The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1895-04-27
The Crimes Of Alcohol.

L SOls hOUcrtOs AhBSi 9sh ~
ing a jury in case involving the
manufacture OF alcohol delivered the
following scathing denunciotion OF
the fiery liquid. ~ am aware that
there is a prejudice against any man
who manufactures alcohol. ] believe
hat from the time 1t issues from 10
colled and poisonous worm in the
distillery until II emptics into the
Jaws Of death, dishonor, and crime
that IL demorallzes everybody that
touches il from its source TO where
| it endsr do not believe anybody
can contemplate the object without
being prejudiced against the liquor
crime. All we have to do, gentle
| men, is to think OF the wrecks on
either bank of the stream of death,
Of the suicides, Of the insanity, OF
the ignorance, of the destitunon, OF
the little children tugRi1g at the
faded and wlthered breast Of weep
ing and despairing mothers, OF wives
asking for bread, of the men of gen,
ius il has wrecked, the men strug-
Cling with imaginlry serpents, pro
duced by this devilish thing; and
when you think of the jails, of the
almhouses, o! the assylums, of the
prisons, of the scaffolds upon either
bank, l do not wonder that every
thoughtful man is prejudiced against
this damned stuff called alcohol.
Intemperance cuts down youth In Its
yigor, manhood in its strength, old
age in its weakness. 1t breaks the
fathers heart, bercaves the doting
mother, extinguishes natural affec-
tion, erases conjugal love, blots out
flial attachment, blights parental
hope, brings down mourning age in
sorrow TO the grave, 1t produces
weakness, not strength; sickness,
no. health; death, not life. 1t
makes wives widows; children Or
phans; fathers fiends; and all Of
them paupers and beggars. 1t feeds
rheumatism, invites cholera, imports
pestilence, and embraces consump-
ton. 1t covers the land with idle-
ness, misery crime. 1t fills your
jails, supplies your almhouses, and
demands yonr assylums. 1t engen-
deis controversies, fosters quarrels,
and cherIshes riots. 1t crowds PEN
itentiaries and furnishes victims for
your scaffolds. IL is the life blood
Of the gambler, the clement of the
burglar, the prop Of the highway
man, AMI support of the midnight
incendiary. 1t eountenances the liar,
respects the thlef, esteems the bias
phemer. 1t violates the obligation,
reverences fraud. and honors infa-
my. IL defames benevolence, hates
love, scorns virtue, and slanders In
nocence. II incites the father to
butcher his helpless offspring, helps
the husband to massacre his wife and
tie child TO grind the parcidal ak.
II burns up men, CONSUMES women,
detests life, curses God, despises
heaven. IL suborns witnesses, nur-
ses perjury, defies the jury box, and
stains judicial ermine. 1t degrades
the citizen, debases the legislature,
dishonors statesmen, and disarms the
patriot. 1t brings shame, not honor;
terror, not safety; despair, not hope;
misery, not happiness; aud with the
malevolence of fend it calmly sur.
veys its frightful desolation and nn-
satlated havoc. II poisons felicity,
kills peace, ruins morals, blights
confidence. slays regulations, and
wipes out national honor. then cur
ses the world snd laugh. at its rain.
H. does all that, and more 1t MUIR
ders the soul. II is the sum of all
villianies, the father of all crimes,
the mother Of all denominations, the
devils best friend, and Gods worst
enemy.