Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-04-17

| says, mo 0runRdTu /C>SA EE9YA>
can inherit the king 1SpT
dom of heaven" Do
you say, mo sympa- HELEN NJ. COUGAR.
thy is due?" Remember, he was poi
soned in early manhood by the social
glass, as l have heard him say, the
chains of appetite have bound him
tighter and tighter, and IN the days
of his ripest usefulness he is the
victim of a traffic sustained by
the vote of Christian men. The victim
deserves the deepest sympathy. Let us
condemn the system that creates him
thus helpless in the clutches of disease.
He will be laid today by the side of his
| Christian mother, whose greatest sorrow
was that this '.most brilliant of all my
sons" was drunkard. She went to her
grave uttering prayer for his salvation.
And this is the way this man govern
ment helps answer the prayers Of Chris
tan mothers. God hasten the day when
mothers can vote as well as pray.
By his side stand Christian brothers
who have been devoted to his reforma-
ton, but when asked to vote Il ticket
that would send men to the Indiana leg
islature who would prohibit the poison
dens that beset this weaker brothers
pathway will idly answer: "Oh, there's
no use. Liquor will be sold anyway,
and | think it best to vote my party
ticket once more" Ministers speak by
the side of his coffin today who read the
sad history in the fate of the dead, men
who know the vast number falling
around them, but who refuse to open
their churches to voices that would
sound the alarm i'll the presence of 103
saloons in this city of $4,000 souls. No
gospel temperance meetings are held in
the 81 churches that set on our thorough
fares, locked six days out of seven, given
over to dust, must and cobwebs. Oh,
no; somebody might tell the members of
these churches, who are at ease i'll Zion,
that they ought to carry their religion
with their ballot on election day, and
thus wound the Christian in his pew,
who is the greatest sinner at the ballot
box. So as this one falls into drunk
ards grave others fall into the process
sion on the other end, to fill up the cease
less gap and give these preachers ''some-
thing to do"
By the side of this coffin today bust
ness men march who think they "can
drink or let it alone" who call me "a
regular John Brown born before my
time" when l ask them kindly, Won't
you read this subject if give you the
books and papers," In the strength of
their present will they smile and-go on
steady march to fill drunkard' S
grave, believing as they say: ooh, know
when l have enough. am not such a
weakling as to overdrink."
Beside this coffin today are the editors
of our papers, who write pathetically of
this 'ruined life," but who will not let a
line of prohibition sentiment find its way
into their columns lest it offend the
liquor sellers who patronize their sheets.
One of these editors, a brother in the
church, writes tenderly of this mans
death and publishes in one issue Of his
paper 81 notices of application to sell
liquor. So the work goes on upheld by
press, pulpit and people.
The wife sits clothed in the habili-
ments of mourning by the side of his
coffin. In her youth and beauty she
gave her life and happiness into the keep
ing of this brilliant young man. They
were just out of college, thoroughly
equipped to build Christian home. She
saw the tempter at work. All that love,
gentleness and devotion could do she had
done. Her patience, persistence and en-
) durance were remarked by all, but when
all hope had fed she was obliged to let
him drift and die, away from her minis
trations of tenderness and love. 1t was
. an unequal contest. The whole legal
power of satan and nation was pitted
against her, for this government of males
stays the hand of the outraged wife
takes no pity on her, but upholds the sa
loon keeper in his deadly work. She is
| widow today; the husband and home
have been destroyed by the will and
power of the government for the sake Of
5 revenue"
Women flock to this funeral and drol
tears Of sympathy with this sister beside
the bier, but they have no time to joir
the w. G. T. u, to read our papers, tc
fill themselves with knowledge. They
3 have no time to educate their children
} in physical effects of alcohol, that they
> may go out in the face of the ever pres
emit tempter forewarned and forearmed
Oh, no; these women are too busy hunt
ing "favors for progressive euchre" OF
"cinch" parties to carry the gospel OF
teetotalism into palace and howell alike
| so their sons little later on will go the
same way. Some are well started now
Beautiful daughters weep for the alb
sence and protecting care of loving ia
Their. They are forced into the industrial