Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-02-15
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In this present time of civilization
and enlightment, we are almost dumb
founded to think that the damnable
liquor traffic will be tolerated and al
lowed to carry on it's satanic influence
for evil over the human race: dumb
founded to think that a Christian
people, founded upon the principles of
the teaching of a Savior of mankind,
will uphold and support and license a
traffic that will, while shielded by the
strong arm of the law, commit some
of The darkest crimes that the mind
can conceive of. The plea, or argu-
ment, in favor of licensing this body
and soul destroying traffic is the rev.
enue derived by the taxation of this
traffic, thereby lessening the taxation
on personal property. Yet they do
not for an instant. stop to reason,
that the same argument is more than
counterbalanced by the expenses of
the state or nation in supporting the
different institutions, such as prisons,
asylums, poorhouses, and orphans
homes of which more than nine-tenths
Of the inmates are there through the
direct cause of this traffic.
Then they will argue something like
this: eff we should prohibit the dis
til]ing of liquor we would at the same
time disfranchise the liberties of our
people, and decrease the demand for
grain and other products used for the
distilling of liquors and would most
naturally help the overproduction Of
grain, etc., and cause a still greater
distress among the producing class of
people,
Let us look at the other side of the
question. There are in the United
States millions of persons under the
complete control of this curse. They
are bound body and soul to this awful
traffic. Their will power is not strong
enough to withstand the temptation, Or
stop the downward career, and, par
don us for using your own argument,
this government has by it's laws dis
franchised: or curtailed, the liberties
of these same people. They are bound
hand and foot, and are thrown in
prisons for life, for crimes committed
while under the influence of this dead
ly poison. Millions of people through
out our own native land are brought
down to the verge of starvation
through the medium of this power.
Could these same Incorporate people
be saved from the drinking habit and
be induced to become Industrious and
thrifty and to spend their earnings for
the nceessaries of life, it would great
ly increase the demands and prices
for all products. These same millions
that are daily eking out miserable
living, spend their earnings to salts
fly their craving for drink. So we see
the government is a loser by this traf-
fc directly through the depraved and
poverty stricken class of people-crim-
inals, paupers, tramps, orphans and
widows that it has to support. Draw
your own conclusions. Balance up
accounts and see where the profits
come.
How absurd and utterly foolish to
think for a moment that this traffic is
in anyway a benefit to the government.
It is curse, a devilish traffic. tit only
for the bottomless pit of hell-a curse
that robs man, the noblest, grandest
of all Gods created works, of his rea-
son: skaters his intellect and sends
him out into the world, cropping in the
darkness of sin and shame. ~ :: !. =:
Why should man lower and debase
himself to such an extent as to graft.
fly his own selfish greed, rob and de-
prive his fellowbeings of their own
hard-earned belongings, that he may
live in ease and luxury? Why should
he place wine to the lips of the inno-
cent ones, and lead them from the
paths Of virtue into the path of de-
struction. swine is mocker and
strong drink is, raging" 1t steals
reason and robs man OF humanity.
1t takes the sympathetic feelings and
love from the human heart and fills it
with hatred, violence and bitterness
of words and thought. It makes: man
commit the most tragic crimes, and
clothes the toilers in rags and filth and
sends them out into the cold world to
starve and beg. We shudder to hear
the piteous cry of the little waits beg
ging from door to door, shivering in
the cold for want of proper clothing
to protect their little benumbed bodies.
What misery! What woe! What suf-
fering and sorrow!. What crimes and
deeds of violence! What obstacles to
virtue, to honesty, to mercy, and: pros
perity! How may we express our