Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-10

to urge on horses. or rather animals that
were tired, to greater eXertion'. No Que
would argue for moment that the whip or
spur gives strength to the hose: 1t may
cause him to put forth greater etforts, bat
in the end he will be the weaker for it, III
Won give him oats or corn he wiil gan
streneth. for they are nourishing. 1t is the
same with the use of alcohol; it seems to
give strength ut first, but YOU will ind that
n tcr awhile it will be like the whip to the
.;icd animal merely an increased acton of
The internal organs fof u short time end
ing in correspondents depression and loss
of real strength. Ag in. people say nlco-
on TIE human stomach show that instead of
helping it retaras. besides it does MOI look
reasonable. Take meat or vegetables OF
any kind and put it in alcohol and you can
preserve it for an indefinite period. Take
the meat into your stomach with the alco-
hol and will it not act the same on it there.
that is. keep it from being digested SO read
ilv? Other poisons are put ON the drug
gists' shelves and labeled with the skull
and cross bones, to warn people of their
dangerous nature and deadly effect, while
this poison i, diluted with water, etc., in
order to disguise it, and sold Oh every street
corner, and i'll Il great many places between
the corners, as II wholesome and strength
giving beverage. There is no doubt in
my nd that if people knew the real
nature of alcoholic drinks and the injn.
rious effect they have on the various organs
of the body they would no sooner use it
as n beverage than they would diluted
arsenic or st!ychnine. On thi; line l have
great hopes OF good results from the efforts
that have been and are being made by the
noble women of our land to introduce books
into the public schools teaching the effect
of alcohol on the human system. II we
impress on the minds of our children the
fact that the use of alcohol, even in what is
called moderation, will be a curse to them:
that it will make them weaker bota mentally
and physically; that it will render them
unit for true citizenship, and therefore
keep them from fulfilling their duty. not
only to their country but to their God, we
will soon have nation of people who
would rs soon tolerate den of cut-throats
and murderers as licensed saloon"
There is one other thing about alcohol
that makes it worse really than all other
poisons. If a man takes arsenic he sickens
and dies; the harm he does is to himself
alone, but how is ii with alcoholism?
From the time he commences to use it
until he ends his life in drunknrd's grave
he is curse to himself and to all who are
connected with him.
You all snow the terrible loss of life and
property that is caused by persons being
intoxicated every year, but who except
those who have experienced it know the
depth of shame, modification and misery
felt and endured by those who have a
d'uuken father, brother, husband, son
and shall l add mother-ycs, there are
thousands Of childsen to-day who have that
disgrace to bear-that word which, with its
companion word home, should be the dear
est OF words to them is uttered only with
burning cheek and downcast look; and nil
because of this curse of curses and king of
poisons, alcohol. What other poison can
claim its 100000 victims yearly? What
other poison enters Into tbs mouth to steal
away the brain and turn the wise and
learned man into dwelling idiot, or sim
pie fool, the loving husband into brutal
monster, and the kind and thoughtful
father into raving maniac? Friends. ask
you, shall we not discard the word temper
ance as o deusion and snare, as a term
connected with times and ideas that are
past and gone, and substitute total absti-
hence or prohibition.
Name signifies quality; if we adopt the
name we must be indeed prohibitionists.
We must not only work to reclaim the
drunkard, but war against the manuiactory
and sale Of that which makes drunkarCls.
and war not only with words but also with
ballots.
My friend, have no excuse to make for
this last sentiment. l repeat it, we mus;
war with ballots. We claim to be Prohibi-
tionsss; how else can we provo it than by
voting for prohibition; at what other place
can an American citizen show his sentiment
with so much ease and with such good eff
feet as at the ballat-box. Some will say,
don't carry the matler into politics! NV
,tear sir, we are not carrying it into poll
ties; the brewers and saloon-keepers have
carried it there long ago, and we are lust
going there TO carry it out. Any one who
will take the trouble to examine the matter
and it wont take much troube-can read
ny sec THAI the liquor traffic has had the
leading men in both the so-called great
political parties by the neck for several
years past, and the candidate who dares OBJ
pose them in any way is sure to be elected
to stay at home. Peoples Tabernacle. |