Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1905-06-16
"a Mothers" View of Judge
Mann's Plea.
Communicated

(COmmunioated)
Mr.. Eiitor;-l know Very little of
the deep questions OF the science Of
government. but there are some
plain, common, everyday, practical
truths, that any one, with ordinary
mental capacity can see and com
prehend, unless they wilfully close
their eyes. In order to haye n con
tented, happy, prosperous people,
the homes OF our lands should be
safe-guarded against the vices that
weaken degrade, and destroy the
manhood and true womanhood; and
our boys especially, should bo rear
ed and trained into strong, sober.
God d-fearing christian men men who
are not only willing two have plenty
OF the willing sort) but fitted to man
age tho affairs of church and state.
as we'll as Gil the less prominent, but
no less important relations of hus-
band, father aud private citizen.
The mother looks upon the hoy of
ten or twelve years; she notes the
expression of his contonance; she
treasures every bright saying, every
noble sentiment, every manly act.
lie rs her pride now and her future
hope. She tolls for has comfort, she
prays for hiS welfare, and woeps
over his short comings. but il the
father comes in with red eyes and
thickened voice and staggering
step, what ayails her counsel. her
prayers, and her tearsg "Pa drinks"
Father is n doctor and whom the
neighbors get sick they send for him
to give their sick ones medicine, and
he drinks. Father is a lawyer, he
diesses well and gets good fees, and
makes money, and he drinks. Or,
papa occupies an important position
as IA county official: he is popular
and respected, and he drinks. Nv
humble opinion is that there ~ more
hope for boy who has a good moth
er and n drunken sot for father
than there is for one with n good
mother and "a father who ~ "A so
called moderate drinker In the one
case we might point moral and
teach lesson by saying, "Look
what drink has done for father In
the other case tho boy would prob
ably think he had the best of the
argument, and in his self confidence
fail to exercise proper restaint, and
go head-lOng to ruin. You have.
perhaps, often read that saving:
"Ihe hand that rocks the cradle is
the hand that rules the world.r This
IS not true except in fanciful sense.
III mothers ruled, some things would
be different We are unwilling to
assume or to accept the entire re-
sponsibility. What mothers most
need is help Of the light kind. No
one feels so sensibly her limitations
as the intelligent, Conscientious
mother. No one more painfully real
Izes her need Of help than the mother.
We do not need the help we too
often get, of the bad example of any
inmate of our own homes, nor of anv
one outside CT our homes. We do
not need the help Of the licensed sa-
saloon, nor of the jug brigade. The
hscensed beverage liquor traffic is
the greatest evil of the age, the pro-
genitor of all form of vice, a blot
upon christian civilization. We do
not need a man In any important
executive position who declares he
is opposed to the prohibition of it q.
We want a man who has right
convictions and who has the cour-
age to maintain them.
| We had the pleasure of hearing
Judge Mann's speech on the 3rd inst