The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-01-05
BENTON. LOUISIANA, THURSDAY, JANUARY 5; 1899.

young hIu Illtule dStG anu Olu tltt
strong drink is poisonous and damn
ing? When will we learn that we must
educate public opinion up to a prohib-
itory law or such law will not be
passed or il passed will not be exc
cuted? God grant that all state and
national legislatures may build up
an impossible wall. shutting out the
alcoholic abomination. But while We
wait for that let us. in our homes, in oui
schools and our churches and on our
platforms and in our newspapers. per
suade the people to stop taking alco-
holic stimulant unless prescribed by
physicians, and then persuade phys
clans not to prescribe it if in all tie To-
minions of therapeutics there may We
found some other remedy.
Oh, save the young man of to-day and
greet the coming century with tidal
wave of national redemption! Do not
put upon the cradle of the twentieth
century mountain of demi johns and
beer barrels and rum jugs and put to
its infant lips wretchedness, disease,
murder and abandonment in solution.
Aye, reform that army Of inebriates
"Ah,' you say, lit cannot be done!"
That shows that you will be of no use
in the work. 80 ye of little faith"
Away back in early times President Da-
Wis, Of Princeton college, one day found
a man in utter despair because of the
thrall of strong drink. The president
said to him: ''Sir, be of good cheer.
You can be saved. Sign the pledge" :"
"Ah," said the despairing victim, 81
have often signed the pledge, but have
always broken my pledge" But"
said the president, 81 will be your
strength to keep the pledge. l will be
your friend and with loving arm
around you will hold you up. When
your appetite burns. and you feel that
you must crafty It, come to my house.
Sit down with me in the study or Will,
the family in the parlcr, and l will be
shield to you. All that l can do for
you with my books, my sympathy, my
experience, my society, my love, my
money, l will do. You shall forget your
appetite and masterit." 4 look of hope
glowed on the poor mans face, and he
replied: "Sir, will you do all that?''
Surely l will" "Then l will over
come" He signed the pledge and kept
it. That plan of President Davis which
saved one man, tried On a large scale,
will save million men.
Alexander the Great made an inn
perial banquet at Babylon, and, though
he had been drinking the health of
guests all one nj ght and all the next
Gay, the second night he had 20 guests,
and he drank the health of each sep
arately. Then, calling for the cup of
Hercules, the giant, a monster cup he
filed and drank it twice to show his
endurance; but as he finished the last
draught from the cup of Hercules. the
giant, he dropped in fit, from which he
never recovered. Alexander, who had
conquered Sardis and conquered Hall
carnassus and conquered Asia and con-
quered the world, could not conquer
himself, and there is a threatening
peril that this good land of ours. having
conquered all with whom it has ever
gone into battle, may yet be over
thrown by the cup Of the giant evil OF
the land-that Hercules of infamy
strong drink. Do not let the staggering
end bloated and embruted host OF
drunkards go into the next century
looking for insane asylums and aims
houses and delirium tremens and dis
honored graves.
There are thousands of married peo
pie who are unhappy and they ough1
never to have welded. They were de
ceivcd, or they were reckless, or they
were fools, or they were caught by dim
Pile, or hung by curl. or married il
joke, or expected fortune and it die
not come, or good habits turned t
brutality, and hence the domestic
| wreck, but make divorce less easy ant
you make the human race more eau
tious about entering upon lifetime al
lance. Let people understand tina
marriage is not an accommodation
train that will let you leave almost any
where, but through train, and thel
| they will not step on the train unles
they expect to go clear through to tn
| last depot. One brave man this comm:
winter, rising amid the white marble 0
yonder Capitol hill, could offer reso
luton upon the subject of divorce tha
could keep out of the next centur.
much of the free lovism and dissolute
ness which have cursed this century.
Another thing that we need to ge
fixed up before the clock shall strik
~ on that night of centennial TRANSITION
is the expulsion of war by the power O
arbitration. Within the next thre
years we ought to have, and l hope vii
have. what might be called "a jury Q
nations" which shall render verdict O
all controverted international ques
tions. All civilized nations are read
for it. Great Britain with a standin
army of 100000 men, France with
standing army of $4,000 men, Ge1
many with standing army of CO0,OO
men, Russia with standing army c
| 100000 men. Europe with standin
armies of about 100000 men, tn