The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-06-20

AShSCy NilaI Tic SOuIl, IOOy uSCldItu
that this crime had its inception N
Strong drink, and the accused himself,
we are told, said ''whiskey has done it
for me. " Itwas not the John Brown who
was kind and obliging neighbor; it was
not the John Brown who was a gentle
husband, but the John Brown whom
liquor had denounced and brutalized that
struck, we are told, the fatal blow that
took the life of Truman Root, thus wild
owing his wife and depriving his family
of him whom nature has decreed should
be their defender and support, that
ruined the home of John Brown and
made his gentle wife's condition a
thousand fold worse than that of wild
ow, that consigned John Brown to the
MARYLAND penitentiary for eight years
and branded him as a murderer 1t was
liquor that demoralized the brain, that
controlled the hand that dealt the blow
that snapped out the life of Truman
Root
Who placed that liquor within the
reach of John Brown? By his own tes-
timony one George R. Long declared
that he had sold to these men the liqucr
consumed and that he became consum-
ing fire on that occasion. Should | say
to him Sir, your act in selling that
liquor resulted in the death of,,Truman
Root, what would be his response. lie
would point to his licenseyduly signed
by the authorities OF the commonwealth
and this government and say, Il only
did that which these men in their official
capacity have authorized me to do"
l ask again "'Who killed Truman
Root.
| turn to these officials with look Of
accusation, but they quickly turn to tie
acts of the legislature of the state Of
Maryland and say that the legislature
of the state directed us to sign the
license of that man when he had met
with certain requirements and our hands
are free of the blood of any.
| turn now to the men who enacted
this legislation and say, you are charged
here indirectly with the murder of this
man, for your act made possible this
crime; but they say it was not US, we
were the servants of the people, and as
representatives of certain party politi-
clans and principles simply carried out
the wish of the people, therefore we
plead not guilty; we were but the voice
of the people
All !. hear me tonight, my brother,
my fellow-citizen; you who possess the
right of suffrage. When the final in
quiry is made and when the court of
last resort shall have been reached and
when he who is the Advise Judge of all
men shall ask, who killed Truman
Root p if you, if we. have failed to use
our voice and vote to protest against
that which makes possible and that
which even breeds and encourages such
crimes, | say, can we stand in His pres
ence and say am innocent of the blood
of any.
Within the past year a few hundred
people lost their lives in this country by
earthquake, and what CONSERVATION
among our whole people But during
that same year the liquor traffic slew
one hundred thousand people; but, alas,
how little has been said about it. Men
have died on the rail almost at our very
doors, others have been injured and
have become county charge as result
Of this evil, and yet, l ask, what is be-
ing done Who is lifting a hand to pre-
vent this foul curse that every day is
Tightening its grip on this community
in which we live and that every day
threatens to come into your home and
mine and drag down our sons and
daughters and murder them or send
them out as murderers, thus bringing
shame and reproach on the name they
have borne?
May common sense and decency and
the spirit of God Almighty so arouse
this community that in our Indignation
and in Gods name we may rise up and
smite this bloody-handed business until
it shall be found no more among US, is
my prayer.