Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-08-04
A TEMPERANCE COLUMN.
THE DRINK EVIL MADE MANIFEST
IN MANY WAYS.

The Decanter-A Shocking Sight That
Can Be Witnessed at the Very Gate
way to the Nation-Setting Prospec-
tive Citizens a Bad Example.
There was an old decanter
and its mouth was gaping
wide; the rosy wine
mad ebbed away
and left it's
crystal side;
and the wind
went humming
humming, up and
down the sides 1t flew,
and dthroughits
reed-like hol-
low neck the
widest notes
it blew. Iplaced it in
the window where the
blast was blow
ing free, and
fancied that its
pale mouth sang
the queerest strains to
me. They tell me-
puny conquerors! the
Plague has slain his ten,
and War his hundred thou
sand ofthe very best OF men:
but twas thus the bottle
spake: But l have conquered
more than all your famous con-
.querors, SO feared and famed of yore.
come drink from out my cup, the bever-
age that dulls the brain and burn
the spirits up; that puts to shame
your conquerors that slay
their scores below; for this
has deluged millions with
the lava tide of woe.
Though in the path of bat
tie darkest waves of blood
may roll; yet while I killed
the body, have damned
the very soul. The cholera
the plaques, the sword such
ruin never wrought, as l in
mirth or malice, on the inno-
cent have brought. And still
l breathe upon them, and they
shrink before my breath; and
rssa hs ey dismal mS rcad of pesh
In Need of Reform.
''At the immigration station of New
York." says a we'll known temperance
worker, ''beer has been sold to the immi-
grants for the past five years, who can buy
when they like and as much as they choose,
so long as they have the money to pay for
it. 1t is a common sight for young men,
who land in the morning bright and sober,
to be very much the worse for liquor in tho
afternoon, and have not been out of the
building, and upon being questioned as to
where they obtained their drinks and who
took their money point to the bar run by
the United States Government. The first
money spent by them in this country the
first day of their arrival is to the United
States for that which steals away their
brains and makes them unfit to care for
themselves or those dependent upon them,
and an easy prey to the vultures who
swarm about ready to pounce upon their
victim and fleece him, leaving him like the
stranger in the Bible on his way to Jer-
cho, who fell among thieves and was left
to die. The parties having the monopoly
OF selling provisions at the Barge Office, in
spite of promises which they have made
again and again, are selling no tea coffes
or milk, although hundreds of thousands
OF women and children are kept there fol
hours. Think Of these people. after being
huddled together like sheep in the steer
age for days, mothers with their little
children, sick, faint, weary. wanting cur
of tea, but nothing but beer to be had,
think Of these little children needing. crav
ing cup of milk, and nothing but beer
for them Yes, plenty of that! What
wonder that nine-tenths of the 250,00C
saloon keepers in this country are foreign
ers, for Uncle Sam tau ghr them at the very
entrance Of this New World how easy it is
to make money selling the drink. Shame
upon us-and we Christian nationp'