Smyrna times., 1886-07-14

ing between the parCleS anu we nave
no right to complain so long as we re-
ceive and appropriate the money. In
our partnership in this business we
are receiving the largest individual in
come of any engaged in the traffic.
More than one-third of the entire rev.
enue is realized from this source.
Martin Luther became indignant at
the Church of Rome for her traffic in
the sales of indulgences, receiving
money as the price for evil doing.
How much more should be our indig-
nation against our nation for like
sale of indulgences in the shape of Ii
cense and tax.
For the consideration of one, two
or three hundred dollars paid to the
county or State by the rum seller and
we will protect him in the sale OfliquOrto
men aud women, who, in turn, will go
out and commit suicide, murder, high
way robbery, assault and battery, beat
the wife and cause the children to beg
for living, no matterif widows hearts
ache, children go hungry and naked,
almshouses become full and jails and
penitentiaries overflow with victims
nineteen-twentieths of which are the
result of the indulgence to sell. We
need the money to pay our State Off
GERS.
AS citizen of the United States
you say to one class give me $25, and
you can do about as you please and to
another pay me - cents per gallon and
you may manufacture all the poison
you please-the more the better-nO
matter if by this act 10000 go down to
drunkards' graves and 100000 more
go into eternity annually as the result
of this act We need $7O,OOO,OOO annu-
ally out of the business even if it costs
the people of the States tax Of 81 ,000,
100000 to maintain and keep up the
trade.
New York city realizes $1,OOO,000
annually as revenue from drink, while
it costs $4,OOO,O0O to maintain her po-
lice work, to say nothing Of the enOr-
nous costs in other directions. Again,
were it possible to ascertain the
amount of woe and sorrow in time and
throughout eternity that is produced
by the liquor business no mathemati-
clan can calculate, no power declare it.
The nation, the people, the individ-
ual voter should blush with shame for
its traffic in the life, liberty and hap
piness of its people. Slavery is gone,
but drunkenness remains. Think,
there are 100000 drunkards in oul
land. Counting wives and children
brothers and sisters, there are at least
100000 of our people involved in the
miseries of drunkenness for which the
Christian churches of to-day are re-
sponsible. If this state of things must
continue and the individual voters dc
not rise up and declare it shall be 81
no more. If our legislators refuse tC
do their part then monarchy should
) laugh Us to sCOru and We should hide
GUS Magma Charta aud never whispe
that we have Il Constitution guaran
teeing us life and happiness. Bette
eXpunge this prctention from our dec
> laratiOn Of Independence. No intelli
gent mind will deny that intemperanc
in the use Of alcoholic beverage is tn
! most unmitigated and widely desolat
ing ban of our time and country. at
sepulchral tones are to be heard da,
: and night and its skeleton fngeV ar
hourly playing funeral dirges in tn,
houses all over the land" Intem
= perance is the dry rot of our bod,
polite by which the vital forces ar
wasting" at is the mildew of tn
nation" 1t is the slow poison of
plague, weakening and corrupting il
many instances even where it canno
destroy. Let us stop pickingand indin
fault with those who drink and thos
who sell, those who are Republican
Z and Democrats and take a square lOOl
{ at ourselves. Sweep our own door!
pull out the beams, and we can the
{ see all the better, and all the more cor
y sistently look after the notes anon
= our brethren and partners in the sam
y cause.
e But, say you, What can I dO?" S
IS said the dewdrOp, and so said tn
G rain.drop and SO said the snowllak,
e You have seen rivers, lakes an
n oceans; you have found it difficult t
10 get through the snOw-banks of tn
r North. We have the moral sentimei
If in this country to-day to wipe I'll
e curse from our statute book. Will "
r do it? To the extent that we can d
N we become responsible; and right hel
1r is forced the thought that the Christia
d people and not the rumseller are r
N spOnsible for all the miseries an
is crimes growing out of this traffic t
lie day.
,e The time'was when the law and Il
II pOOplO WClO tOSCOuCl III SCublulCL
If To-day the people are ahead of Il
of law, and the law must be brought :
ne to satisfy the minds of the peopl
or which demands total prohibition. v
at have no faith afIiliatiOn in faith old pa
IN ties. There is no moral advancemei
ur in the association of christian virtu,
he with vice and immortality. 9th
States have tried the experiment
he depending upon old parties to enfor
in the new law, but they found trout
at and failures at some of the most vii
at points. After twenty-five years of e
he perience Maine says she must have
in prOhibitOry party to enforce prOhi
ito tory law. Other States of like exp,
It? fence teach us the same lessons. B
as up comes the common objection
to carry politics into religion. Tempe
at ance is moral question, and shou
ire not be brought into politics. While
ng is not good to make politics pi
,ry eminent and attempt to carry it in
If religion, It is always proper to ma
we our religious sentiments pre-emine
'ur and carry them everywhere, no less
civ politics than into business life. I