Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-07-29


famed appetite OF man for strong
drink. But, though. il a man may
look ut this bramble long enough, he
can see him changed into the wriggling
coil OF a snake: yet. like Melusina. the
most famous OF all the French fairies.
when first he appears he looks like
beautiful god. instead of like devil.
His hair is cluster OF luscious grapes.
rich as those OF Eshcol. which the spies
carried back from the promised land
TO the Hebrew encampment. His
cheek has not upon IL the pale look
of n corpse. but II IL flushed with what
looks like the retlncsS OF health. lie
comes TO us not as n pauper. In his
pocket he jingles the coin OF his taxes
as he says: You cannot. you dare not.
do without me. ! am King Alcohol
There is not political convention in
all this land except one that has dared
hurl defiance nj my sceptcr. My den
may seem Ia be the saloon. but my
throne will yet be built under the great
dome I'm the rotunda az our national
capitol Shall vet be publicly recog.
nized rs king in AMERICAN politics as
/ am everywhere I'm secret recognized
as King Alcohol now
Is not the defiant assertion trueY
What political convention. with the ex.
Ception 10 "a" Prohibition convention.
dared doul.le up itS hSt apd sniie this
bramble alcohol staggering blcw:
Some years ago .he h"nd vf The ir.
famous Mormon church spake thus
for the pncourn cement ~ his follow
ers: Il do not anticipate that there
will come day In the near future
when we shall clect follower OF
Brigham Young to the presidency OF
the United States, but I do look for
ward to the time in the near future
when our church will grow so large
that as political institution one Of
the great political parties Will be COM
PEELED to bid for our vote. Then we
can have In American politics what
we would" Thank Cod. the dream of
the Mormon hierarchy Is shattered
could break heather idol into bits.
But though the dream OF Mormon
president has faded that OF the would
be King Alcohol Is a sud. realistic fact
Not one alone, but all OF the great polit-
tcal parties, with but one exception. are
bidding for the alcoholic vote today.
There may be silver planks, antitrust
planks. anti-imperinlisSc plapks, woman
sunragist planks. high tariff plapks
and low tariff planks found In the diff
ferent convention platforms upon
which the various candidates for the
stand. but with the eXcep-
lion OF the Prohibition party not one
OF delegates to q national
called to nominate a candi-
date for the presidency of the United
States has dared say TO the saloon
keeper, TO the brewer and to the wine
merchant: Get out OF this convention
hall! BE of. We defy you and your
Satanic hirelinFs. You are destroying
our youth and our strong manhood
with your liquid poison. Out. agents
OF darkness. Out, Outw No. that is
not the way the different conventions
spoke. In their suggestive silence they
say: "Bramble alcohol. we may yet
elect you king-but not now. However.
II you promise 20 help us now we will
promise not TO hurt your trade here
after" Am ! wrong I'm stating that
bramble alcohol is one OF the threaten.
Ing dangers confronting the future
sovereignty OF this land?
Evils % Licentiousness.
| would like. IL there had been time
enough. to have spoken OF another
form OF evil threatening this land and
for kingship. / allude to the
oramble OF RIGHTEOUSNESS or OF immor-
atty. j know that most people will
lift their hands I'm horror as I sneak
and say. why. there IL no danger like
that threatening u.s. Yes. there Is. my
friends. When an honest man Is elect
I'd 70 the highest executive Office OF a
lily he finds out. much to his surprise.
ne cannot shut up the brothes as he
would. He cannot stop the immoral
wills or the low dance halls. Every
where our cities are honeycombed with
flee. merely because the voters at the
DOLLS back up dishonest officials In their
TO allow these evil resorts
o exist. | have spoken only the sober
ruth when l have warned you that
)rambie atheism. bramble gold. bram-
Die alcoholism and bramble llcentious-
hess. the four great evil forms OF the
would be bramble king. are trying to
axe possession OF our American liber-
les and throttle out their life.
Well. says some one, chow, then.
ire we TO keep the bramble-the hate
III, worthless bramble-from becom-
ng ruler In American politicsY All.
ny friends. tile direct teaching OF this |
Iotham's fable tells the whole story.
when did those Delegates Of trees
Town In the valley OF Shechem doP |
They first offered the rulership to the |
live tree then To the fig tree. then TO /
he vine But these three practically
aid; Nay. we would not leave our
and comfort To 60 and |
ningie IN dirty politics. We would |
tay or here alone In dignity and
uiet and ease" That IL the whole
tory. The reason the bramble be-
anne king in Jotham's fable was he
ause the olive. the fig and the vine
efused the rulsrship for which they
~ NNAaieNAeit Hltc0. ANA To-Day
ne reason the bad element predomi-
ates In 10 many Of our city and coun.
and state elections IL because 40
Many or the better element refuse To
o TO the primaries. refuse TO be can
idates for the humber offices, refuse
D see that public moneys are adminis-
cred as honestly as private funds. II
said that when Michael Angelo was
ainting his most famous picture i'm
ne Sistine chapel OF the Vatican there
'as member or the pope's household
no himself would do nothing to right
le wrongs OF the Vatican. All that
ais member OF the household would
0 was to stand around and find fault.
nus when Michael Angelo painted
ne archfiend I'm his great canvas OF
The Last Judgment" he painted the
Ice OF this fault finder. this critic.
no was also "A do nothing. SO today.
we would draw n verbal picture OF
ne or the greatest evils OF American
ontics, we would not describe the dis
onest official who for years Is a chron-