Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-09-21
balance against the traffic of s., eaI,-

the burden of loss by fire-but un-
complainingly suffer ten times the
money loss to equalize the burden
of the liquor traffic. It is a loss to
the drinker first, and through him
loss to the country. The insured
individual has his loss made good in
part, sometimes wholly-but the
victim of the liquor loss has no in
surance against it and the loss is
irreparable and in the case of the
direct victim the loss follows from
this life to the next.
1t is considered that Ito of all
that die in civilized countries die
from the effects of intoxicating
drinks. That means in the United
States from 10000 to $4,000 deaths
per year.
The whole cost of the traffic is so
much dead loss, distributed porpor-
tionally among the individuals
making up the nation. 100000 sa-
looms licensed by our government
to deal out liquid fire to burn health
and life. intellect and morals, prop
erty and ambition; to burn all that
makes home homelike, that makes
nations strong. When great con-
fagration occurs great wailing fol-
lows; the news is telegraphed
throughout the land, the newspa-
pers with glaring headlines an
nounce the great loss, and the suf-
fering that follows, and the sympa-
thy and help Oft the people is given,
but the liquor traffic burns on and
the daily papers screen the traffic,
the great political papers ignore it,
and the so.called Christian people
vote for it.
License means that the govern
ment, state, city and the saloon
keeper shall 60 into partnership to
ruin ruen, to build jails, almshouses
and hospitals, to keep up the taxes.
This is the remark made to the
brewers. by Gladstone a man who
stood In the front ranks as scholar
and statesman:)
"Give me a sober population,
not wasting their earnings on strong
drink and L will know where to get
my revenue. Our ideas of Heaven
are DULY visionary, our Lives here
not fitting us to understand what
it would be to enjoy unbroken hap
piness, but should our land be
freed from this curse, then the ones
who have lived in a drunkard's
home, would have better and
truer idea of Heaven.
Our government is in sympathy
with the liquor traffic inasmuch as
it kindly furnishes penitentiaries,
iails, warehouses and asylums for
those victims of the drink habit who
must be kept out of the way of law
abiding people. $4,000 out OF As
900 inmates of the penitentiaries
brought there through drink. The
drink traffic is like no other bust
ness it gives no adequate return
for value received. 1t throws the
support of vast multitude OF luA-a-
tics, paupers, imbeciles and crimi-
nails upon the government, and the
money paid into the public treas
ury as license, is only a small per
cent of the sum so expended. You
have all heard, no doubt, the asser-
ton made that "our laws are all
right if they are only enforced"
Who will do this? Not men put in
office who are in sympathy with
the liquor traffic. $4,000 voters III
this country today-6,ooo,o 900 said
to be Christians.
If this be true, the government
could soon be made what it ought
to be-true to the best interests
of the people-not making all else
bend to the wants and wishes of
liquor traffic and we have men in
office who would enforce the laws
or if need be enact new laws, that
could be enforced. 1t only remains
for the Christian voters to do their
duty. A vote for. prohibition is
vote for order, religion and the
highest civilization. No matter
how low or how high the license
no matter if the revenue would be
doubled every year, if it was our
husband, brother, or son going
down to death, how would it benefit
US?
We are not in sympathy with the
liquor traffic and pledge ourselves
anew to co all we can to sever the
relationship which now exists be.
tween it and our government, know
ing we are working for home and
native land"