The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-03-14
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging and whosever is deceived thereby
is not wiss." Prov. Xxx: 1.
Sermon preached by Rev. s. s. Bergen,
pastor of the Kishacoquillas Presby-
terian church, at Belleville, M film Co.,
Pa, Aug 2lst, 1898. and published at the
earnest solicitation of many who heard
it.
SUGGESTED BY THE FOLLOWING TRAGEDY.
On Thursday, Aug. 18th, 1898, Joseph
Morrison, from near Lewistown, stabbed
Harry Daugherty, of Vail Station, Pa,
at the hotel stable in Belleville, severing
the fepnor artery. Daugherty ran, with
the blood streaming from him, to the
door of the bar room, where he fell and
expired in few minutes. While this
tragedy was being enacted the people OF
Belleville and vicinity were enjoying
themselves in their annual. R R. picnic
at the Park near the village.
The name of our fair village is forever
tarnished. Never again will it, for
generation at least, possess the reputa-
tion quietness and peace that it did a
few days ago. A fellow man with but q
few moments warning has been hurled
into eter1 ity, our fair streets made red
with his blood, by the hand of his Brother
man. A mad mans act? Yes, unques
tionably, but what made him mad?
Drink! drink! drinh!!! 1t is said that
threats were made to hang the murder
or, and this was perhaps prevented by
the promptness of the officer in remov-
ing him from our midst. So we narrow
ly escaped it may be a double murder.
| By and by the man charged with this
crime will be tried by our court. What
will be the verdict? Time alone will
prove. But whatever it may be, the
verdict will probably be reversed when
it comes before the Supreme Court OF
the Universe, where all cases must be
finally adjudicated. This poor murderer
will receive his sentence, the just reward
of his doings, but he will probably be
found to be but one party to the awful
tragedy that has filled us all with such
horror. Some of the very parties that
would 90 freely have taken part in string.
ing him to the tree by the we'll may find
that their skirts are not entirely free in
the eyes of the Supreme Judge, if they
helped to make it possible for this man
to secure that which made him mad
and nerved him to the commission o
this crime. The court that passes the
lower sentence may not unjustly find
that it has very serious responsibility
in this matter. Some of the very jury
men that pass upon the evidence, and
pronounce the man guilty may find
themselves standing side by side with
the criminal, and with the man who sold
him the maddening solution. While
the criminal ought to suffer the full pen.
atty of his crime, we must not forget that
he is not the only party to the crime
Nor do believe that for this special
crime he is the first party to this awfu
tragedy. Whether was it easier fol
him to refuse to drink that which LED
him to commit the crime, or for the par
ties that sold it to him to refuse to lei
him have it? Let the man that knows
the power of this appetite answer thi'
question. Nor does it make any differ
ence where the liquor came from. IT II
ENOUGH FOR US TO KNOW THAT THERE Ii
SOLD IN OUR COMMUNITY, BY THE AUTHOR
ITY OF OUR COURTS, AT THE REQUEST OF 4
NUMBER OF OUR CITIZENS, BY THE HAND OF
A FELLOW CITIZEN, THAT WHICH MAY FIT
YOUR SON OR MINE TO COMMIT JUsT AS FOUL
A TRAGEDY ON OUR STREETS ANY DAY.
The very day that our streets were rec
with the blood of this murdered maj
many of us were compelled to look upoI
dozen, I believe can safely say, of th'
young men of our community, member
some of them of the Sabbath Schools o
the churches, and perhaps of the @. E
societies of this and our neighborinl
village, made fools by drink. Our wive
and daughters, in passing too and fir
from our park, were compelled to listen
from the lips of these young men, t
language not fit for bar-room. Lool
at the two pictures, the tragedy, AM
these young men thus being fitted TO
such tragedies, and tell me if it is no
enough to make angels weep bitter tear
of sorrow and grief. Where did they ge
this Satan in solution, as it has beel
properly termed? I do not know. Blu
do know that it is sod by the authorit
of our courts, and with the consent Q
E many of our citizens, in our very midst
And we all know that they can get
there if they want it. Nor will ou
r streets or our park ever be free from it
a damning influence while it is thus sold
@ It is becoming a serious questio
e whether it will not be necessary, and i
r the interest OF peace and good order, t
o. o. abandon all gatherings such as we ha
. on last Thursday while whisky, win
e and beer continue to be sold in ou
Q midst. Think of what that meanI
b That one man may be able to heap up
: little more gold aud silver, and create
= condemnation to himself, we must Civ
n up our pleasant annual picnics, OF
y festivals, and all of our large gathering
~ 1t means that We must look forwar
n with dread to our horse-sales, and a
il such meetings in our midst. The Law
gg abiding, respectable, peace-loving cit
y zsns must deprive themselves of man
a of the pleasures of life that one may