The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1894-04-11
A Great EVIL.

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this is absolutely true when we con-
slider it in the line of reasoning in
which it was employed, viz:
Religious liberty, or freedom from
ecclesiastical dogmas and creeds, but
not otherwise; for we read Of
nations boasting of superior intel
ligcnce and culture in all the arts
and sciences that have succumbed
to corrupting agencies; not only
has their star of glory set in the
shadows of eternal midnight, but
the nations themselves have gone
down to rise no more. The history
of the ages reveals the melancholy
fact that empires and republics
have surrendered their crowns and
under the very ringing
of the worlds greatest oratory-
surrendered at a time when col
leges and cathedrals swarmed with
students sitting at the feet of the
worlds greatest philosophers and
savants. From the sepulchers
OF those buried glories there seems
to rise, like TRANSPORTED prophets
the phantom opparition, repeat
ing the warning against deatruc-
,ion, while they unveil to Us the
truth that in sObriety and coral
culture lies a nations safety, while
is the nations hOlo
caust of national decay and doom.
Distileries, breweries, saloons
and dram shops, by whatever
name they may be called are a
perpetual MANAGE to national life,
home and every institution of
liberty and Christian civilization.
We can not ignore the fact that
as a nation we are becoming en-
shaved by a power ten thousand
times more int0lerant and dan
gerous than Afrcian slavery in its
worst form and most degrading
aspect. 1t is not necessary that
this fact should again be written
in blood before Americans re.
cognize the alarming truth and
exert themselves to prevent
calamity. We are frank to confess
our amazement at the unaccounta-
BILE indifference and apathy of SO
called moral and intellectual So
ciety. Bacchus, the god of wine,
has not only pushed forward his
unprincipaled forces to accomplish
his work of destruction, but at the
same time has fulled to sleep the
conciences of the multitude, they
whose duty it is to be foremost in
aggressive defence against this geat
enemy. What seems more strangely
unaccountable is the seeming
impossibility to arouse society from
this deadly stupor. Alas! is there
not startling cause for apprehen-
sion, and that the masses will re-
main in this APPALLING indifference
until some weeping prophet shall
tell the knell--"The harvest is past
and the nation un-aved."
In this connection l will take a
look at the the enemy's work, Sc
that you may know what | am
trying to say. Intemperence cuts
down cut youth in its vigor, man
hood in its strength and age in it,
weakness. 1t breaks the fathers
heart, bereaves the doting mother
extingishes naturol affection
grasses congugal love, blots on,
filial attachment, blights parental
hope and brings down mourning
age in sorrow to the grave. 1,
produces weakness, not strength
sickness, not health, death, not life
1t makes wives widows, children
orphans, fathers fiends, and all Of
them paupers and beggers. II
feeds rheumatism, nurses govt
welcomes epedemics, invites
cholera, imparts pestilenc' and
embraces consumption. 1T covers
the land with idleness, poverty
desease and crime. 1t fills our jails
supplies our aims. houses and de-
mands asylums, it engenders con
troversies, postes quarrels, and
cherishes riots. 1t crowds Oul
penitentiaries and furnishes the
victims for the scaff0ld. 1t is the
life blood of the gambler, the
aliment of the counterfiter ant
the support of the mid
night incendiary. 1t coutenance'
the liar, respects the thief and
esteems the blasphemer. II
violates the obligations, reverance:
fraud and honors infamy. 1t dc
flames benevlonce, hates love,sco. n'
virtue, and ISLANDERS innocence
IL ;.,n.An, H.. f,Ahnr IN hIifnhnr Iii,