Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1891-04-24
FER ANsU1.

YOU know says he that custem makes
law, this rum business has been going
on for ages, even Christ made wine at
the wedding at Cana. OF course says
the devil, that Cana sheepskin is; ali ill
fitting transparent short woolled sort OF
a garment, but between you and ma
more than hale of christendom wear it
aud think it perfect coat of mail.
Can you find me man with q well
balanced brain who believes that aga
makes truth out of falsehood. or that
reputation makes crime y virtue, if you
can, he IS just the man Barnunl is look
for:
The first farmer on record IN our
history was one Cain, and we are told
he while laboring under a fit of relig>
ious. jealousy killedhis brother and by
SO doing became a murderer and was
obliged to suffer all the terrible con-
sequences of his act Ever since Cain
killed his brother, all along the path Of
time, on both sides of the road, down,
down to the present time we find the
murderer and his victim. Has custom
made murder legal? Has age made lta
virtue? Ii so why not license the busf-
ness, 1t would certainly make help
scarce and send up the price of labor,
we could compel the murderer to bury
his victims and the license money
would all go into the treasury, and the
man in the shecpskin could console
himself with the fact that the murtterer
had no power to kill the soul Not so
with the rumseller, he has no excuse,
he does not try to make any, he is the
most honest of all men who are engaged
il. the rum traffic, he pays his money for
the privilege of making money, and
says to the political jackass "leok 70 to
that" and our legislators must look To-
that, they are the men who have taken
the thirty peices OF silver and tried to
betray the people, they are the silent
partners in the business that would
make hclls of our towns, misery and
want in our homes, crowd our poor
houses and jails with helpless and de-
graded human beings and tax the peo>
pie to support the nuisance, and does
the responsibility of the friend and
partner of the rum traffic stop here? I
should say not. God in his majesty has
said, "No drunkard shall enter tho
kingdom of heaven" Do those legisla>
tors think that lie VINO plants is less re-
sponsible than he who waters? Are
not those learned and intelligent legisla>
tors more responsible chan the bull dog
y that stands behind the bar and fills the
glass? if not why do we allow them to
represent us. Some of our Indiarubber
christians say that high license is the
only way to check the evil of intcmper-
ance, they say that prohibition does not
prohibit, and connot be enforced, why
not tell the truth and say you want rum
and want it handy and convenient,
they know very we'll that any law can
be enforced if it is sanctioned by the
! majority of the people. If some usurer
or shark wished to rob q farmer or Ia
boring man there would be no trouble
getting the job done law or ne law, but
tkc trouble is not III the ability to en-
.. force, but in the disposition to enforce
the law. A man does not kick q thing
he loves, there is only two things that
/. man is willing to sell his soul for, rum
and money.
= The man who votes for free or Ii
n censed rum, votes to put the bottle ia
y his neighbor's lips, and places his own
: name upon the list of the accursed, OF
;. there is no truth in the law of God, OF
e foundation in the religion we profess q
: reverence.
f q. S. PARMENTER