Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-03
DENOUNCES LIQUOR
M. L. HosTETTER DELIVERS AN
ELOQUENT LECTURE.
HOLDS UNIQUE VIEWS ON QUESTION
Tells of the Bitter Experience He Has
Had Caused by the Evils of Drink
Would Rather Have Filthy Saloons
Than Fine Ones.

In a most eloquent manner, M. L..
Hostetter of Pennington, recited the
story OF his life last evening to a
large audience at the South Side Bap-
fist church Mr.. Hostetter spoke on
the ruinous effects of alcoholic liquor,
what it had done with him and what
he was now endeavoring to do with
it. Mr.. HoStetter is not lecturer for
the prohibition party nor is he in amy
way connected with it, although he adj
yocates the disseminating of saloons
He is brilliant and brainy. a deep stu
dent and profound thinker and the
cause he has espoused will find in
him new pillar of strength. He
paints his vivid word pictures of the
evils of intelnperance with pigments
made from the dregs OF a dissipated
career and the coloring is true. Mr.
Hostetter spoke in part as follows:
Mr.. Hostetter Speech.
Il stand before you tonight in COM
pliance with a sacred promise made
two years ago TO Almighty God, that
if He would save men from a then i'm
pending doom, j would whenever and
wherever the privilege would be ac-
corded me, raise my voice in OPPOSE
ton TO a social institution to which
l had fallen a helpless, hopeless and
unhappy victim. l am no orator, my
friends, and do not come with siivery
tongue nor flowery speech TO amuse
and entertain, but to tell you in the
plain brunt words of an honest man,
educated in the bitter school of eN-
perience, the simple story of wasted
life. And to that end let me tell you
how it was that | began a career of
dissipation, / was born tifty-one years
ago in the state of Wisconsin. The
years of my boyhood and early youth
We're spent upon a farm few miles
from the then growing little town of
Broadhead. in the county of Green.
His Start.
Mr.. Hostetter then told of the citi-
Zens of this little town being persuade
ed by a financier from Milwaukee to
establish a legalized saloon in lieu of
the dives that had heretofore existed
and, continuing, said:
THE saloon was built. a fine two
story building built of Milwaukee
brick. Above the door in great gilt
letters on a sable foil appeared the
name. Fred Gumhar, and the friendly
greeting, Welcome All and<.upon the
right hand window pane the words,
Pure Liquors. and upon the left, Fine
Wines and Good Cigars And within
an elegant walnut bar, trimmed in
mahogany and set with gifted screws
and bolts and decked with shining
rods of brass extended from front to
rear. Behind this carved and poll
iShed board, arose a splendid mirror in
a Sarnished frame and on it's face was
set the motto, Eat, Drink and be Mer-
ry, For Tomorrow We May Die And
at the mirrors base back bar iglis-
tened in a wealth of cut and FURNISHED
glass; pictures of laSciyious scenes and
portraits of beautiful but wanton
women adorned the walls. The CELL
ing was painted in imitation of an
Italian sky: from a brazed and glow
ing chandelier brilliant lamp light
cast a dazzling splendor over the trap
pings of this place of the god of drink.
And upon this back bar stood in bot
ties of fantastic forms and shapes and
colors the wines and the cordials and
the liquors of the yintages of many
climes. This was no place for old and
broken men and if it We're it could not
last, but must decline with them A
scheme for raising revenue must have
a broader and more lasting brace
| Young and energetic men of convivjal
| turn and generous hearts, men with
prospects in the business world OF
| hopes of higher fame. Young men OF
| SPIRIT and soul, of dash and of parts,
must be recruited from the ranks ano
| laid before this jaugernaut of revenue
| And if among the youth there may be
| found a widows only son deprived OF
| all parental care free from the re-
| strant of a father or an elder broth
er's hand, so much surer and the rich
err will be the harvest For the son OF
the sweetest gentliest, llindest and
| most loving mother is most fit for ig-
noble uses. And | say it not to vain
/ ly boast, my friends, but because It's
| true. just such a woman was my
mother and | was such a SON."
MI. Hostteter's position is unique il
| that he controverts the current doc
trine that men become drunkards be-
cause of inherited appetite or weak
| Will power or excessive evil in the
| heart. He takes the exact opposite
position, that men become addicted to
the drink habit because they have MOI
| inherited appetite. that they are strons
| in will power and that they are kind
| hearted and generous. In describing
! the associations of the above men
! toned saloon he said around this lie.
| gal social bar, not in some laWless den
! L mingled With the rest and there
found companionship, congenial, warm
| true, tender and lasting; some unt'
| this day. For myself i offer naugh
to say. / have sown and i must reap
| but state the simple facts. In behal
of others let. me say that I found M
| lawyers, and the merchants and clerks
the young and brawny blacksmith anc
the wagon makers son. the painter ant
| the printer, the soldier boy, the farm
er's son, all the brave and gallan