Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1908-04-22

land will Arrest the twenty, and eash
viii be tried, convicted and execztSd
for the whole murder, and not o1e-
twentieth of the crime.
Il have been made a drunkard %
law. If it had not beeL for the legal
lied saloons of my time, never woa4a
have become a drunkard, my we
would not have been murdere4,
would not be here now ready TO De
hurled into eternity. Had it not been
for the human traps set out by the
consent Of the government, ] woGld
have been a sober man. an industrious
workman, a tender father, a loving
husband. But today my home is des-
troyed. my wife murdered, my little
children-God bless and care for them
cast on the mercy of a cold, cruel
world, while l am to be murdered by
the strong arm of the State.
God knows / tried to reform, but
as the open saloon was in my path,
my weak, diseased will power was no
match for the fearful, consuming aiS-
petite for liquor At last sought the
protection and care of II church OF
Jesus Christ; but at the commun5cl
able | received at the hand OF tne
pastor who sits there, and who has
testified against me in this case, the
cup that contained the same alekoEie
serpent that is found in every bar
room in the land. It proved too muck
for my poor weak humanity, and cot
of that holy place rushed to the
debauch that ended with the murder
of my wife.
For one year our town was with
out a saloon. For one year my wife
and children were supremacy happy,
and our little home was perfect par
adise.
II was one of those who signed re-
monstrance against reopening saloons
in our town. TIE names of onekalt
Of this jury can be found today on
the petition certifying to the good
moral character? of the rumselIer. and
falsely saying that the sale of liquor
+ is necessary in our town. The prose-
cutting attorney in this case was the
one who so eloquently pleaded with
this court for the license, and she
Judge who sits on this bench, and who
asked me if had anything to say be-
fore sentence of death was passed
upon me, granted the license"
The impassioned words CT the Fris~
oner fell like Goals of fire upon the
hearts of those present, ana many
of the spectators and some of the law
yers were moved to tears. The jHdge
made a motion as to stop the pTis-
} soner, when the speaker hastily said
NO. no! your honor, do not close my
lips: l am nearly through, and they
are the last words l shall ever Utter
on earth.
Il began my downward career at a
saloon bar-legalized and protected by
the voters of this commonwealth which
! has received annually a part Of the
blood money from the poor defuded
victims. After the state has made me
a drunkard and murderer, I am
taken beforse another bar-the bar OF
justice?--by the same power that
; legalized the first bar, and now the
law power will conduct me to the
place of execution and hasten my soul
into eternity. / shall appear before
another bar-the judgment bar Of Cot
and there you who have legalSxef
the traffic viii appear with me. TkiRk
you the Great Judge will hold me, the
poor, weak victim of Your traffic, ahene
resporsiD for the murder of nay
wife? Nay; in my drunken. fren-
zied, irresponsible condition, have.
murdered one, but you have deliser-
ately and wilfully murdered your thosAs
sands, and the murder-mills are ~
{ full operations today with your con-
sent.
"All of you know that these wosds
of mine are not rawlings of an unsound
mind, but Gods truth. The liquor
traffic of this nation is responsible for
nearly all the murders, riots, poverty,
misery, wretchedness and woe. IT
breaks up thousands of happy homes
every year, sends the husband and
I father to prison or to the gallows,
and drives countless mothers and lit
tie children into the world to suffer
and die It furnishes nearly all the
criminal business of this and every
other court, and blasts every commEn-
ity it touches.
You legalized the saloons that
made me drunkard and a murderer
and you are guilty with me for sac
murder of my wife.
''Your honor. l am done. l am ROW
ready to receive my sentence, 10 be
led out and murdered according is the
laws of this state. You win close by
asking the Lord to have mercy on nv
soul will close by solemnly asking
God to open your blind eyes to the
, truth. to your individual responsibility,
so that You will cease to give support
to this hell-born traffic.