The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-13

shall we shoot him? I answer first, by get
ting our children right ON this subject. Let
them grow up with an utter aversion to
strong drink. Take care how you admins
ter it, even as medicine. II you find that
they have natural love forit, as some have,
put in q glass of it soma hurrid stuff, and
mako it utterly nauscous. Teach them as
faithfully as you do the Bible that rum is
hend Take them TO the aIulshouse and show
them tho wreck and ruin it works. Walk
with them into the homes that have been
scourgcd by it, II q drunkard had fallen in
TO ditch take them right up where they can
see his faco, bruised, savage aud swollen, and
say: "Look, my son. Rum did thatT Look
ing out of your window at some one who,
Intoxicated to malneSs goes through the
street brandishing bis fSt biaspheming God,
bowling, defying, shouting, resling, raw
ing and foaming maniac, say to your son:
"Look, that man was once child like you"
As you go by the grog shop let them know
that that is the place where men are slain, and
their wives made paupers, and tneir Children
slaves. Hold out to your children all warn
ings, all rewards, all counsels, lest in after
lays they break your heart and curse your
gray hairs. A man laughed at my father
.or his scrupulous temperance principles,
and said: II am more liberal than you. I
always give my children the sugar in the
glass after we have been taking a drink"
Three Of the sons have died drunkards and
the fourth is imbecile through intempsrate
habits.
Again, we will battle this evil by voting
only for sober men. How many men are
there who can rise above the feelings Of par.
rtsanship and demand that our officials shall
be sober mens
higher than the question Of availability, and
that however eminent mans services may
be, if he have habits of intoxication he is uu-
fit for any Office in the gift Of Christian
people. Our laws will be no better than the
men who make them. Spend few days at
Harrisburg or Albany or Washington and
you will find out why upon these subjects 1t
is impossible to get righteous enactments.
Again, we will war upon this evil by or
ganized societies. The friends Of the rum
traffic have baudei together; annually issue
their circulars; raise fabulous sums Of money
to advance their interests, and by grips pass
words signs and stratagems set at defiance
public morals Let us confront them with
organizations just MS secret, and, il need be,
with grips and pass words and signs main.
tain our position. There is no need that our
philanthropic societies tell all their plans.
am in favor of all lawful strategy in the car
rying on of this conflict. wish to Go1 we
could lay under the wine casks train which,
once ignited, would shake the earth with the
explosion Of this monstrous iniquity
Again, we will try the power OF the
pledge. There are thousands Of men who
have been saved by putting their names to
such q document. know it is laughed at,
but there are some men who, having once
promised O thing, do it. "Some have
broken the pledge" Yes; they were liars.
But all men are not liars I do not say that
it is the duty Of all persons to make such
signature, but do say that it would be the
salvation Of many Of you. The glorious work
Of Theobald Mathew can never be estimated.
At his hand four millions Of people took the
pledge, and multitudes in Ireland, England,
Scotland and America have kept it till this
day. The pledge signed to thousands has
been the proclamation Of emancipation.
Again, we expect great things from inc
briate asylums. They have already done
glorious work. think that we are coming
at last to treat inebriation as it ought to be
treated, namely, as an awful disease, self In
ficted, to be sure, but nevertheless disease.
Once fastened upon man sermons won't
cure him: temperance lectures will not eradi
cate it; religious tracts will not remove it;
ii1 under the power Of this awful thirst the nlah
is bound to 60 on: and il the foamins glass
were on the other side Of perdition he would
wade through the fires Of hell to get it. A
Tor intoxicating liquors that he cut or his
hand at the wrist, callel for bowl OF brandy
in order to stop the bleeding, thrust his
wrist into the bowl, and then drank the con-
tents.
Stand not when the thirst Is on him be-
tween man and his cups. Clear the track
TOR him. Away with the children; he would
tread their life out. Away with the wife;
be would dash her to death. Away with tbs
cross; he would run it down. Away with the
Bible; he would tear it up for the winds.
less as q straw. "Give mo the drink! Give
it to me! Though the hands Of blood pass up
the bowl and tho soul trsmbles over the pit
the drink! give it to me! Though it ba
pale with tears; though the froth OF eyerlast.
ing anguish float on the foam-siye it to moi
drink to ny wifss woe to my childrens
rags, to my eternal banishmeut from Goo
and hope and heaven! Give it to me! the
drink9'
Again, we will contend against these evils
by trying to persuade the respectable classes
Of society to the banishm,nt Of alcoholic
beverages. You who move in elegant and
refinel associations; you who drink the best
liquors; you who never drink until you log:
your balance, let US look each other in the
face on this subject. You have under God
in your power the redemption OF this lane
from drunkenness. Empty your cellars and
wine closets Of the beverage and then come ou
and give US your hand, your vote your pray
ers your sympathies. Do that and will prom
ise three things: First That you will find un
speakable happiness in having done yout
duty; second, you will probably save some
boiy-perhapS your own child; third, you
will not in your last hour regret that yor
made the sacrifice, if sacrifice itbe.
As long o" you make drinking respectable
drinkin, customs Will prevail, an the ploW'
share Of death, drawn BY terrible disasters,
will GO on, turning u) this whole continent
from eni to end with the long, deep, awful
furrow OF druakarjs graves.
OH how this run fiend would like to &C
and hang up skeleton in your beautiful
house, so that when you opene1 tho front
door to 20 in you would Sc, it in the hall;
and when you sat at your table you Woul1
see it hanging from the wall; aud when yor
opened your bedroom you would hnd II
stretched upon your pillow; aud, waking at
night, YOU would feel its cold hand pass
ing over your face and pinchins at your
heart
There is no home so beautiful but it may
| be devastated by the awful curse. 1t throws
its jargon into the sweetest harmony. What
was it that silenced Sheridan, the English
orator, and shattered the golden scepter with
which he swayed parliaments and courts!
What foul sprite turned the sweet rhythlnn
Of Robert Burns into tuneless babble!
What brought down the majestic form of one
who awed the American Senate with his elo-
quence, and after while carried him home
! dead drunk? What was it that swamped the
noble spirit Of one Of the heroes Of the last
war. until, in drunken fit he reeled from
the deck of western steamer and was
drowned? There was one whose voice we oil
loved TO hnar He was one Of the most classic