Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1909-05-28

The tragic account of civilization
with the liquor traffic Unto which the
above figures give but glimpse, is
effectively pictured by Sir Samuel
Chisholm. Bart. Ii. D., in his Lees
and Raper lecture delivered at Edin-
burgh, March 10, 1909
DR.. Chisholm, referring to the sub
ject of mortality as affected by drink,
notes the long admitted figures of at
least 10000 deaths directly due to the
liquor traffic IN England.
Dr. Chisholm says:
Perhaps the climax Of the question
in this connection is reached in the
appalling statement, amply confirmed
and never contested, that. according
to the lowest estimate, the number Of
deaths in this country directly due to
strong drink Is over &C. 400 per aRnum.
We have grown so familiar with the
figures that they cease to strike us
with horror. What would we think
of a state which year after year en-
countered In the field of battle an enc
my to repulse who cost it 10000 Of
its citizen soldiers lives and left the
enemy as powerful as before? We
would say that state is marching
swiftly to its doom. Yet that is but
simple description of what is occur
ring in our midst and under our own
eyes. and we look on unappailed.
Il will tell you how it sometimes
shapes itself to my mind. l think |
see this great British people standing,
say, on the 31st of December, 1908,
with the new year just about to swing
its gates open that we might enter In,
and just at that moment there ap-
pears some messenger from the other
world, or, say, some ancient sibyl, who
arrests our progress for a moment.
All hail, ye British people! she cries
as she holds in her hands a sparkling
glass. I bring you,' she says, "a New
Years gift to bless and comfort you
on the long march on which you are
about to enter. Take it; take this at
my hands to be with you as you go.
It will comfort you in sorrow; it will
soothe you in fatigue; it will add to
your joy in hours Of gladneSs. Take
It and use it in your homes and at
your festive boards, in public ban
euets and in your private dwellings,
but remember she adds in lower tone
and with grave acknowledgements
| must have my price. And | claim In
return and she casts her eyes across
the serried ranks Of our people-I
claim in return 10000 of your lives,
and 1 shall take them when and where
and as 1 will / shall take them from
the pulpit and from the senate and
from the professors chair. / shall
take the laborer and the tradesman,
the merchant and the man oS leisure.
shall take your young men and your
maidens and your little children too
Surely as you take the drink take
the lives, and if you wish to keep the
lives you may not touch the drink.
You cannot have them both. Which
will you have? And l say deliberate
ly that, to the unntterable disgrace OF
this British people, just as truly as II
their living lips had uttered the choice,
they have said, Give us the drink and
let the lives 60 Some of US have
said. Nay, nay; give us the lives and
let the drink CO. but our voices were
overborne by the hoarse murmurs of
the crowd, and 60,000 lives, many of
them the brightest, the most gifted,
many of them young and full of high
! promise. and all of them with rich
possibilities, were dragged down, and
while private homes were darkened
and distressed our national and civic
| life was impoverished and weakened.
And this is not a single event trans
acted and finished. 1t is repeated year
by year. The tale of 1908 has already
been paid to the full, and the price for
1909 is being daily exacted"