Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-05-01

sorrow was due to selhshness. Let US
see II that is not so. II has been prov.
ed by investigation already made that
the drunkenness Of q track inspector
was the cause Of the accident What
was the cause Of that drunkenness?
The drinking habits Of that inspector.
How did he acquire them? In q sa-
loon which We taxpayers allow to run
on payment Of q certain sum Of money
into our own treasury.
$50. then. II was the greed or selfish
ness Of the men Of this town which
lies ut the bottom Of this dreadful dis
aster. Who was to blame for the dis
as,er? The track inspector? No. The
saloon keeper who sold him the liquorf
No. Who then? We ourselves, my
brothers: we who licensed the selling
Of the stun which turned mans brain
into liquid fire and smote his judg-
ment and reason with q brand from
out the burning pit.
corpses Of my own children night be-
fore last, could have exclaimed In
justice before the face Of God. I have
murdered my own children for was
one OF the men of Barton to vote for
the license which made possible the
drunkenness Of the man In whose care
were placed hundreds Of lives.
"FOr what is the history Of this case2
Who was this wretched track In
spector? A man who. to my own
knowledge. trembled before tempta-
tlon; who. on the testimony Of the fore
man at the shops. was and always had
been a sober man up to the time when
we as a municipality voted to. replace
the system Of no license with the sa-
loon for the sake Of what we thought
was a necessary revenue. This man
had no great temptation to drink while
the saloon was out Of the way. Its
very absence was his salvation. But
It's public open return confronted bis
appetite once more. and he yielded and
fell.
"Who says he was to blame? Who
6lC luc tNat ~ thN NocNs w
ourselves. citizens; We who, for the
greed Of gain. for the saving Of that
which has destroyed more souls In bell
than any other one thing. made possi-
BILE the causes which led TO the grief
and trouble Of this hour. Would We
not shrink In terror from the thought
Of lying In walt to kill a mani Would
We not repel with holy horror the ides
Of numbering and manning % peoplei
We would say Impossible! Yet when
! am ushered at last into the majestic
presence Of Almighty God ] feel con-
yinced ! shall see In his righteous
countenance the sentence OF our con-
demnation just as certainly as II we
had gone out In q body and by wicked
craft had torn out the supporting TIM.
bers Of that bridge Just before the
train Numbered upon II. for did we
not sanction by law business which
we know tempts men 10 break all the
laws. which Ellis our jails and poor
houses. our reformatories and asylums.
which breaks women's hearts and beg
gars blessed homes and sends innocent
children 10 thread the paths OF shame
and yagrancy. which brings pallor into
the face OF the wife and tosses with
the DEVILS own glee q thousand VIC
tins into pcrdition with every revolu-
ton OF this great planet about Its
greater sun?
Men OF Barton. say what we will.
We are the authors Of this dreadful dis
aster. And II we sorrow rs COM
munity We sorrow In reality for our
own selfish act And. oh. the selfish
ness Of Il! That clamoring greed for
money. That burning thirst for more
and more and more at the expense Of
every godlike quality. At the ruin Of all
that our mothers once prayed might
belong to US as men and women!
"what 10 II. ye merchants. ye busi-
ness men. here tonight that ye struggle
most overl The one great aim OF your
lives ls to buy for as little as possible
and sell for as much as possible What
care have ye for the poor. who work at
worse than starvation wages, so long
as ye can buy cheap and sell at large
profits? What Ii the highest aim Of
US railroad men In the great whlrl Of
commercial competition which seethcs
and boils and surges about this earth
like another atmosphere. plainly wish
BILE to the devils Of other worries?
"What Is our aim but to make money
our god and power our throne? How
much care or love IL there for flesh and
blood at times when there Is danger Of
losing almighty dollarsl But. o Al
mighty Saviour. 1t was not for this
that we were madei We know II was
not.
ITO whom am I speaking? To my.
self. God forbid that ] should stand
here to condemn you. being myself the
chief of sinners for these Is years.
What have I done to bless this COM
munity7 How much have ! cared for
the men In my employ? What differ
ence did Il make to me that my exam
pie drove men away from the church
of Christ and caused anguish to those
few souls who were trying to redeem
humanity To my just shame ] make