The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1898-01-28

find on some Of the liquor signs in all
our cities the words "Old Crow"
nightly suggestive of the carcass and
the filthy raven that swoops upon it.
cold Crowr' Men and women without
numbers slain of rum but unburled,
and this evil is pecking at their glazed
eyes, and pecking at their bloated
cheek, and pecking at their destroyed
manhood and womanhood, thrusting
beak and claw into the mortal remains
of what was once gloriously alive, but
now morally dead. "Old Crowl" But,
alas, how many take no warning They
make me think of Caesar on his way to
assassination, fearing nothing, though
his statue in the hall crashed into frag-
ments at his feet, and scroll contain
ing the names of the conspirators was
thrust into his hands. yet walking right
on to meet the dagger that was to take
his life. This infatuation of strong
drink is so mighty in many man that,
though his fortunes are crashing, and
his health is crashing, and his domestic
interests are crashing and we hand him
long scroll containing the names of
perils that await him, he goes straight
on to physical and mental and moral
assassination. In proportion as any style
of alcoholism is pleasant to your taste
and stimulating to your nerves, and for
time delightful to all your physical
and mental constitution, is the peril
awful. Remember Jonathan and the
forbidden honey in the woods at Beth
aven.
Furthermore, the gamester's indul-
gence must be put in the list of tempta-
tions delicious, but destructive. You
who have crossed the ocean many times
have noticed that always one of the best
rooms has from morning until late at
night been given up to gambling prac
tees. | heard of men who went on
board with enough for a European eX-
cursion who landed without money to
get their baggage up to the hotel or
railroad station. To many there is
complete fascination in games of hazard
or the risking of money on possibilities.
1t seems as natural for them to bet as
to eat. Indeed, the hunger for food is
often overpowered by the hunger for
wagers. 1t is absurd for those of us who
have never felt the fascination of the
wager to speak slightingly of the temp
tation. 1t has slain multitude of intel
lectual and moral giants, men and wo-
men stronger than you or l. Down un,
der its power went glorious Oliver
Goldsmith and Gibbon, the famous his
torian, and Charles Fox, the renowned
statesman, and in olden times senators
of the United States, who used to be as
regularly at the gambling house all
night as they were in the halls of legis-
lation by day. Oh, the tragedies of the
faro tablet l know persons who began
with slight stake in ladies' parlor
and ended with the suicides pistol at
Monte Carlo. They played with the
square pieces Of bone with black marks
ON them, not knowing that satan was
playing for their bones at the same
time and was sure to sweep all the
stakes off on his side Of the table State
legislatures have again and again sane
toned the mighty evil by passing laws
in defense of race tracks, and many
young men have lost all their wages at
such SO called meetings. Every man
who voted for such infamous bills has
on his hands and forehead the blood Of
these souls.