The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1910-04-21

The cause is partly in himself.
He had the opportunity to choose a
wise course of action. He chose
the worse and the more destructive
course. But | do not intend here to
dwell upon the blame that is due to
the dead. 1t is too late. He has
gone beyond our reach. With our
best will we can render no further
service to our dead than in a becom-
ing II to lay his body in its
last resting place.
But the cause of his death is part
lv in the men of our community, in
the mel of your neighborhood here.
in the men of Ottawa, These men
are guilty of a brother-man blood.
These men were intended by God to
be their brothers keepers. But
Cain-like they have lifted up their
hands and have robbed him of his
life and have shed his bloui upon
the earth.
I shall therefore endeavor briefly
to point out in a measure that part
of blame which falls upon us as a peO-
pie as a state.
There are men whose moral power
is small. They have a craving for
liquor. Some men are so constitut-
ed by nature that this craving is
created very quickly. A compare
lively few drinks will enkindle a fire
that will end in the utter ruin of the
victim-a fire that to all appearances
seems unquenchable. 1t shows it
self in this enslaving demand for
more liquor-a demand which can
never be satisfied. 1t grows by
that on which it feeds. The effort
to Salty it is like the effort to put
out a flame by pouring oil upon it.
The result is only a greater fame.
This undying thirst for liquor
takes command OF the man. He is
lis slave. He is not free. He is in
bonds, and bonds that he has not
power enough to sunder. His cray
ing leads him whithersoever it will.
In this land we have millions of
this kind of people-men and women
who have sold themselves and have
sold their birthright for a drink.
We have millions who spend their
earnings for the liquor that brings
damnation upon them. We have
millions who are o weak morally
to resist the temptation thus to
spend their money and thus to bring
themselves to destruction.
Then come in the men of the com
munity. They see the weakness of
all these poor human beings. They
see that these unfortunate slaves
will spend their money if they can
get their liquor. Then the men of
the community say thus; Go to; let
us take advantage of the weakness
of these men. Let us put a trap for
them, so that they may spend their
money and that we may get a share
of it: for our taxes will DE lower. IF
we can get their money, what care
we for the men? That is their own
lookout. Are we our brothers
keeper? Come, let us build a saloon
and get their money.
We OF this community stand face
to face with a fact today. Look up
on those remains. There they are
the remains of your brother and
mine. Men. Go you realizo where
we stand? There is your brother.
He became weak and persisted in the
trap that this community has set in
order to catch his money. He is
dead, not because he had finished
his allotted time, but because the
majority of you men had made ar
engagements to catch him and sell his
lifeblood for money.
We read of Caeser, the mighty
man, in ancient Rome. He was a
member OF the senate. When on a
certain day of March he came into
the senate to attend to his accustom.
ed duties-lo, here comes one man
to him. here another, then another,
till twenty-three men surrounded
him. Each mar had a dagger.
Each man thrust his dagger deep
into Caesars body. Caesar fell and
died. pierced with twentythree
wounds.
Look now at these remains before
us. We have not here a mighty
Caesar. We have a weak, infirm
and helpless brother-one who stray
ed way and was lost in the en-
tanglments of life, n who was
wandering about and was unable to
find his way back to the right path.
His condition called for our pity and
our help. We should have extended
our hand to him to lift him out of
the miry clay and set his foot on a
rock. For we are orr brothers.