The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-03-05

stalking from North to South, and
binding the children of this generation
with chains as strong as iron, and
with fetters as enduring as brass.
Over the throne of this usurper, in
letters as red as blood, we can read his
name-"A "American Saloon"
Long ago our noble ancestors rose
up in their struggle, and with firm
reliance upon the protection of
divine Providence, renounced all al
legiance to great Britain, then pledged
to one another their lives, their for
tunes, and their sacred honor. Are we
today as brave as they? Are we as
noble? If so, we will rise and forever
crush this despot The saloon power
is the enemy of mankind; it pulls men
down; it makes many lives wretched;
it dishonOrs manhood, debauches,
womanhood, and leads to lewdness,
anarchy, and misery; it crowds the
wards of our asylums, empties our
churches, and fills our prisons; it rises
like a frowning mountain in the path
way of moral and material progress; it
drives it's plOwshares of ruin through
the land, and covers society with
ghastly desolation; ''it has made in
roads into every rank, profession. and
condition of men in the world The
rich, the wise. the educated, and the
learned, as we'll as the poor; the lowly,
the weak, and the ignorant have fallen
before its invading marches. Kings
and potentates, philosophers and states
men, merchants, and professional men,
as we'll as men in the low and ordinary
walks of life, have alike become its
; helpless victims. There is no throne
so high, nor home so low; no threshold
so dear, nor place SO sacred, that this
devouring enemy has not invaded and
ruined" Shall we longer submit to
this tyrant of modern times, or shall
we in the vigOr of our manhood con
| uuer him Just as our noble ancestors
conquered the formidable adversary
that held them in bondage?
: Suppose we continue to submit tC
the reign of this "Monarch of the Cen
| tury." peer hundred years into the
5 future, and see picture of my country
3 as it may then be. 1t is a dark picture
, and has been we'll depicted for us by
1 the eloquent editor of the Christian
5 Erangezist 81 see," says he, "a lane
g governed by dignitary of vast power
e where the great mass of people ART
r little better than serfs. l see lan(
/. where progress has changed to retro
!, gression, where the arts and sciences
: have fallen into decay, where chastit.
= is jest, and where neither life no
\ property are secure. How did thi
e come about? The people of Americ
f slept while Bacchanalian cOnspirator
c worked their devilish plots, putting on
}: of their tools into office here, anOthe
|, there and another yonder, until finall
i when the time was ripe they crushe
l. out all opposition, took possession o
It the government, to rule it thereafte
S as a government of Bacchus, by Ba(
q chus and for Bacchus.'
u On the other hand, suppose we crus
= out this rising power? "Once again,
says our editor, 81 look one hundre
l. years in the future and see secon
h picture of my country as it may the
h be by the grace of God and the strengt
t, of American manhood. It is a brigf
l. picture. 1 see land where in fact, g
le we'll as theory, all men may enjoy tn
Or inalienable rights of life, liberty an
re the pursuit of happiness. see Ian
ID where idolatry is unknown, and whic
)r is covered with the knowledge of tt
glory of God as the waters cover tt
O. face of the sea- [ see land Whe
newspapers speak the truth, and sour
co forth the honest convictions of I'll
a editors, and where there are no co
SIX temptible towards posing as ministe
re Of the gospel and apologizing for VIII
in they know to be eternally and immut
lie bly, wrong, that they may gain fav
nd with the rich and mighty. How can
this happy condition of affairs?' "
g. ask. The people of America awoke
re the danger that was upon them, al