The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-27
THE GREAT DESTROYER
SOME STARTLING FACTS ABOUT
THE VICE OF lNTEMPERANcs.
Who Was the Murderer7-Who Slew Gal.
liant Richard Yates, who Slew Edgar
Allan Poe, Who Slew Presidents
EldAaf RornS

Who Was tile Murdorer?-Who Slew Gal.
liant Richard Yates, Who Slew Edgar
Allan Poe, Who Slew Presidents
Eldest Born?
Who slew Ex-Governor Yates, of Illinois?
Gallant Richard Yates. whom the people
of the great Northwest once idolized? BY
his charming eloquence, his wondrous en-
thusiasm, his l.. sonal magnetism and his
terrible energy, ne aroused the people OF
his own and other States and swayed them
as he would. He was giant in those ter
rible days of war which tested mems pow.
ers to the uttermost. Only for g. brief
time, however, did he live to bask in the
smiles of popularity. He died; of what!
He was murdered; by what means? The
rum demon seized upon him and slew him
in all the glory of his manhood, on the
threshold of the nations capitol. But per-
haps you say man of such mighty powers
as Richard Yates possessed should have
been able to free himself from the tolls OF
the destroyer. All, you forget that Sam
son, shorn of his locks, was powerless in
the hands of the Philistines: Thus this
highly gifted statesman, and hosts OF 9th,
ers like him early sink into dishonored
graves under the powerful temptations by
which they are surrounded. They meet
their arch enemy everywhere, at the bril-
liant reception, in the gilded saloon, on
their routes of travel and in the family cir
Gle, where men should be safe (ifi men can
be safe this side the pearly gates of glory),
fair hands press to their lips the glittering
wine glass and thus prove themselves de-
stroying angels instead of angels Of mercy:
Therefore men of great power (shorn of
their locks by the Delilah of strong drink
yield themselves to utter despair as this
strong Senator did and perish wretchedly.
Near the close of life. friend plead with
him to reform. "Yates. for Gods sake,
save yourself" The wretehed man replied,
is no hope for me or such as am while the
traffic is sheltered in the bosom of respect.
able society,"" And Richard Yates was
right. There is no safety for any man
while the rum traffic exists, 1t must be
DESTROYED. We must stamp it out under
the iron heel. ~ - s,
Who slew Edgar Allen Poe, whose genius
so brightly shone for awhile in the galaxy
of American poets? Who dragged him
down from those lofty heights, where his
genius entitled him to dwell. down to the
lowest depths of degradation and to dis.
honored grave? Who, is it that has
quenched light after light Of many a star
in. the literary heavens and dimmed the
lustre of many others? The rum fend has
wrought all this sad ruin in literary cir.
cles! y,
Who once entered the White House and
seizing upon the eldest born of one of our
Presidents, dragged him thence to a mad.
house and from lunatic's cell to an un-
timely grave? Who in such terrible man
ner slew that unfortunate young man as ne
stood upon the threshold of a brilliant tea
reer? The rum demon who will slay your
boys and mine, if he can, thus DESTROYED
the eldest son of one of the Chief Magis-
trates of this Republic.-Christian Union
Herald. :.