Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-15
Discussed by U. S. Senator Colquitt
and Col. W. D. Moore, the Lawyer.
A ROUSING PROHIBITION RALLY.
The ElOquence of Two Speakers Loudly
Applauded by Hearers.
COMPLETING COUNTY ORGANIZATION

oents OF the meetlng were w. f. Schmertz,
w. B. Negley, j. R. Reed, Alex. Bradley,
Otis Sheppard, Joseph Walton, A. P.
Burchfeld, John G. Stephenson, G. L.
Rose, C. c. Boyle, Captain John A. Wood,
J. R. Johnston, J. D. Bailey, Captain j.
K. Barbour, b. Samson, Rev. T. n. Boyle,
Mrs. F. L. Swift Mrs. E. M. Watson, W.
T. Dunn, Thomas D. Turner, j. A. McCon-
nell. Rev. D. A. McAllister and W. E.
Harrison. The Secretaries were Alderman
A. II. Leslie and T. E. Lewis.
After the Rev. DR.. Reid had offered
prayer, DR.. Hamilton introduced United
States Senator Colquitt, of Georgia, formerly
Governor of that State Senator Colquitt
said that he was not there as crank, nor as
fanatic, nor as specialist or reformer,
but as Georgian, an American citizen and
patriot, and, he trusted, as a Christian.
He said:
THE SENATOR'S ARGUMENTS.
Did you ever hear of liquor dealers con-
vention opening with prayer as this has, or a
meeting in saloon asking for the grace of
Gcd to be with them? Such prayer to go up
in grog shop would invoke curse instead of
the divine aid. Therefore we can go ahead
will with us.
Everywhere that it has been tried 1t has pro-
@ ni6ited, Just T as any other law prohibits vice
people claim, is because some people will drink
| and get drunk anyhow.
Turning to Colonel Moore, he said:
you've had two or three murders in your
county during the last year, haven't you,
Colonel"
Eyes, sir" replied Colonel Moore, "two
or three dozen"
1.-TWO or three dozen, whewl Well, why
in the world don't you repeal the law pro
hibiting murder? It don't prohibit muir
der, repeal it." Continuing, he said:
Let Pennsylvania take off its cap of sovereign
saloon keeper and say we can't carry out our
laws. 1t don't prohibit. When you say this
| by your vote you had better become Terri
| tory and submit to the doubtful legislation of
| Congress.
AS to the argument that TO do away with the
manufacture and sale of liquor would break
| down commerce and ruin manufacturers, he
| had only this to say. The people in Georgia
had good opinion of the people of PennsylYa-
mia, and admired them for their thrift, indus
try, ETC., but to tell them that their prosperity
was not due to thrift but to liquor would be a
| revelation. The liquor business did not pay
| one-tenth of the burdens that were caused by
the vice of dram drinking. In regard to high
| license making the business respectable !
| or a respectable drunk. If a soul was ruined,
what matter if it was in a respectable saloon
or doggery. Liberty is not license to do what
you please and the best interest of society is to
protect liberty and thus do away with license
and debauchery.
Touching on the relation of Democracy
and drinking, he said he was Democrat,
he was born one, raised one and is one now,
and it was not necessary for him to get
drunk to prove his faith in his creed, and
drinking is not part of Democracy. This
he urged to bring his Democratic brothers
to support prohibition.
COLONEL MooRE's ELoQUENCE.
Colonel W. D. Moore, the well-known
attorney, was the next speaker. Loud ap.
plause greeted him. He said:
In the United States 6o, 900 people perish every
| year from whisky. This is an undeniable fact
and matter of record. In Europe and the
United States $4,000 go down to death every
| year from the same cause. The
great army tramps steadily on, through
shame and sin and sorrow to death and hell In
thatvast army are some of the most intellectual
and brilliant of men and some of the most
| beautiful and accomplished of women; wives
sisters and daughters who are encircled IN the
vast waves of death. Bereaved widows, help.
| less children and murdered ones killed by the
| hands of those that vowed to protect them can
| be added to the multitude. This multitude
| marches on and recruits its ranks in Pennsyl.
| vania every year.
For the first time you and I are asked and we
| this continue? "If the Lord be God, follow
Him. If Baal be God, follow Him; choose We
this day which We shall follow"
The Colonel expressed his regret that
"every loafer who has been shaken into the
State from any country" after having been
here but five years, can vote on this cues
ton, while the wives and mothers Of
the land cannot. In speaking of the
running of the business of the men engaged
in it, he said, $4,000, 600, 900, it is calculated,
| is invested in it, but we have the right to
ask what this capital is employed for, OF
what does it attain. 1t makes the vast
multitude mentioned and who has the right
to invest $500, 200, 900 in that which has
blighted the world. Nine hundred million
| dollars are as but dust in the balance when
compared with one immortal soul.
SOME POWERFUL BLOWS.
This capital, he continued, did not per-
| ish, but was simply diverted, and, by the
necessity of the case, must be diverted, and
with but little loss. He referred to the
| abolition of slavery, in which one-half OF
the capital of the country, almost, was in
vested, and said that though but quarter
of a century had passed, no i'll results are
felt. He added: "I tell you that God AL
mighty does not suffer right doing to be
followed by wrong results"
Touching on liberty, he said: SIT is gov
erned 3y the public will. You have the
use of your eye, your hand, your foot and
your weapon to take the life of fellow
man? Try it, and see how soon your neck
will be stretched-outside of Allegheny
county"
The last was said after brief pause, and
when the laughter that followed had sub
sided, the Colonel said, in deprecatory
way: "I'm sorry, but I've contributed to
that myself"
He said that society must be protected,
and by force ii necessary, and the law has
said: "You shall not do this thing which
works i'll to others" AS for moral suasion,
it has been tried for thousands of years bv
thousands of mothers and daughters, who
have prayed and begged on bended knees.
He would not say that moral suasion was
not right, but so long as a fortune was to be
or hearts were broken, the depraved heart
would trample on them to secure it, and
nothing but the uplifted sword would stop
| them"
In conclusion he asked that it be remem-
bered that the contest is for everything that
is near and dear and precious. There are
nobler battle fields than those ofGettysburg,
Waterloo, etc.-those of right and wrong,
| and he begged: "Be saviour, not de-
stroyer; man, not coward in this battle,
and kill whisky, or it will kill you."
ORGANIZATION COMPLETED.