The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-06-24

ever minis
ter And thirty
times as much
money is spent every year in drinking
places as is given to all church and
benevolent purposes in this country.
Think of It. The annual drink bill of
the United States is over four times
as much as the value Of all the church
property of all denominations. That
is to say, in one year the people OF
this country pour down their throats
money enough to build four times rs
many churches of the same grade as
now exists. Statistics prove that 1t Is
the direct cause of yearly output Of
100000 criminals sentenced to prison.
100000 to the poor house, 300 muir
ders, 400 suicides, with 500 funerals
day.
Beer VS.. Bread.
Statistics do not mean much, we are
not able to comprehend them. But
comparison may help us to get some
idea of where the money goes. Sup
pose the liquor bill for one year was
utN Ottu W INC pul ClldSt VI HOuT. IL
would buy over 100000 barrels. or
more than two barrels for every man,
woman and child in the country. Now
suppose that -four loaded on teams of
~ barrels each, it would take 20,000.-
600 teams to deliver it. Allowing
each team "a feet of room, it would
form q procession over 10000 miles
long, extending nearly four times
around the globe, or more than one
third the distance from the earth to
the moon. Save that money which is
worse than thrown away and this
nation would never hear the moan OF
hard times from now on to the mil
lenium.
The Pocket Nerve.
You would have more money in
the bank better clothes on your
back, better food on your table.
more leisure, more luxuries, for
yourself and your family, If 1t
were not for the demands made
upon you to provide houses OF correc-
tion, prisons, almshouses, insane asy.
lums. reformatories, hospitals, institu.
tions of all grades into which marches
or is carried long procession of men,
women and children, the finished pro-
duet of the liquor habit. There is
where the money goes. Nine-tenths
of all the poverty and suffering OF
this land without question is owing to
sinking the money in this bottomless
pit of intemperance. Save the money
sunk in this black abyss annually and
not another woman would shiver in
the cold, not another halfstarved
child cry for bread. Every man who
Is inspired by philanthrophy, patriot
ism or religion ought to be interested
TO smash the nations greatest curse.
t'n the principle of self-defense, pro-
lection OF our own interests as citi-
zcns and taxpayers, we ought to
arouse ourselves to this evil, il from
no higher motive.
Precept and Example.
And judgment must begin at the
house Of God. There is one perfect
ly sure remedy for intemperance, and
that Is total abstinence. Let us bring
our children up by our example as
we'll as by our precept Let us set in
our household such blazing light be-
fore our children that when they
come into the temptations of great
cities they shall be strong in ad-
vance Of their period of trial; let us
put the church on the right side, a
pillar Of cloud by day and OF fire by
night. guide to the militant host, a
confusion and destruction to her foes.
When we purge the church we shall
purge the parlor, we shall purge the
press, we shall purge the statute
books, we shall purge the ballot box,
We shall purge the executive, admin
istrative powers of the government,
and we shall thus deliver civilization
from curse which has gnawed our
vitals more deeply than war, or pesti-
lence. or famine.
This Ia the next step In social re-
form. And the fight thickens every
day. The field of conflict extends year
by year. AS Lincoln said, This ma.
tion cannot endure half slave, and
half free." so we say. This nation
cannot endure half drunk and half
sober" One or the other condition
will have to be changed. Constantly
the fact looms up in darker hues and
more fearful proportions that rum is
mans deadliest foe, and we are pressed
to the conclusion that the demons
reign must end And stronger grow
the hands, and more hopeful the
hearts. and more earnest the prayers
OF the great army arrayed against
this foe of God and man. marching on
TO its destruction. Since rum In one
form or another is the main evil and
obstacle In the pathway of humanity