The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1895-07-27
I'll OF ST. LANDRY, La, JULY 27, 1895.

was nothing but lemonade; if it was
punch, did not know it." We accept
his statement, az are willing to believe
he too was deceived. But it was punch
all the same. How do we know 7 In re-
iating the circumstance to others, be-
! hold, we discover that every Temper
ance girl 10 the house had been offered
Lemonade" and many induced to take
it by the use of our name, as, "WOn't
You have some lemonadef Mrs. = has
just had some and says it's splendid ~
Now, those who made such remarks
knew positively that they were speaking
falsely, for that quoted above was the
sole remark made in reference to the
stuff! Several young men have stated
that to their certain knowledge there
was 10 lemonade in the honse-only
punch. We have the statements of
i, many that this affair has been generally
discussed. We all of US have been
pointed to as hypocrites and-to use the
Queens English-liars! What concln-
slons are we forced by process of logical
reasoning to arrive atP That it was
put up thing, by means of false repre-
sentation, to induce the Temperance
women of the place to drink something
containing alcohol and then undermine
critics. See,' they exclaim, "these
Temperance professors who tipple when
they get a chance. these Christians tho
live lie, these reformers who need re-
forming! We always knew their true
character. and now we have proved it
to the public. Young man, pin not your
faith to these fanatics-there is no truth
in them" Was ever so noble scheme
concocted for the establishment of the
Truth In the makeup of the true
Southern gentleman We find among
other essential elements these two-chi-
vairy and bravery. Did Southern youth
ever have brighter examples of these
truths presented for their ediication
Behold, the true chivalry which prompts
the singing of mud on the moral skirts
OF Others, singing it too from the rear
and in the dark, the true chivalry which
dotfs it's hat to womaDkind (even fanat-
zeal Temperance wOmen). tells them q
faIsehood and then ISLANDERS them for
believing it Behold, too, the bravery
which dares not come openly forward
and say: Ladies', we do not believe
What you say you are altogether wrong,
and as long as you take that stand we
are your enemies-openly and avowedly
so. We look for no quarter and we give
none; go defend yourselves!" - but
comes with smile and bow and prof
ters the glass of friendship with lie on
the lips, knowing that in that glass lay
coiled viper which it was their hope
would sting to death the moral charac-
ters .nOse who drank Could we have
believed that in Opelousas there were
such bright and shining examples of
true, chivalrous and brave manhood 7 |
Oh, high and laudable ambition! To
prove Temperance workers tipplers, to |
prove Christians liars, to prove reform
advocates knaves, to prove these partic-
ular women to be all-around hypOcrites!
Did they succeedq We do not propose
to defend ourselves from any of these |
the public must decide upon
its verdict. They may have proved to |
their own satisfaction that any or all |
Of these claims are true. If so, what |
has been accomplished Truth is eter-
nal, and though ace may each one fill
grave, yet will the principles
of Temperance live. We do not pose as
models, neither do we preach ourselves.
We are as tempted and as apt to fall in
to sin as others. We sincerely believe
that Alcohol is the DEVILS trump card
in the game Of life and the one by means
Of which he drags millions of souls into
his own domain. We believe the saloon
s the antero to He'll. We believe
hat as it is only by permission of the
aw that these ante-rooms exist that
the law should abolish them and thus
help to bniId np the human race, instead
)f dragging it down. We believe that if
here was not drop of tue vile stuff
or existing in the world
,o-day, that nine tenths of the crime, of
he misery, of the poverty, of the idiocy,
VI the deformity, of the depravity to
which the human race ia subject would
,e done away with. We believe that
,very liquor dealer 10 our land would
t he were to study statistics-agreew with
IS from an intellectual standpoint, wlie-
her he did 80 from a pocket book stand
,oint or not. We believe it to be the
duty of every one aware of the
'xistence of these horrors to warn the
'oung and help them as far as possible
O live correct lives, to realize the beauty
# Truth and Purity Yes, and our rea-
on would cause us to continue to be-
ieve these things, even we're we to fall
nd become the vilest Of the vile. We
reach principles, not personalities
gainst individuals. As well lombard
Ugh heaven with COW peas and expect
he regulations of individuals and thus
ope to vanquish eternal truths!
II any have honest convictions against t
ur views. We are willing-several of US t
to meet in fair debate as many from
I.e other side, provided that the princi- +
les of the victorious side be adopted t
nd lived thereafter by both.
In conclusion, let US say that we do t
ot know the names Of any Of the per-
etrators of this joke (Y). We don't a
ant to know tlIem. We have high q
ope for the young manhood of our
own. and gladly would we hear TINT it :
;as not our own boys who so far forgot
he principles of fair dealing but party !
strangers, and We hope they won't
isit our community again.
A TEMPERANCE FANATIC"
Drugs, medicines, chemicals, patent
fine cigars, tooth brushes,
Dmbs, &C., at Houston's drugstore.
-oD41- In
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