Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-04-29
THE
CURSE OF LIQUOR.
For The Keowee Courier.

SaluaDle paper I VIII express my
sentiments, as l see them, in regard
to the whiskey and cigarette habits,
trusting that my few feeble remarks
may reach the stony heart of some
poor way-faring man, and inspire
him to better and more nobel life,
as well as to enlist the sympathies
of every poor broken-hearted mo-
ther and sister who have to endure
the shame and disgrace of support
ing these victims of the filthy, vile
stuff by their hard labor.
Shame on you, men and boys, all
over our land and this beautiful
world, created by God, aud by whom
were all things made-shame on
you, say, to deflle. abuse degrade
and pollute your God-given faculties
by such vulgar and pernicious habits.
Show me the man or boy who in
dulges to an excess in either Of these
damnable habits, and l will show
you a weak specimen of humanity.
not worthy to be called gentlemen"
but who expects to be treated as
such and Is insulted If he does not
have the best attention showered
upon him, when the whole world
knows he deserves no better treat
ment than that of a dumb brute. If
intoxicating liquor does anything for
the person using 1t, except to make
fool of him, | would like for any
one to show me a different light on
the subject, and If cigarette smok-
Ing makes a man or boy any more
cleanly or any more of blessing to
his family, then I'll drop the sub
ject and forever hereafter hold my
peace.
What is more disgusting than to
a nuy1 f>f hox, 4.
siZe-grouped together in the pub
lie road, or in front Of Gods house,
lighting their cigarettes from the
same match, ha-ha-ing and grinning
at every passer-by as If they were
the most charming creatures under
the blue sky, and then boldly walk
ing In the church. taking a back seat
(and that is the place for them)
having cognizance Of nothing except
their own good CD looks, and star
ing at everybody who walks in at
TIE door. The result is nothing
learned. They could not tell ONE
SINGLE quotation from the pulpit
/ am sorry for these boys. They
are to be pitied; God knows they
are. Their mothers need the sympa-
thies of every Christian man and wo-
man, and their fathers need small
ter influence over them, thereby
making an example for them worthy
Of emulation. "Train up a child in
the way he should CO." is not prac-
ticed by parents of modern times as
forcibly as 1t should be. Would to
God We could all more deeply real
lie the great Importance of this wise
saving. The question naturally
arises. How can the children walk
uprightly without a leader? They
will be as sheep without shepherd,
not knowing the pitfalls before them.
Liquor Is so impure that it is not
fit even for medicine. There are
too many ways to evade the laws
the more shame to such laws.
There are families all over our
world that have been made misera-
bly, unhappy by the use OF intoxicat-
ing drink in the home 1t tends to
have a depressing influence on all
the mebmers of the household, caus-
ing the wife to appear with sad
face and the little children's laugh
ter to be turned into tears. 'Tis a
sad picture on memory's walls to see
father, the head of the household,
come staggering home in the wee
small hours Of night with a bottle
or jug OF liquor under his arm, or
hid In the bushes, and all he can
hold in his stomach-falling, reel
ing, cursing and making the night
hideous with all sorts of vile and
gruesome words. Shame on such a
father. ! don't care who he is!
There are many homes that could
be made beautiful by the touch of a
skilled painter, or architect, but
there are not sufficient means on
hand to- give the inmates OF these
homes the pleasures they would so
much en- JOY. The daughters would
delight In piano, the sons in a
nice fat pony. but 1t takes money
to make the mare co." and for whis-
key and tobacco 1t goes and goes so
free and easy. When the mother
asks for new dress there is not
enough money on hand to purchase
1t, but when the desire comes for a
great big drink of that good old
corn liquor" here she goes by the dol
lars. Nobody enjoys it but the one
who drinks 1t, and If the same
amount OF money was spent for lux
uries of another kind all the family
could sit around the festive board
and "eat, dring and be merry"-but
no such good luck for the drunk
ards family.
l could write forever on these full
grown evils that are Turing our boys
on to an awful eternity, but my ef-
forts will avail nothing unless / can
nave the cooperation Of the boys
themselves, and all haters Of evil.
The world is growing worse instead
OF better. Every paper Is filled with
crimes committed at the hands of
some demented wretch. 1t is horri-
hla tn think mnch lpSa raoh ohnnt
and yet our laws are not enforced.
What Is to become Of us under the
present condition of affairs? Just
let things wag along in their own
easy, Indifferent way, and maybe,
some sweet day. we can see q silver