The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-01
Coughs Tribute to Cold Water.

1 livered by the late john b. Cough, the most
powerful has never been published. came
across it to-day, says Wooster (Oaio) cor
respondent. 1t is in Coughs own handwrit-
ing, and was delivered by him twenty-six
| years ago. After its delivery, young law
student in the audience, Mr.. r. s Shepherd,
now resident of Wooster, 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 conditions were
assented to, and Mr.. Cough jotied down The
following apostrophe on water and execra-
ton on rum as he had delivered them while
holding a glass of water in his hand
There is no poison in that cup; no fiend-
ish spirit dwells beneat those crystal drops
to lure you and me aud all Of us TO ruin no
spectral shadows play upon its waveless sur
face no widows groaus or orphans tears
rise to God from those plac d fountains; mis-
cry, crime, wretchedncss, woe, want and
ags come not within the halowed p'ccincls
where cold water reigns supreme, Pure now
rs when it left its native heaven, giving
vigor to our youth, strength to our man
toud, and soace to our old age. Cold water
beautiful, aud bright aud pure everywhere.
Iu the moonlight fountains aud the sunny
| l. 1. i
iyer; III the deep ia gled wildwood and
the calaracts spray in the hand of beauty
~ in the lips Of manhopd-cold water is
beautiful everywhere.
Rum! There il a poison in that cup.
There is a serpent in that cup whose sting is
madness, and whose embrace is death. There
DIV ellis beneath that smiling surface fiend-
sh spirit hch for centuries has been wan
dering over the earth, carrying on a war of
desolaton and destruction against mankind,
blighting and mildewing the noblest affec-
tions of the heart and corrupting with its
foul breath the tide of human life and
I
house. Gaze on it But shudder as you
gaze Those sparkling drops are murder in
disguise so quiet now, yet widows groans
and Orphans tears and mabiacs' yells are in
that cup. The worm that dieth not and the
fire that is not quenched are in that cup.
"Peace and hope, and love and truth dwell
not within that fiery circle where dwels that
desolating monster which men call Rum.
Corrupt now as when it left its native hell,
giving fire to the eye, madness to the brain
: and ruin to the soul. Ram is vile and deadly
and accursed everywhere. The poet would
= iken it in its fiery glow to the flames that
! flicker around the abode of the damned. The
/ theologan would point you to the drunk
lrd's DOOM while the historian would unfold
: Tue dark record Of the past and poins you
to the fate of empires and kingdoms lured to
: ruin by the siren song of the tempter, and
sleeping now in CO obscurity, the wrecks
Of what once were great, grand and glorious.
" Yes, rum is corrupt and vile and deadly aud
q rccursed everywhere. Fit type aud sem
nanca of all earthly corruption
Base art thou yet as when the wise mlu
warned us of thy power and bade US flee thy
II .nchantment. Vile art thou yet as when
thou first went forth on thy unholy mission
" filling earth with desUlation and madn SIS
NJ woe aud anguish. Deadly art thou yet az
= when thy cnyenomed tooth first took fast
told on human hearts, and thy serpen
n, tongue first drank up the warm life blond o
re immortal luls. Accused art thou yet a
re when the bones of thy first victim rotted il
! damp grave, and its shriek echoed along
= the gloomy caverns of hell Yes thou infer
a, nal spirit of rum, through all past time has
as lhou been, as through all coming time thol
ii shalt be, accursed everywhere.
IN 'In the fiery fountains of the still in tn
~ ~ seethng bubbles of the cauldron; in tn
kindly palace and the drunkArd's hoyel; j
nd the rich mans cellar and the poor man
ur closet in the pestilential yapors Of fou. den
le and in the blaze Of gilded saloons; in tn
: hand of beauty aud on the lip Of manhood
al Rum is vile and deadly and accnrsed every
where
nd "Rum we yield not to thy uuhalowed il
.he fluencc, and together we have met to pla
:. thy destruction. Aud by what new nam
shall We call thee, and to what shall we like
,ct thee when we speak Of thy attribute
in otheis may call thee child Of p9rditi1n, Il
base born progeny Of sin and Satan, &
- murderer Of mankind and the destroyer
M immortal souls but will this night 81
thee new name among men aud crown th
ain with a new horror, and that name shall
vs. ,' the sacramental cup Of the rum power, al
"a [ will say to all the sons and daughters
,rr- earth Dash it DIVA, Aud thou ru
1 a shalt be my tex iu my pilgrlmlge amo
the men, aud not alons shall my tongue utter
'"e but the groans of Orphansin in their agony az