Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-03-20
That Mortgage on the Cradle.

A mortgage over every cradle, deed
written in hearts blood over every hu-
man life. This startling announce
ment tells what the liquor traffic has
and holds and what it will hold so long
as it has an existence.
Think of it, mothers, as you tender
ly fold the white draperies about your
sleeping innocent little ones. 50 free
from guile and sin--so spotless and
pure in their cradles rest. Ask your
own heart the question, is it true?
Look about you over all the fair, beau
tiful country where this monster has
reigned supreme and the answer comes
back to you in all the seriousness and
depths of truth that it is alarmingly so.
Ask yourself another question, are you
rilling that it should be so? No-a
thousand times no-never. Then what
are yeu doing today to lift this cruel
mortgage? Are your voice and heart
earnestly enlisted in the great work
that it will take to accomplish this Oh
ject or do you find some way to excuse
yourself? Do the demands of society
and fashion leave you no time to give
to this most important work? Do you
not realize that to you more than any
other living person is entrusted the
safety and welfare of your child?
Is it possible that before the child
has power to speak its protest against
the vile taste of liquor that your
own hands have lifted the poison cup
to its lips so often and SO sweetened
and disguised the stuff as to make it
palatable and ere long desirable? In
too many cases it is the truth that any
little ailment will call for a "toddy"
until the child has actually had the
taste for liquor cultivated, and all
through his mothers mistaken kind
ness. How many anxious hours and
how many heart aches for herself in
after life she is sowing this way today
naught but the book of eternity can
unfold. The work of undOing what
she has foolishly done is no small job
and often it is an impossible task.
A mortgage over every cradle! Fear
full announcement! Think of it, proud
father, as you fondly toss your baby
boy in mirthful play, building a bright
future for him in your imagination;
when he shall honor your name before
the great assemblies of the world per-
haps. Think of it and know this cruel
mortgage mast be lifted if your fond
hopes are to be realized-your name
honored and your beautiful boy freed
from any hindrance to success. Think
of it, will you not lift the mortgage?
You can do it if you will, by your clean,
pure life before him and your proper
use of the ballot that will forever de-
throne King Alcohol and keep your
home free from the whitening blight of
intemperance.
Is your boys future, his whole life
here and hereafter, not more to you
than the old political party to which
you have so long been welded, but
which today would see your innocent
boy led into the gilded saloon and his
young life ruined forever before it
would cut loose from the influence of
the whisky ring?
''The success of the whisky traffic
depends upon debased manhood, wrong
ed womanhood and defrauded child
hood"
Christian UOters, how can you longer
suffer such abuse of your homes-your
privileges and your happiness?
What shameful fact that man made
in the image of his God and placed on
ly 'little lower than the angels" should
live so unworthy of his high privileges.
What an incomprehensible fact that he
should cling to and cast his vote with
political party that encourages and
keeds in existence such thing as the
whisky traffic when all reasonable men
know that this same whisky traffic
''holds a mortgage over every cradle, a
deed written in hearts blood over eve
~ human life"