The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-04-22

when it gets your b y you will be
Prohibitionist.
When l made the liquor fight in
Monroe, La, | stopped at the home
of a banker After my speech one
night, the house Of the banker was
set on fi-e-and here let me say, that
the men back of this Internal liquor
traffic will do anything to stop the
fight and perpetuate their nefarious
business. During my liquor fight in
Tennessee they burned down my
two barns with my buggies and my
horses, and any man in this country
who takes up the liquor fight takes
his life in his hands. An old friend
of mine came to me and said:
George, this fight ought to be made,
but the people of your town love you,
and do not want to see your prop
erty burned up. Let somebody else
do the work in your state" said
to him: "Wife and [ have talked
the matter over, and we are willing
that they shall burn our property,
and when the cause needs it burn us
too, but they will never hush my
voice nor check my effort The vic
tory over this Internal traffic must
rest on the ashes of martyrs, and we
may as well begin. Applause
But to my illustration. The liquor
men set fire to the bankers house in
which | was stopping. The cry of
fire was heard. He went to the
telephone, which was near my sleep
ing room. His voice was as soft as
"A wOman's. He called up central.
Central, can you tell me where the
fire is?n When told that she
thought it was the cotton compress,
he replied: "Thank You, Central"
But on going to his rear door and
opening it, the flames were leaping
from his own building. He threw
up both hands, and screamed at the
top of his voice: MY God, wife, it
is our house! 1t is orr house afire!"
The widest excitement prevailed.
The good fire company, however,
saved us from much damage. The
next morning | said: NV friend,
when you thought it was the other
mans house afire, it was, Central,
) where is the fire?" in the softest
tones and the most Indifferent way;
hut when you realized it was your
> own house afire, how different your
> conduct! When the liquor fire
touches your home, you will be
; aroused to this subject. Here are
somebody's boys.
r "These boys?" ''Yes, yes, yes,
; yes" "Turn on your power. -
; Give me these boys But listen.
VIII It is that | hear? A man from
the audience cries: "Not that boy ;
, he is my boy" But who are you?
has got to run. What care we for
. homes and hearts and lives. Give
me this boy" What is that | hear?
Another cry? 1t is a mother: mot
e that boy; he is the joy of my home
| and the light of my lie" "Shut
f your mouth. Who are you? What
| are American women and children?
This is an American institution, and
= she has got to run If it takes mil
lions of boys annually from the
n hearts and homes of our land, she
has got to run. Give me that boy"
!. Turn on your power" Grind
e grind!! grind!!! There is your
6 manufactured article, body, mind
n and soul ground up. There it is
q What is it? A drunkard. Who is
I the drunkard? Mothers darling
q boy. What is he fit for? The rail
y roads won't use him. The stores
y won't use him. Mechanics won't use
n him. He is blight to society anC
n a burden on the home. What is ht
O fit for? A few of them are occasion
Q ally used in politics, but, thank God
/. the day is nearly passed whel
n liquor soaked bloats can be elected
d to the offices of our land. zap
" plause.
e | lift up this poor drunkard, tn
s manufactured article of the saloon
!. and ask him again. "Of what wer
I you made?" "Of bright Ameri
. can boy, a Toy capable of earning
wages, and adding to the wealth o