Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-11-07
w. G. 7. u. COLUMN.
TEMPERANCE AND NY NE1GHBoR.

I
Helen NJ. Percival of Glover.
I wish to deal with temperance al
regards spirituous liquors, and with
/ our neighbor as those with whom we
come in frequent contact.
How far are we responsible for the
/ habits of our neighbor, and is he il
any degree responsible for ours2 II
has been said that no person, no mat
ter what their condition in life
whether humble and poor, or rich
talented, and Influential, can live anG
die without leaving their impress fol
good or evil upon multitude Of hui
man beings, and that their influence
would extend to generations yet un-
born. All this vast multitude are Ell
Their raised or lowered by the few
short years of one perhaps very in
significant person. Like the tiniest
pebble thrown into lake which dis
turbs the whole surface even to the
further boundary, so your influence
and mine will extend farther and far
Their, bounded only by the shores of
eternity.
When DR.. Henson gave such WV
id picture of the ruin Of his talented
friend, the thought came to mind, who
is responsible for that blighted life?
Who offered him the glass that woke
the slumbering demon in his soul?
Was it some thoughtless chum of his
own years? Was it man Of the world,
older, wiser and knowing full well the
trap he laid for the unwary feet? Was
it some fair young girl friend in some
luxurious home to whom wine meant
no more than water, or was it the
hand of his own loving father or
mother who launched him forth in
life with the weakness of heredity,
and finished their work by the lesson
of example? Somebody started that
young man on the downward road.
do not believe young man ever yet
became a drunkard of his own unin-
fuenced free will. In the beginning
he had a great deal of help from those
he considered his friends and neigh
bors, and when once fairly started
there are multitudes Of hands out
stretched to push him lower still:
while there is only an occasional hand
reached out to draw him back. At
every corner stands S saloon, on every
street the tempter turks. Uncle Sam
sells the licenses and the price is paid
in the hearts blood of the pride of the
nation. Uncle Sam runs the distiller-
les and puts his seal upon the pack
ages, and the seal of the curse that
will destroy tho nation is there also,
but their eyes are blinded, they will
not see: and underneath Uncle Sans
palace in the government
city, spotless and beautiful to look
upon, is rum shop to pamper the
depraved appetites of-whom?-why,
the men whom by your vote, of your
own free will you send to Congress to
make the laws under which you and I
and our, neighbors and friends also,
must rise or fall, live or die, be happy
or miserable. Do you think that pro-
hibit1on will ever be an established
fact while these things continue?
And where lies the fault? Of that par
ticular crime my hands are clean, for
being a poor foolish woman you will
not allow me to vote.
These things exist because of the
revenue paid into Uncle Sans treas
ury, and how quickly he snaps up in
virtuous indignation the man who
makes or sells it without his gracious
permission. How long shall a nation
stand and prosper on such i'll gotten
gains? The treasurer of this wicked
ness avail nothing. Better more tar
if and less rum, since Uncle Sam is
but name that means every voter
who votes for party or a man for
Office who favors this accursed stuff
"Woe unto the world because of
offences for it must needs be that Of
fences come, but woe unto him by
whom the offence cometh."
We do not know where the fang
of the serpent will strike next. 1t
may take our hearts blood and then,
we will wish that we had worked
with all our heart and mind and soul
for the determination Of this awful
thing. If you have bright handsome
boys and girls, guard them as the ap
pie of your eye. Eternal vigilance is,
the price Of safety. for there are
those who put the cup to their neigh
boris lips. If your child is dall, shy
and awkard, be thankful. You can
rest comparatively in peace, for not |
half the temptations surround sueha
one