Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-01-31

4
the use of strong drink adds To the
happiness of humanity or to the
glory of God. The curse of the
traffic casts its shadow across the
land. Too frequently young women
are seen in restaurants partaking
of strong drink with young men.
They are playing upon the same
fearful road that has led thousands
To our asylums, poorhouses. jails,
to degradation and to ruin.
Il say to you deliberately that
after thirty years experience as an
attorney and as a prosecuting Off
Ger IN the courts that | am firmly
of the opinion that 80 per cent. of
crime is directly the result of strong
drink and 50 per cent. isindirectly
caused by indulgence in strong
drink. Can we, then, in the face
of such an appalling array, hesitate
20 say where we standa
Not long since, was making a
speech, and l tried to picture the
future of this great commonwealth.
L told those people that | trusted
the day would come when books
instead of bottles would be in your
young mems hands and schools and
churches instead of saloons and
gambling places would be scattered
the length and breadth of the State.
When ! finished my speech man
came up to me and said: Look
here, YOU attacked my business to-
day, | voted for YOU, but want to
say that | am sorry and will never
vote for you again. | told him:
We'll, my friend, l don't know
that shall ever ask for votes
again. / don't know that | shall
be a candidate for another Office,
but I'll tell YOU that if must Sc.
cure votes by sitting my con-
science, then, so help me God, |
shall remain private citizen for
the rest of my days The man
seemed indignant. Don't YOU
know that Christianity and my
business can't stand together he
said. Won't you write that down
over your own signature. told
him, l wish l had that statement
to show the people from one end
of the State to the other, that they
might see your own indictment of
the traffic Christianity and the
liquor traffic will not stand togetheri
Choose We this day whom We will
serve, God or mammon.
But some one says money de-
rived from the liquor business is
necessary to run the schools. / say
1t is not. The schools do not de-
pend on this blood money. Wipe
out the liquor business and if
necessary the State can we'll afford
to increase the tax on property to
sustain the schools and save the
boys and girls of this land.
You have all heard the old cry
that prohibition will not prohibit;
blind tigers and all forms of un-
lawful sale will flourish. Prohibi-
ton can be enforced as effectively
as other laws are. Let the officers
of the law backed up by the moral
sense of the community and the CO.
operation of good citizens do their
duty, let the men who break the
law be sentenced to the roads and
let no governor grant them a par
don and you will have prohibition
in full force.
/ have seen prohibition that
did prohibit. l have just returned
from the New England States, the
home of prohibition, and l tell YOU
that from my observation and in
curry prohibition is a success. /
travelled thousands of miles, visited
-
the fairs in those states, and in all
that journey / never saw but three
intoxicated men. On the other
hand, abstinence from drink is the
rule among these people. l saw
them tested. | saw fourteen young
men, strong, healthy and prosper
Gus, offered on one occasion cham
payne by Southern man, be it
said to his shame, but / was clad
that he was not a member of our
party, and every one of the four
teen declined, saying that they
used no intoxicants.
Some one will ask, How about
Vermont! That State had prohibi-
ton for fifty years, and two years
ago the people voted it out and
substituted local option. Yes, that
Is true, but have you heard the re-
suit! | talked to the Governor of
Vermont, an excellent Christian