Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-05
WORK OF ALCOHOL.
Matchless Temperance Grafton by
1n-crsoll.

InCersoll
One of the greatest temperance ora
tons ever delivered In the English lam
guage was delivered by Ingersoll in n
case where he was defending n liquor
dealer. 1t was as follows:
II am aware that there is q prej,L
dice against any man engaged in the
manufacture of alcohol. I believe that
from the time 1T issues from the coiled
and poisonous worm in the distiilery.
until it emptles into the hell of death,
dishonor and crime. 1t demoralizes
everybody that touches It., from its
source 10 where 1t ends. do not be-
iieve anybody can contemplate the SUBJ
iect without becoming prejudiced
against the liquor crime.
All we have to do gentlemen Is to
think of the'wrecks on either bank of
the stream of death. of the suicides. OF
he insanity; of the poverty. of the
ignorance. OF the destitution: of the 1T
tie children Juggling at the faded and
weary breasts of weeping and despair
ing wives, asking for bread: of the
talented men of genius 1t has wrecked.
the men struggling With imaginary
scrpents, produced by this devilish
thing: and when you think of the jaIls.
the almshouses, OF the asylums, of the
prisons, of the scaffolds upon either
bank. do not wonder that every
thoughtful man is prejudiced against
this stuff called alcohol.
vigor, manhood in It's strength, and age
in its weakness. It breaks the fathers
heart. bereaves the doting mother, eS-
tinguishes natural affections, grasses
conjugal loves. blote out flial attacn-
ments, blights parental hope, and
| brings down mourning age in sorrow
| to the grave. 1t produces weakness,
not strength; sickness, not health;
death. not life. 1t makes wives widows:
] children orphans; fathers flends, and
all of them paupers and beggars. 1t
feeds rheumatism, nurses govt, well
comes epidemics. invites cholera, I'm
ports Destllence and embraces con-
sumption. 1t covers the land with idle
ness, misery and crime. It fills your
Jails, supplies your almshouses, and de-
mands your nsylums. 1t engenders
controversies, fosters quarrels and
chcrishes riots. 1t crowds your Deni-
tentiaries and furnishes victims to
Your scaffolds. 1t is the lifeblood OF
the gambler. the element OF the burg
lar. the prop of the hlghwayman and
the support of the midnight incendiary
IL countenances the liar, respects the
thief, esteems, the blasphemer. It VI
olates the obligations, reverences fraud
and honors infamy 1t defames benev-
olence, hates love, scorns virtue and
ISLANDERS Innocence. 1t lncltes the
father to butcher his helpless Offspring.
helps the husband to massacre his wife,
and the child to grind the paricidal AK.
II burns up men, consumes women, de-
tests life. curses God. and despises
heaven. 1t suborns witnesses, nurses
perjury. defiles the jury box, and stains
the judicial ermine. Tt deErades the
citizen, debases the legislator, dishonors
statesmen and disarms the patriot. 1t
brings shame, not honor! terror, not
safety; despair, not hope: misery, not
happiness; and with the malevolence of
n fiend it calmly surveys it's frightful
aesolation, and, unsatisfied with It's
havoc, it poisons felicity, kills peace.
ruins morals. blights confidence, Stays
reputat ton, and wipes out national hon
ors, then curses the world and laughs
at It's ruin.
1t does all that and more-lt murders
the soul. 1t is the son of villainies, the
father OF all crimes, the mother OF
denominations, the devils best friend
and Gods worst enemy"