Blue-grass blade., 1891-01-03

J IroIh lts pernuy, ana, mcanWhIl
it sinks its tangs into palate an,
|. stomach, to create an irritation
t which its own fluid alone ca,
: temper; it shoots its venom
: through every nerve, which il
. ceaselcss vibration will afterwarc
clamor for renewal of its fata
touch. The craving for alcohol
begotten Of alcohol, ever wake,
stronger; the moment come,
when it is a wild passion, a fierce
madness. IL commands and OBJ
tains the most fearful sacrifices
In slavery to it woman forgets
honor the father in hellish
laughter casts to the vender OF
liquor that solitary dime that
would stay the starvation of the
child; the husband pawns the
dress of the dying wife. The
power of alcohol is mysterious.
The muscular giant crouches in
terror before its shrine, youth
yields up freshness of mien and
hopes of fortune, and mocks for
it's sake a mothers and a brides
love. Old age at its bidding puts
on the garment of idiocy and
closes its earthly journey in dis.
grace and sin. Piety does not
withstand the fury of its breath.
The very cedars cf Lebanon
have been laid low, the royal oaks
of the forest have been un-
crowned and flung into the deep
valleys of ignominy and death.
Read for a week the daily
papers; what frightful frequency
there is in the statement follow
ing reports of accidents, quarrel
ings, murders, crimes, divorces,
misfortunes Liquor was there.
Every morning the police calen-
dar is black with names of men
and women arrested tor drunken
ness. The careful investigation
of the Bureau of Labor in a large
American city, Boston, results in
the declaration that eighty-four
per centum of all crime brought
before its tribunals was the direct
or indirect fruit of alcohol. The
Chicago grand jury made this
ominOus report: I'VE find that
in every case of murder or man
slaughter, except one, the cause
leading to the crime CAME DIRECT
FROM THE SALOON All studies
of American political economy
force upon us the conclusion that
poverty would scarcely exist,
were it not for drink, and yet our
relief socities are over-burdened
with demands, our elemosynary
institutions are crowded, and our
tramps number legions. Ask
employers in factories and mines
they will say how often men
are idle from intemperence, and
how when day comes half
the wages drift into the tills of
the scloon-keepers.
With all religious and moral
means is there not room for law ?
Is it not the duty of the State to
enact law and enforce it? Law
gives most valuable aid to morals
and to religion. 1t is of itself q
teacher by holding up to public
gaze a right rule of conduct, and
its sword of justice does much in
quickening the moral conscience
within us. Law will not create
virtue, which must have its roots
in the innermost soul. But it
will remove TEMPTATIONS from
virtues way, or at least reduce
their violence. Tell me not that
temptations to drink shall re-
main. The temptations to drink
to-day set before the people, espe-
cially before the weaker and
poorer portion of them are dread
full in their deathly power and it
is neither charity to fellow-men
nor justice to society to permit
them. These are evils and in
elements to evils in presence of
which moral and religious means
are utterly powerless. Law can
do something. May we invoke
its aid? What else but law will
arrest the aggressiveness Of the
traffic? What else but law will
curb its political audacity!
These burning thoughts are as
true as anything can be. Catho-
lies and Protestants are alike
ruined by rum, and we invite
them all to join with us under
the white banner Of Prohibition
and to use this "strong arm of the
law" to protect our helpless
women and children from this
awful monster of evil that is
stalking through our land.
CATHOLICS AND PROHIRI.