The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-05-13
W. G. q. u. Column.

81 | WIZ NSiNSS Va "ehNAp SNo 'AbAO
duced deluge against which the
human race has ever since been trying
to build an ark, the deluge of drunken
ness. Ever since apples and grapes
and wheat grew the world has been
tempted to unhealthful stimulants.
But the intoxicants of the olden time
were an innocent beverage, harmless
orangeade, quiet syrup, Fearless
soda water as compared with the liquids
of modern inebriation into which a
madness and fury and a gloom aud a
fire and suicide and a retribution have
mixed and mingled. Fermentation was
always known, but it was not until a
thousand years after Christ that distil-
lation was invented.
While we must confess that some of
the ancient arts have been lost, the
Christion era is superior to all others
in the bad eminence of whiskey, gin
and rum. The modern drunk is a
hundred fold worse than the ancient
drunk. Noah in his intoxioation be-
came imbecile, but the victims of mod
ern alcoholism have to struggle with
the whole menagerie of wild beasts,
kissing serpents and basph eming
demons. Intemperance has done more
for collins, and grave yards, prisons and
insane asylums and the popularity Of
the lost world, driven more ships on the
rocks Of Newfoundland and the Skerries
and the Goodwins, it defeated the
Northern army at Fredicksburg, has
ruined more Senators than will gather
next winter in the national councils,
has ruined more lords than will be
gathered in the House OF Peers.
Talk about crooked whiskey, by
which men mean the whiskey that does
not pay taxes to the government. I
tell you all strong drink is crooked be-
cause it makes mans path crooked
and his life crooked and his death
crooked, and his eternity crooked. l
call your attention to the fact that
there are thousands of people born with
thirst for strong drink; fact too often
ignored. Along some ancestral lines
there runs the river of tenn ptation. From
the multitude of those who have the
evil habit born within them, this army
is being augmented. And 1 am sorry
to say that a great many of the drug
stores are abetting this evil, and alcohol
is sold under the name of bilters. 1t
is bitters for this and bitters for that.
and bitters for some other thing; and
good men deceived, not knowing there
is any tLraldom of alcoholism coming
from that source, are going down. They
make mans family bitter, and his
home bitter, and his disposition bitter
and his death bitter and his hell bitter
-Bitters; vast army all the time
increasing, and let me say that it is as
thoroughly organized as any army, with
commander in chief, staff officer, in.
fantry. cavalry, batteries, sutler.ships
and flaming ensigns and that every
candidate for office in America will yet
have to pronounce himself the friend
or foe of liquor traffic. l have in my
possession the circular of a brewers
association-a circular sent to all can
didates for office form to be filled
up saying whether the candidate is
friend of the liquor traffic or its enemy
and if he is an enemy of tho business
that man is doomed; or if he declines
to fill up and return the circular, his
silence is taken as negative answer.
1t seems to me it is about time for the
seventeen million of professors of
relig ion in America to take sides and il
they should take sides on the subject
it would not be very long before the
destiny of this nation would be decided
in the right direction. The Protestant
and Rom,n Catholic churches to day
stand side by side with an impotent
look, gazing on this evil which costs
this country more than billion of dol.
lars year to take care of the 100000
paupers and the 3l5,O0O criminals and
the 10000 idiots and to bury the 75,-
600 drunkards. Put on your spectacles
and take a candle and examine the
platforms of the two leading parties OF
this country and see what they are doing
for the arrest of this evil and for the
overthrow of this abomination, Resolu-
tons, oh yes, Resolutions about Nor
monism, against political corruption,
but not one word about drunk en- ness
which would rot this nation from scalp
to heel, Resolutions about protection
against competition with foreign indus.