The midland journal., 1886-10-22
WhiskeY.

The following arraignment of liquor
was made by Robert J. Ingersol in one
of his great temperance lectures. Who
will deny its truthfulness? Who will
vote to license such giant evilp
81 believe from the time alcohol is.
sues from the coiled and poisonous
worm in the distilery. until it empties
into the hell Of death. dishonor and
crime. that it is demoralizing to everv-
body that touches it, from the source to
where it ends. I do not believe that
anybody can contemplate the subject
without being prejudiced against the
crime. All we have to do is to think
of the wrecks on either side Of the
stream of death. Of the suicides Of the
insanity. of the poverty. Of the destruc
ton. Of the little children tugging at
the breast. Of weeping and despairing
wives asking for bread, of the man of
genius 1t has wrecked. the man strug-
Cling with imaginary serpents produced
by this devilish thing; ana when you
think Of the jalls. OF the almshouses. Of
the asylums. of the prisons and of the
scaffolds on either hand. do not WON
der that every thoughtful man is pre-
JUDGED against this vile stuff called
alcohol. INTEMPERANCE cuts down
youth in its vigor. manhood in its
strength, and age in its weakness. Il
breaks the fathers heart, b"reaves the
doting mother, extinquishes natural
affection. erases conjugal love blots out
fillal attachments and blights parental
hope, and brings premature age in sor-
row to the grave. 1t produces WEAK
NESS not strength; SICKNESS, not
health; DEATH, not life. 1t makes
wives widows, children orphans, faith
ers fiends. and all paupers. It feeds
RHEUMATISM, nurses GOUT, welcomes
EPIDEMICs, invites CHOLERA, imports
pestilence, and EN- mbraces CONSUMPTION.
1t coyers the land with misery. idle
ness and crime. 1t engenders contro-
Yersies, fosters quarrels, and cherishes
riots. 1t crowds your penitentiaries,
and furnishes victims to the scaffold.
1t is the blood of the gambler, the ele.
ment of the burglar, the prop of the
h'ghwayman, and the support of the
midnight incendiary. 1t countenances
lhe liar, respects the thief, esteems the
o!asphemer. 1t violates obligations.
reverences fraud, honors infamy. It de.
fames benevolence hates love. scorns
virtue and Innocence. 1t inciteS the
ANsN'SA w w SIOA hlS LClUIGSS =
and the child to grind the parricdal axe.
1t burns up men, consumes women, de.
tests life. curses God. and despises
Heaven. 1t suborns witnesses, snurses
perfidy, defiles the ejury box and stains
the Judicial ermine. 1t brides voters,
disquaIifies votes, corrupts elections,
polutes our institutions. and erdangers
the government. It degrades the cit
lzen, debases the legislator, dishonors
the statesman. and disarms the patriot.
1t brings shame. not honor; terror. not
safety; despair. not hope; misery, not
happiness; and with the malevolence
of fiend. calmly surveys its frightfu'
desolation; and, unsatiated with havoc
it poisons felicity, kills peace. ruins
morals, wipes out our national honor,
then curses the world and laughs at its
ruin. It does that, and more-it MUIR
ders the soul. 1t is the sum of all vii
lainies, the father OF crimes, the mother
of all denominations. the devils best
friend, and Gods worst enemy.