The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1886-04-10
THE DEMON RUM.
A Fugitive Gem from tho Great Temper
ance Orator, the Late John II. Cough.

THE DEMON RUM.
A Fugitive Gem from tho Great Temper
ancc Orator, the Late John II. Cough.
OF all Of the powerful exccrations on
rum delivered by the late John Il.
Cough, the most powerful has never
been published. ! came across 1t to-
day. II is in Coughs own handwrit-
ing, and was delivered by him twenty
six years ago, After It's delivery
young law student in the audience, Mr..
I. $. Shepherd, now resident OF this
city, asked Mr.. Cough TO favor him
with his words in writing. Mr.. Cough
consented. on condition that the man
uscript never be published while he
was ON the lecture platform. The con
ditions were assonted 10, and Mr..
Cough jottcd down the following
npostrophc on water and cxecration on
rum MS he had delivered them while
holding a glass Of water In bis hand:
There is no poison IN that cup; no
6endish spirit dwells beneath those
crystal drops to lure you and me and
all Of us 10 ruin; no spectral shadows
play upon It's wayelcss surface; no
widow groans or orphans tears rise
to God from those placid fountainsi
misery, crime. wretchcdness, woe,
want and rags come not within the
hallowed precincts where cold water
reigns supreme. Pure now as when II
left lis native heaven. giving vigor TO
our youth, strength TO our manhood
and solace TO our old age. Cold water
Is beautiful, and bright, and pure every
where. In the moonlight fountains
and the sunny rills; In the warbling
brook and the giant river, In the deep
tangled wildwood and the cataract =
spray; in the hand OF beauty or on the
lips Of manhood-cold water Is beauti-
ful everywhere" "
| Now follows the execration on rum;
"Rumi There Is a poison In that cup.
There Is serpent in that cup whose
sting Is madness and whose embrace Is
death. There dwells beneath that
smiling surface liendish spirit which
for centuries has been wandering over
the earth, carrying on n war Of desola-
tion and destruction against mankind,
blighting and mildewing the noblest
affections Of the heart and corrupting
with IT, foul breath the tide Of human
life and changing the glad, green earth
into lazar house. Gaze on III But
shudder a. you gael Those sparkling
drops are murder In disguise; so quiet
now, yet widows groans and orphans
tears and maniac's yells are In the cup.
The worm that dieth not and the fire
that IL not quenched In that cup.
"Peace. and hope, and love, and
truth dwell not within that desolatinp
monster which men allrum. Corrupt
now as when IL left It's native hell. Civ
ing fire 10 the eye, madness 10 the
brain and ruin TO the soul. Rum II
vile, and deadly, and accursed every
where. The poet would liken u In IL
fiery glow to the flames that nickel
around the abode Of the damned. Th'
thcologian would point you 10 ti'
drunkards doom, while the historian
would unfold the dark record Of The
past and point you TO the fate Of EN-
pires and kingdoms lured 10 ruin b,
the siren song Of the tempter. ant
sleeping now In cold obscurity. th'
wrecks of what once were great
grand and glorious. Yes, rum Is cor
rupt, and vile. and deadly, and accursct
everywhere. Fit type and semblnnc'
OF all earthly corruption.
Base art thou yet as when the wis
men warned us Of thy power and bad
us fee thy enchantment. Vile ar
thou yet as when thou first went fortl
on thy unholy mission filling eartl
with desolation and madness, woe an'
anguish. Deadly art thou yet as wheI
thy envenomed tooth FIRST took fas
hold on human hearts. and thy serpen
tongue first drank up the warm III
blood Of immortal souls. Ancursed ar
thou yet as when the bones Of thy hrr
victim rotted In damp grave. and II
shrieks echoed along the gloomy cav
erns Of hell. Yes, thou Internal spin
Of rum, through all pas, hast tho
been. as through all coming time tho
shalt be. accursed everywhere.
sin the fiery fountains of the still; !
the seething bubbles Of the cauldror
in the kingly palace and the drunkard
howell; In the rich mans cellar and th
poor mans closet; In the pestilentii
vapors Of foul dens. and In the bla.
Of gilded saloons; In the hand Of beaut
and on the lip Of manbood--rum
vile. and deadly, and accursed every
whcre.
Rum. we yield not TO thy unha
lowed influence. and together we tay
met 10 plan thy destruction. And b
J what new name shall we call thee, an
} 20 what shall We liken thee when W
speak Of thy attributes Others ma
. call thee child of perdition. the has
born progeny Of sin and Satan. N
murderer Of mankind and the destro,
er OF immortal souls; but this nigl
will give thee new name among me
and crown thee with a new horror. an
that new name shall be the sacramen
l. al cup Of the rum power, and ! will 50
/, 10 all the sons and daughters Of eartl
, Dash il down. And thou. Rum. sha
I be my text In my pilgrimage anon
: men. and not alone shall my tongs
: utter II. but the groans Of orphans
! their agony and the cries oI widows
their desolation shall proclaim Il u
enemy Of home, the truducer Of chill
hood. and the destroyer Of msnhoo'
and uhosc only nntiiote i the zacr
, mental cup of Temperance. cold y
ter."-#eo<f<r f0.l Cor. n = ~