Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-28


disasters, will go on turning up this whole
continent from end to end with the long
deep, awful furrow of drunkards' graves.
Oil how this rum liend would like to 60
and hang up a skeleton in yeur beautiful
house, SO TINT when you opened the front
door to go in you would see it in the hall;
and when you sat at you. table you would
see it hanging from the wall; and when
you opened your bedroom you would find
it stretched upon your pillow; and, waking
at night, you would feel its cold hand pass
ing over your face and pinching at your
heart.
There is no homo 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
rhythmn of Robert Burns into II tuneless
babble? What brought dow the majestic
form of one who awed the American senate
with his eloquence, ana after a while car
ried him home dead drunk? What was it
that swamped the noble spirit of one of the
heroes of the Last war, until, in a drunken
fit, he reeled from the deck of western
steamer and was drownedY There was one
whose voice we all loved to hear He was
one q :te most classic orators of the cent
ury. People wondered why man of so
pure heart and so excellent life should
have such a sad countenance always. They
knew not that his wife was Il sot.
| call upon those who are guilty of these
indulgences to quit the path Of death. Oh,
what a change it would make in your
m hns rtrfbi
is being desolatedS Would you not like to
brink back joy to your wife's heart, and
have your children come out to meet you
with as much confidence as once they
showedi Would you not like to rekindle
the home lights that long ago were ex-
tinguished9 1t is not too late to change
1t may not entirely obliterate from your
soul the memory of wasted years and a
ruined reputation, nor smooth out from
your anxious brow the wrinkles which
trouble has piowed. 1t may not call back
unkin5 words uttered or rough deeds
done; for perhaps in those awful moments
you struck her! 1t may not take from your
memory the bitter thoughts connected with
some little grave. But it is not too late to
save yourself, and secure for God and your
family the remainder 81 your fast going life.
But perhaps You have not utterly gone
astray. | may address one who may not
have quite made up his mind. Let your
better nature speak out You take one
side or the other in the war against drunk
enness. Have You the courage to put your
foot downright, and say to your companions
and friends, 81 will never drink intoxi.
eating liquor in all my life, nor will
hn hnhs IN
nothing to do with strong drink. 1t has
turned the earth into place of skulls, and
has stood opening the gate to lost world
to let in its victims, until now the door
swings no more upon its hinges but day
and night stands wide open to let in the
aeOnized procession of doomed men.
Do | address one whose regular work in
life is to administer to this appetite? For
Gods sake get out of that business! If a
woe be pronounced upon the man who
gives his neighbor drink, how many woes
must be hanging over the man who does
this every day and every hour Of the day.
Do not think that because human gov
eminent may license you that therefore
God licenses you. | am surprised to hear
you men say that they respect the "orig-
inal PACKAGE decision by which the su-
rum to be taken into states like Kansas
which have decided against the sale of in-t
toxicants | have no respect for q wrong
decision. care not who makes it. The
three judges Of the supreme court who
gave minority report against that decision
were right and the chief Justice was wrong
The right of n state to defend itself against
the rum traffic will yet be demonstrated
Al 1.
err than the judicial bench ar Washington
is the throne of the Lord God Almighty
No enactment, national, state or munich
pal, can give you the right to carry on
business whose one effect is destruction.
GODS AWFUL LIST
God knows better than you do Yourself
the number of drinks you have poured out
You keep n list, but a more accurate list
has been kept than yours. You may call it..
Burgundy, bourbon, cognac, Heidsjeck,
sour mash or beer God calls it strong
drink. Whether you sell it il low oyster
cellar or behind the polished counter of
first class hotel, the divine curse is upon
you. tell You plainly that you will meet
your customers one day when there will be
no counter between you. When your work
is done on earth, and you enter the reward
of your business, all the souls of the men
whom you have destroyed will crowd
around you and pour their bitterness into
your cup. They will show you their
wounds and say, "You made Them" and
point to their unquenchable thirst and say,
you kindled it," and rattle their chain
and say, you forged it," Then their
united grOans will smite your ear, and
with the hands out of which you once
picked tho siXpences and the dimes they
will push YOU off the verge of great preci-
pieces, while rolling up from beneath and
breaking among the crags of death will
thunder, "Woe to him that giveth his
neighboT drinkW