Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-06-04
W. C. 4. u. COLUMN.
COnd ucted by the Yinita UniOn-An In
teresting Department.

! complete Danlsnment OF the liquor
traffic.
Any woman may become men,
Der by signing the pledge and pay
ing 60 cents yearly into the treas
ury. Gentlemen may become
honorary members by signing the
pledge and payment of 80 cents.
Our union meets every Thurs
day at the Presbyterian church, at
$3.50 p. m.
The Loyal Temperance Legion
meets at the Baptist church every
Sunday afternoon at 3 O'Clock.
This branch of our work is espec-
tally for the children and in con-
nection with regular temperance
instruction aims to fix in their
minds and hearts high and worthy
purposes, and determination to
be loyal to those purposes.
Johnny had an opportunity to
inspect the musical instruments
belonging to the band. On reach
ing home he said: Mama, does Mr..
- drink?
Mama-I don't know.
Johnny--I think he does.
Mama-Why, where did you see
him?
JOHNNY didn't see him.
Mama-WelI, why do you think
he drinks?
JOHNNY smelt it in the horn
be plays in the band.
Can anyone doubt that the rum
traffic is the greatest curse of our
land?
We are told that intoxicating
liquors are sold at the very base Of
the statue of liberty on Bedloe is
land, and that the establishment
is placed there by the authority of
the general government of the
United States. Do we need this
object lesson to teach us that the
liquor traffic is the force that un-
der!ies most of our political and
national life, and has en- shrined
itself at the very foundation of our
boasted liberty2
England's celebrated physician,
Sir Andrew Clark, says: l am
speaking solemnly and carefully
when | tell you that l am consid-
erably within the mark in saying
that within the rounds of my hos
pital wards today seven out of
every ten that lie there in their
beds owe their i'll health to alco-
hol. | do not say that seventy in
every hundred are drunkards;
do not know that one of them is,
but they use alcohol. So soon as
a maL begins to take one drop,
then the desire begotten in him
becomes part of his nature and
that nature, formed by his acts,
infiicts curses inexpressible when
handed down to the generations,
that are to follow him as part and
parcel of their being. When /
think OF this am disposed to give
up my profession-to give up every
thing-and go forth upon a holy
crusade to preach to all men, "Be-
ware of this enemy of the race!"
A member of our union writes:
| wonder how many OF the people
of Ninita ever give a thought to
the suffering Armenians. | know
the comfortable way is to think
nothing, read nothing and do
nothing about them. But is it
right or Christ like? One of our
former Vinita teachers is now in
Turkey among these afflicted, op-
pressed people. and l wonder if
her Vinita friends stand by her.
Clara Barton, woman of seven
ty, left America with the promise
of aid from Americans, but her
money is gone and many who
promised funds have failed to send
them and she needs more money.
The men are killed or imprisoned,
women are basely wronged and
frequently killed, and little faith
erless, homeless, hungry children
are crying for food and shelter and
for the father or mother they will
never find. Five dollars will keep
a family until their harvest. |
believe there is hardly a man,
woman or child in Vinita who
would not gladly Tighten the suf-
fering of these people if they could
but realize it and then had an op-
portunitv to help them. Christ
said, "ln as much as We did it unto
one of the least of these my chill
dren. We did If unto me.r