at the shrine of
rum, the name dare not be mentioned
to one of the friends without calling
up a long trail of wretchednsss and
crime and causing the tear of shame
and sorrow to spring from the eye.
Instead of patriotism they have crime ;
instead of honor they have disgrace ;
instead Of protection by the pension
they have poverty and shame instead
of homes furnished the widow, they
have homeless children crying for the
bread of life
The Civil war as matter Of expense
was enormous, calling for economy
and retrenchments on every side. The
war debt loomed up until it was
thought it could never be paid,
amounting to 50, 0O0O,O 900, while the
direct amount paid out at retail for
liquors and the indirect expense on the
government and people will almost
cover the amount in one year Of time
we should have very little of hard
times, but few failures in business, 10
need of many jails, penitentaries, aims
houses, hospitals, or charitable iustitu-
tions, if we could have a sober nation
and the money spent and appropriated
to an honest purpose.