The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1886-03-27


OF the 60 entries on these four pages
81 arc for whisky, beer and drinks
almost one-half the number. The
total amount of purchases is 5000,
but Of this si.3j IL for these internal
p0sons. These entries are but fair
sample Of tho whole book. Any four
pages, taken at random, would show
similar figures.
That the owner Of this book Is poor,
Is evident from the character and the
small quantity Of his purchases. As
there are no entries, save nj one or two
places In the book. Of vegetables pur-
chased, we infer that ho raised his own,
which were probably stored in the col
lar, and afforded part of the subsist-
ence of his family II they ate any
meat except the hcrrings mentioned, Il
WIS probably bought elsewhere. But
leaving these items out of the question.
what picture Of poor fare and pinched
housekeeping do these entries show!
That there Is at least one child In the
family Is probable from tho item, "doll,
seven cents What chance has that
poor staryeling little one. think you,
to grow 10 perfect manhood or woman
hood, with sound body, with full physi-
cal powers. and education enough to
battle with the world on terms Of equal
ity with the children Of men who are
free from the domination Of tho ac-
cursed drink habitP None. IL Is one
OF the worst Of the nnnumbcred woes
that follow the drink habit, that the
curse falls heavily upon the children.
To grow into strong adult, capable
Of bearing life'a burdens, n child must
have plenty Of good. nonrishing food.
must be warmly clad, must be well
cared for physically; aud In our mod
em civilization. an education II as
necessary preparation for this life
battle as strong, healthy body. And
the children Of drunken parents very
rarely have strong. wcll.balanced
minds; they inherit the enfeeblod brain
Of the rnm-poisoned parent.
In the two weeks we Judge these en-
tries 10 cover. this man guzzled sl.55
IN beer. ~. % In whisky, aud 70 cents
In rum and drinks In the same
time, he and his family purchased A.. 20
In -four. Compare si.3J spent In
drunkenness with an expenditure Of
1926 for -four In the same timei Look
over the rest Of the list Of purchases;
there j. but one thing that can by any
stretch Of imagination bs called lux
ury-iclly--and that purchased few
cents worth nj Time. probably 10
render the bread and oleomargarine
butter palasable 10 the little childl
But why comment. longer on this
textP The bars facts are enough for
snf thinking man. He can fill out the
painful picture without aid. lie can
imagine the bare comfortIess home.
the careworn wife. the ill.fcd child, the
coarsely-clad. bloatcd husband and
father. Unfortunately, such cases are
oil too common. Any one familiar
with the life Of tho poor In cities will
recognize this unknown case as but
one of thousands and tens of thousands
Of men going surely down 10 poverty,
misery and death. dragging their
wretchcd wives and innocent children
alDng with them. II j. only the com.
mon instance of a'man upon whom the
rum demon has H. Internal grasp. that
IL all; a laboring man, nearly half Of
whose outlay. the first week in this
month of February, was for drink.
II there any argument for the dam
nable rum traffic that can stand for
moment in the sight of such a showing
one which Is simply representative
Of uncounted Others In AL the cities aud
towns of our land' What Il there 30
sacred In rum that II must be allowed
10 continue It's hellish work of making
men insensible 20 the needs of wife and
children. deliberately brutalixing and
running themselves day BY day. steadi.
ly sinking deeper into the horrid pit
which shall sooner or later engnlf
them7 What Il there In this damna-
bic business that men should be al
loved 10 follow ~ The rum.seller l.
the first lieutenant Of the devil. He
daily aud hourly tsmpts men 10 barter
their souls for rum. Hs tempts them
20 exchange their msahssI fsr ths d.
rect and most hopeless form Of slavery.
lie casts over them a spell more terri.
bic than that Of Gree. for she only
turned men inso heas's hat ran tuFa
them into demons Under H. mslien
influence. mans duty. a husband
owe. fathers carr. are al swallowed
up IN seoFshing. burning. God-ae-
cufzed thirst To satisfy that red-hsI
s'z=s from h>il ~h-s b Ie<l- u. nse