Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1897-01-11

law was passed giving man double
punishment for crime while intoxicated
the first punishment for the crime, and
the other for the intox ication.
The Crime Of Alexander.
It Was staccato passage in that song
when Alexander the Great arose from a
banquet ard struck q spear through the
heart of Clitus while putting up the
curtains, and, Mortified at what was
done, withdrew the sword from the
dead body and attempted to take his
own life. In the time of Oliver Crom-
well the evil was SO great that offend
ers were compelled TO wear what was
called ''the drunkard' s oak''-namely,
a BARREL with one end of it knocked out
and hole in the opposite end the arms
thrust through holes at the sides of the
barrel. Samuel Johnson made merry Of
his own inebsiacy. Oh, this old song
All the centuries have joined in. Among
the first songs ever sung was the song Of
the drunkarGs.
Again, this song of the drunEards is
an expensive song. The Sonntags and
the Parepa Rosas and Wilson's and the
other Tenderers CT elevated and divine
solos received their thousands of dol
lars per night in ooliseums and acade-
mics Of music. Some of the people Of
small means almost pauperized them
selves that they might sit few even
ings under the enchantment of those
angels Of sweet sounds. I paid 81 to
hear Jenny Lind sing when it was not
very easy to afford the 81. Very expen-
sive is such music, but the costliest
song Oh earth is the drunkards' song. 1t
costs ruin Of body. It costs ruin of
mind. 1t costs ruin Of soul. Go right
down among the residential streets of
any city and you can find once beauti
full and luxurious homesteads that were
expended in this destructive music.
The lights have gone ont in the draw
ing room, the planes have ceased the
pulsation Of their keys, the wardrobe
has lost its last article of appropriate
attire. The Belshazzarean feast has left
nothing but the broken pieces Of the
crushed chalices.
The Most Expensive Music.
There il stands, the ghastliest thing
On earth-the remnant Of 6 drunkard's
home The costliest thing on earth is
sin. The most expensive Of all music is
the song Of the drunkards. It is the
highest tariff of nations-not a protect
i've tariff, but tariff CT doom, q tariff
of woe, tariff of death. This evil
whets the knives OF the assassins, cuts
the most Of the wounds of the hospital,
makes necessary most of the almshouses,
causes the most of TIE rawlings of the
insane asylum and puts up most of the
iron bars of the penitentiaries 1t has
its hand today on the throat of the
American rem blic It IS the taskmaster
of nations, I'D the human race crouches
under its il-athcma. The song of the
drunkards has for its accom- paniment
the clank Of chains, the chattering teeth
of poverty, the rattle of executioner's
scaffold, the creaking door of the de-
serted homo, the crash of shipwrecks
and the groan of empires. The So, 020,-
600, 900 which rum costs this country
in year in the destruction of grain
and sugar and the supporting of the
paupers and the invalids and the crimi-
nails which strong drink causes is only
a small part of what is paid for this ex-
pensiye song of the drunkards.
Again, this song of the drunkards is
q multitudinous sOng-not a solo, not
duet, not d quartet, not a sextet, but
millions on millions are this hour sing
ing it. Do not think that alcoholism
has this field all to itself. 1t has pow
erful rivals in the intoxicants of other
nations-hasheesh, and arrack, and
pulque, and opium, and quavo, and
mastic, and wcdro. Every nation, bar
barrie as well as civilized, has it's pet
intoxicant. This song Of the drunkards
is rendered in Chinese, Hindustanee, Ara
bian, Assyrian, Persian, Mcxican-yea,
all the languages. All zones join it. No
continent would be large enough for the
choir gallery if all those who have this
Iibretto in their hands should stand side
by side to chant the international chorus.
Other throngs are just learning the eight
notes of this beautiful music which is
already masteSSd by the orchestras in
full voice under the batons in full swing.
All the musicians assemb led at Dus-
seldorf, or Berlin, or Boston peace ju-
bilee, rendering symphonies, requiems
or grand marches Of Mendelssohn or
Wagner Or Chopin or Handel, were in
significant in numbers as compared
with the innumerable throngs, host be-
side host, gallery above gallery, who
are now pouring forth the song of the
drunkards.
The Song of Salvation.
Years ago, standing before bulletin
board in New York on the night of q
presidential election day as the news
came in and The choice of the American
people was finally announced, there
were people in the streets who sang
roistering and frivolous songs, but in
the street one man, in deep, strong,
resonant voice, started, to the tune of
"Old Hundred,'' praise God, From
Whom Ali Blessings Flow and soon,