The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-10-02


ness falling in every room. Door-bell
rings Little children hide. Daugh-
tiers turn pale. Wife holds her breath.
Blundering step in the hall. Door
opens Fiend, brandishing his fist,
cries: "Out! out! What are you doing
here?"
Did call this house the second? No,
it is the same house. Rum trans
formed it. Rum embruted the man.
Rum sold the shawl. Rum tore up the
carpets. Rum shook his fist. Rum
desolated the hearth. Rum changed
| that paradise into hell! ] sketch two
| men that you know very we'll. The
| first graduated from one of our literary
| institutions His father, mother, BROTH
ers and sisters we're present to see him
graduate. They heard the applauding
thunders that greeted his speech. They
saw the bouquets tossed to his feet.
| They saw the degree conferred and the
diploma given. He never looked so
we'll. Every body said: ''What noble
| brow! What fine eye! What graceful
mannersl What brilliant prospects,
All the world opens before him, and
| cries: "Hurrah! hurrah!
Man the second: Lies in the station
house The doctor has just been sent
for to bind up the gashes received in
fight. His hair is matted, and makes
| him look like a wild beast. His lip is
| bloody and cut. Who is this battered
and bruised wretch that was picked up
by the police and carried in drunk, and
| 7 L; n
the second? He is man the first! Rum
transformed him? Rum destroyed his
prospects Rum disappointed parental
expectation. Rum withered those gar
lands of commencement day. Rum cut
his lip Rum dashed out his manhood.
Rum. accursed rum.
This foul thing gives one swing to its
scythe, and our best merchants fall;
their stores are sold, and they sink into
dishonored graves. Again it swings
its scythe and some of our best ply
sicians fall into sufferings that their
wisest prescriptions can not cure.
Again it swings its scythe and minis
tiers of the Gospel fall from the heights
of Zion, with long resounding crash of
ruin and shame. Some of your own
households have already been shaken.
Perhaps you can hardly admit it; but
where was your son last night? Where
was he Friday night? Where was he
Thursday night? Wednesday night?
Tuesday night? Monday night? Nay,
have not some ofyou in your own bodies
felt the power of this habit? You think
that you could stop? Are you sure you
could? Go on little further, and l am
sure you can not. I think If some of
you should try to break away, you
would find chain on tho right wrist
and one on the left; one on the right
foot and another on the left. This ser.
pent does not begin to hurt until it has
wound round and round Then it begins
to tighten, and strangle and crush, until
bones crack, and the blood trickles, and
the eyes start from their sockets
and the mangled wretch cries: so God
o God! help! helpr' But it is too late
and not even the fires of woe can melt
the chain when once tits fully fastened
l have shown you the evil beast
The question is: Who will hunt hsm
down, and how shall we shoot him?
answer. First, by getting our children
right on this subject. Let them grow
up with an utter aversion to strong
drink. Take care how you administer
it even as medicine. If you find tina
they have a natural love for it, as some
, have, put in glass OF some horrid stklf
, and make utter nauseous. Teach them
as faithfully as you do the Bible, tina
rum is fiend. Take them to the aims
house, and show them the wreck anG
ruin it works. Walk with them int
the homes that have been scourged By
. it. If drunkard hath fallen into
ditch, take them right up where they
can see his face, bruised. savage anG
swollen, and say: Look. my son.
Rum did that!'' Looking out
of your window at some one who, in
toxicated to madness, goes through the
street, brandishing his fist, blasphem
! ing God, bowling, defying, shouting
, reeling, raving and foaming maniac
: say to your son: Look; that man wa,
) once child like you" AS you go by
r the grog shop, let them know that it is
f the place where men are slain, and their
l wives made paupers, and their children
slaves. Hold out to your children al
, warnings, all rewards, all counsels, les
in after days they break your heart an(
{ curse your gray hairs. A man laughed
at my father for his scrupulous temper
: ance PRINCIPLES and said: ST am more
I liberal than Tou. l always give Ia,
+ children the sugar in the glass after WI
9 have been taking drink" Three O
4 his sons have died drunkards and tn,
/ fourth is imbecile through intemperat
! habits.
n Again: We will battle this evil b.
v voting only for sober men. How man,
t men are there who can rise above tn,
5 feelings of partizanship and deman,
5 that our officials shall be sober men.
a l maintain that the question of SO
n briefly is higher than the question o
It availability; and that, however emin
e ent a mans services may be, if he hav
J. habits of intoxication he is unfit TO
any Office in the gift of Christian pee
n pie. Our laws will be no better thai
V the men who make them Spend fe,
k days at Harrisburg, or Albany, o
| n