Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-12-20
The Rum Demon at work.


The Rum Demon Mt Work.
A young man who is now serving term
in State prison for homicide told me again
and again, with tears in his eyes, how he
committed crime while in condition
of insensible inebriety that forever brands
him as murderer. writes the Rev. Josiah
Monroe, in the New York Witness.
All he can say now is that when the
deed was done he was insanely drunk, and
did not know what he was doing. But
the law takes no such excuse and holds
him responsible for the crime, whether he
was aware of it or not.
Oh. this cursed rum that makes so many
maniacs and idiots. that sends men to the
gailows and fills the death chamber. That
robs children OF their parents and wives
of their husbands. That takes the bread
out of the mouths of helpless infancy, and
steals the clothes off the backs of the in
firm and decrepit The sacreligious de-
spoiler of the dead; the desolator of the
home. The ruin of tens of thousands of
all classes, rich and poor. high and low.
Recently / met the father of this young
man of whom / speak. He looked patri-
archal. His sons disgrace added ten years
at least to his life He was downcast,
grieved. mortified, and had been praying
for death to come to his rescue, but it did
not come. With the Psalmist he had
cried many time. Would God had died
for thee, my SOM" But it was too late.
But what about her who was his best
and earliest friend--his mother! She took
to her bed at the beginning of the trou-
bic, and became poor, nervous, chronic
invalid. Oh, what misery, wretchedness
and disgrace rum brought upon several
families, all related to this young man!
How it blasts, blights and eternally ruins
the most promising life!
Last December an intelligent man. about
f,rtxy Nf ntary f,.,Y,
Dannemora Prison but the great iron
gate was hardly closed upon him before
he was arrested again for a crime commit
ted several years ago, and, strange to
say, one which he had already forgotten.
The man had come from respectable
family in New York City, but on account
of his long criminal career they disowned
him. He felt greatly mortified over this
arrest, when he thought he was free
man.
After coming to the city he wrote a
very pathetic letter to one of the judges
in General Session, saying, among other
things. that he had not seen free Christ
mas in nineteen years, and begging clem-
ency that he might have one more chance.
He has spent several terms in prison the
past nineteen years-only remaining out
few months before he was back again.
So that during all these years he had not
Christmas.
The judge took pity on him and gave
him suspended sentence, which was the
same as another chance to show himself
q man.
What a splendid opportunity was placed
before him! He started in again to show
what he could do Many people encour-
aged him. For season his pathway was
full of sunshine and hope. But the evil
day came. He lost his position because
of his lack of foresight A friend met
him on the street and asked him to drink.
l call him an enemy. Under the influence
generated in his heart. With the mad
ness of lunatic he risked his liberty for
a mess of pottage. He sold himself to
the devil. In an hour he fell under the
influence of strong drink. He was caught
redhanded. The die was cast. He was
arrested, indicted and sent back to Clinton
Prison again for five years. This man told
me with tears in his eyes that it was his
own fault and he deserved all he got for
his foolshness.
Five years for one drink of whisky which
for the time made him fool! If there
were no wide open saloons in this town
this man would still be enjoying his free
dom. When a poor drunkard comes be-
fore magistrate in this city, he usually
for your drunkenness" Why don't they
lock up the saloons and the poor drunk
ard would attend to his business. Then
he would be able to feed and clothe his
family. What an awful account the rum
seller will have to give at the bar of God!
Request From Little Bobs.''
Lord Roberts has found time amid his
multiplied labors and excitements to
send from South Africa to London a tele-
gram rebuEing his home-staying fellow
countrymen for the form of welcome with
which they have received his discharged
soldiers. Lord Roberts is a temperance
man OF pronounced views, believing as ht-
tie in alcohol as an ingredient of patriotism
as OF courage, and it is no wonder that ne
has been disgusted by the accounts he has
received of the orgies which disgraced the
London streets on the arrival of the re.
turning troops. II beg earnestly" his
message runs, ''that the public will re-
frain from tempting my gallant comrades,
but will rather aid them to uphold the
splendid reputation they have won for the
imperial army" The heroic "Bobs'' is a
fighter of such approved ability and deter
mlnation that he well afford to do a
little preaching on occasion. His sermons
are always treated with respect even ii
they are not always heeded-and it's more
the pity that they are not always needed.
New York Times.
Does Not Give Force.
Professor Bunge says: 'Alcohol does
not give force: it is not force-nrod,cinu