The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1910-10-06
Continued from First Page

(COnElnUCQ tom T1T5b h&E-J
thing that is bad and demoralizing
may be added to it's account. BY its
~lawlessness and instigation Of law
breakers It forces on us a standing
ormy 81 police ofncers in time Of
peace to maintain order and pre-
serve the dignity OF civil govern
ment. It In q wealth devouFing para
site; it crowds our prisons, lunatic
asylums, hospitals and poor houses
with inmates. or the hundreds of
thousands of lunatics now crow ding
our asylums and jails, 51.44 per cent
are sent there by the use or intoxicat-
ing liquors, while 95 per cent OF all
the criminals now in the penitentar-
les of the world are sent there as the
result Of the use Of intoxicating drink.
Under the protection Of law local OPP
ton being one feature it has plumber
ed out homes, ravished youths
and defled our manhood. III defiles
their teachings, ISLANDERS their princi-
pies and fosters every vice and crime
in the calendar Of tnfamy, a moral and
a political anarchist and an unmitigat-
ed curse an institution which habi-
tually readjunct to the professional
and corrupt politician. establishes it
self in the plague Sports and slums
OF every large city in the civilized
world; like q great vampire, 1t seeks
the life-blood of youth brushes the
last hope of age and poisons the NOR
al atmosphere Of American life; it
worms in its insiduous way into the
domestic circle of families. and leaves
Dr. To- -r01x~ l@mOIm&4on ~~pa~ ~ns~~~wr
broken-hearted wives and staving
children, and finally fills more than
one hundred thousands graves every
year with what might have been
good useful citizens of the United
States. Such is local option.
/ am not supergitious in my reli-
gious belief, but If the census report
Of the United States is true the VEN
geance of Almighty God is upon the
manufacture and sale of intoxicating
liquors in the United States. The NUN
Der of men in the United States who
live to the age of SIS years engaged in
all other occupations other than man
ufacture and sale OF intoxicating IL
quors is 45 per cent while the num-
Der engaged in the manufacture and
sale Of distilled spirits who live to the
age Of 55 is only 81 per cent. The
number Of men in the United States
who live to the age of IS years engag-
ed in all other occupations other than
the maufactIre and sale Of intoxicat-
ing liquors is 80 per cent while the
number engaged in the manufacture
and sale OF liquor who reach the age
of 65 is only 8 per cent. This in itself
is alarming but the farther we drive
into the census statistics the more
frightful grows the spectacle. The
per capita consumption Of intoxicat-
ing liquor had doubled between 1860
and 1880, while the population in
creased 80 per cent, and insanity had
increased 400 per cent The increase
of population from 1870 to 1880 was
80 per cent, while the increase Of in
sanity for the same period was los
per cent. To make it plain SO that
you cannot misunderstood my posi-
| tion, in 1860 there was one defective
(insane) to every 1910 of the popula-
ton; in 1870 there was one to every
100 of the population; IN 1880 there
was n to every $40 Of the popula-
ton. The official statistics show an
increase of 800 per cent in insanity In
the United States during the past SO
years, andt hat during the same per-
iod the per capita of consumption OF
intoxicating liquors has increased
from five gallons to % gallons. From
the statement you can easily figure
out the result to the human family,
At this rate the entire population OF
the United States would become in
sane in 265 years. Do you think To-
cal option would benefit this state OF
affairs?
There is only one way to deal with
this monster liquor and tabt is deal
with &c like yOu would a rattlesnake-
1chOp off its head. There is, however
one hopeful sign for the future; the
religious sentiment of the Christian
churches. There is not room enough
in the civilized world for a triumph
ant church and a triumphant saloon
One or the other must go, and If there
is power in the Christian religion ii
will be the saloon. Our Lord has as
Lsured US that the Gates of He'll
shall not prevail against His church
If there ever was q trap door to per-
dition of a gate to hell on this earth il
is the organized, legalized. demonized
North Carolina Qocal option.
You intimate in your letter OF the
sixth that the discussion of h local
self-government plank in our plat
form would do good in the state. Il
it is to be distorted into meaning To-
cal option, then 1 am prepared to meet
TIE issue in any way it may come.
will never consent for the Republican
marty I'm North Carolina to be dragged
into q bar-rOOm with a hope OF sue
cess, 1 would like to see the, party
succeed, but It can new succeed In
doing wrong. 1t can eve succeed
with a Whiskey barrel at the head
of its ticket. Yours truly.
V. s. LUSK.