Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1891-09-07
w. G. T. u. COLUMN
"WHOSE BOTTLE IS IT.,

Many III the audience at Music Hall
recently thought of John B. Cough as
they listened to John G.. Wooley.
There are many points of similarity
between the two men. Cough went
down to the depths time and again
through his love for liquor; Mr. Wool
ley has had the same experience.
Cough devoted his life to the temper
ance work; Mr.. Woolley is doing the
same.
Mr.. Woolley's subject was, s'Whose
Bottle?' The meeting was very
large one, almost every seat in Music
Hall being filed. The speaker chose
for the text of his talk. 'EWoe to him
that giveth his neighbor drink; that
puttest thy bottle to him." The SER
mon was full of strong, terse senten-
ces, and pointed questions.
The text itself, said Mr.. Woolley, is
a curse of the Almighty upon him
who owns the bottle, as well as upon
him who offers it. Have any of you
bottle upon your sideboard? How is it
about your churches? Are there any
bottles there? When a man has fought
against the demon of drink, and by
the grace of God has won the victory,
he may seek the communion table.
What do you offer him there? Is it any
thing that will rouse his appetite
again, and take him from the ground
he has won? Have you bottle there?
Suppose you go with me to saloon.
Everything is attractive and beauti-
full. The attendants are dressed in
Jackets of spotless white, and they
are artists in their profession. They
move along behind the polished bar,
touching the clear glasses with the
skill Of Swiss bell-ringers. They pour
the golden liquor, put in a little slice
of lemon, crystal Of ice, a strawberry
or a slice of fruit. They pour it from
glass to glass in an iridescent bow of
promise.
Behind the bar is a great mirror.
Men like to see themselves drink. [
don't think any bar-room would be
success without it's mirror. | wish the
mirror could be sensitized till it would
show to the young man the picture of
the future.
verything about the saloon is made
attractive. Now, suppose you ask
one of the attendants whose place this
is. He leads you to two framed pa
pers on the wall-two licenses. One
of them is from the municipality, and
81 TOI, !, &c.
thorized to keep the bottle there. The
other is from the United States gov
eminent, and is witness to John
Smiths right to keep the stuff, to fill
the bottle, and to sell it. This paper
makes John Smith runs seller to their
sovereign majesties, the municipal and
federal government.
Now, what has all this to do with
you? just this: Suppose all the liquor
in the United States were put in bar
rels and piled in one great pyramid,
whose would it be? You would see on
every barrel the mark "U. S. Jus 1t
belongs to us, dosen't it? We are the
sovereigns; we make the laws; we say
whether or not John Smith shall sell
the liquor. So we put the bottle to
our neighbours lips.
You have done something with the
bottle here in Boston. You have tried
to keep it corked on Sunday; you
have made a man sit down before he
can get his drink; you have kept it
away from the boys. But the great
procession of drunkards still moves by,
and will move by SO long as you, the
sovereigns of federal and municipal
governments, instruct your represen-
tatives to sign John Smiths permits
sion to put the bottle to his neighbor' Is
lips-BOston Herald.