Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-05-01
A TERRIBLE PICTURE
A WORD PAINTING THAT STlRS THE
BLOOD.

Who Is Responsible For the Curse?
We reprint the following article from
The Christian Evangelist, st. Louis. 1t
is from the pen of James r. Simpson,
Connersville, Ind.-EDIToR.
There are in the United States 24O, 900
licensed liquor saloons.
| If formed into street with saloons on
each side, allowing 20 feet to each sa-
loon. they would make street 265 miles
| long.
Let us imagine them brought together
into such street, and let us suppose
that the moderate drinkers and their
families are marching in at the upper
end, and let us see what that street turns
out in one year.
What army is that which comes march
ing down the street in solid column,
five abreast, extending $40 miles in
length?
1t is the army of 100000 men and
women who daily and constantly 20 to
saloons for Intoxicating drinks Us bev-
erage.
Marching 26 miles a day, it will take
them more than 2S days to go by.
Now they are gone, and close in their
rear comes another army marching FIVE
abreast and GO miles in length.
In it there are 536, 900 confirmed drunk
ards.
They are men and women who have
lost control of their appetites, who are
in the regular habit of getting drunk
and making beasts of themselves.
Marching two abreast, the army is $50
miles in length. Scan them closely.
There are gray haired men and fair
haired boys. There are, alas! many
women in that army, sunk to deeper
depths than the men, because of the
greater heights from which they fell.
1t will take them seven days to go by.
1t is a sad and sickening sight, but do
not turn away yet, for here comes an
other army-1O0, 900 criminals.
From jails and prisons and penitentia-
ries they come.
AT the head of the army comes long
line of persons whose hands are be-
smeared with human blood.
With ropes around their necks they
are on their way to the gallows.
Others are going to prison for life.
Every crime known to our laws has
been committed by these persons while
under the influence of drink.
But bark! Whence come those yells,
and who are those bound with strong
chains and guarded by strong men that
go raging by?
They are raving maniacs, made such
by strong drink.
Their eyes are tOrmented with awful
sights, and their ears ring with awful
sounds.
Shiny reptiles crawl over their bodies,
and fends from hell torment them before
their time.
They are gone now, and we breathe
more freely.
But what gloom is this that pervades
the air, and what is that long line of
black coming slowly down the street?
1t is the line of funeral professions.
One hundred thousand who have died
the drunkard's death are being carried to
their graves.
Drunkards do not have many friends
to mourn their loss, and we can put 80
of their funeral professions into a mile.
We have procession 1888 miles in
length.
1t will take good share of the year
for them to go by, for funeral process
sions move slowly. Yes, most of them
do. But every now and then an uncof-
fined corpse in arough cart is driven rap
idly by, and we hear the brutal driver
sing:
Quick! Quick! Rattle his bones, rattle his
bones over the stones.
He's only pauper whom nobody owns"
Look into the coffins as they go by.
See the dead drunkards.
Some died of delirium tremens, and
the lines of terror are still plainly mark
el on their faces,
Some froze to death by the roadside,
too drunk to reach their homes.
Some wandered into the woods and
died and rotted on the surface of the
earth,
Some blew their own brains out.
Some were fearfully stabbed in drunk
EN- brawls.
Some were roasted in burning build
ings.
Some were crushed to shapeless masses
under the cars.
They died in various ways, but strong
drink killed them all, and on their tomb
stones-if they have any-may be fifty
inscribed, HE died drunkard's DEATH"
Close behind them comes another long
line of funeral professions.
We know not how many, but they
are numerously attended by mourning
friends.
They cSntain the remains of those
who have met death through the care
lessness and cruelty of drunken men.
Some died of broken hearts.
Some were foully murdered.
Some were burned to death i'll build
ings set on fire by drunken men.
Some were horribly mangled on the
railroad because of drunken engineers
or lagmen.
Some were blown up on steamboat
because drunken captain ran a race
with rival boat.
But here comes another army-the
hildren-innocent ones, upon whom has
been visited the iniquities of their ia
thers.
How many are there?
Two hundred thousand.
Marching two abreast, they extend up
the street 80 miles.
Each must bear through life the stigma
f l. 4