Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-10-13

grating sound was heard, then a
roar, and the town and it's sleeping
inhabitants were in the bottom Of
the lake. She drew a parable be-
tween the gradual undermining of
that fated town and the undermin-
ing Of our government by the one
billion silver hammers (the one
billion dollars invested in the
liquor traffic. which are tapping at
it's base undermining it's founda-
tons and will ultimately bring the
superstructure to ruinif not check
ed by education, agitation, legisla-
ton. She pointed out that gov
ernments exist for the conserva-
ton of the interests of their
people. She pleaded not only for
the restraint Of the vicious but for
the protection of the weak, She
showed the fallacy of the belief
that the liquor traffic produced
revenue, when for every dollar
placed in the treasury by liquor,
two are expended in supporting its
victims. Mrs. Fessenden will no
doubt carry with her from North
Dakota new proofs that the liquor
traffic does not produce revenue.
In Grand Forks, taxes, aside from
outlay for new improvements, are
lighter than when high license
prevailed, and all warrants are
paid in cash, while just across the
river East Grand Forks with it's
thirty-three saloons has a floating
debt Of $13, 900!
Mrs. Fessenden contended that,
though we granted that the sale of
liquor did increase revenue, this
powerful Christian nation, the
richest nation on earth, cannot
afford to grow richer upon the souls
Of men! She referred to high
license as a term which had never
been defined. Some will call $500
or $1,000 a high license; can that
be called a high price for the souls
of men!
Mrs. Fessenden like all real
patriots despises a traitor-a man
who would break his country's laws
and sacrifice his brothers for paltry
pelf. She quoted Hawthorne's
description Of a traitor as "a crea-
ture plastered from the refuse stuff
after swine we're made" She paid
a tribute to North Dakota for out
having the liquor traffic and plac-
ing the traitors stamp upon all
who engage in it. She commended
the patriots Of North Dakota for
their efforts to enforce the law and
save their commemorative best
blood; the poor drunkard will Sc
cure drink somehow, but by plac-
ing run under a ban the youth Of
the state are saved.
She drew a vivid picture show
ing how much greater is the crime
Of liquor-selling than that Of theft
or murder-a son may lose his all
through the wiles of the embezzler
but he may yet retrieve his for
tune; a SOL may be struck down by
the hand Of the assassin but the
sorrowing mother is not comfort
less, she hopes to see her son
again; a son falls into the clutches
Of the drink demon and as his life
goes out amid the horrors Of de-
lirium tremens, the anguished
mother feels hat there is no ray.o
hope to tighten the blackness of
darkness in which this precious
life has gone out. She told of one
of the stately homes Of Boston in
which the only son when crazed by
drink would pursue his gray-haired
mother with a knife; she pictured
the agony Of that mother, the burn
ing shame and humiliation of the
sister, and the abject remorse of
the son between his spells of
drunken insanity. But we. need
not go to Boston to find gray
haired mothers afraid Of their sons
when drunk, wives afraid Of their
husbands when drunk; little chill
dren afraid Of, and suffering at the
hands of fathers when drunk. And
yet, people will tolerate this awful
thing; people, ostensibly respect
able people, will justify and vote
for this accursed thing, and peo-
pie, actual human beings. will deal
in this traffic in innocent blood. in
human souls. "Come out of her,
my people, that ye may not be par
takers Of her sins, for God hath
remembered her iniquities, and
she shall be utterly burned with
fire, for strong is the Lord God
who judgeth her"