The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1911-07-19
THE GREAT DESTROYER.
Excerpts from Address of Hon. Rich.
mond P. Hobson before the Ma.
tional w. c. T. u. C0nven-
tion, Baltimore, M.

tional w. C. T. u. Conyen.
tion, Baltimore, M.
It is high time that we pledged our
selves, the best that is in us, to de-
stroy this destroyer, alcohol, that is
striking at the standard Of our citizen
ship and the character OF our people,
that would actually blast our chances
not only OF taking liberty but OF car
rying the gospel to the world.
When we strike at character and
lower it's standard, we are blocking
the way for the gospel and the Chris
tian religion. If the nations remain
on low level, they will fight and de-
stroy each other. uutil the end of time.
The very prospect Of peace in this
world and ultimately of brotherhood
and the spread of the gospel is at
stake.
+ believe that Americas glorious
destiny has even a greater sweep than
that of carrying liberty itself. In Or
der that there may be maximum of
development for the human race, it is
not only necessary that there should
be equality of opportunity between in
dividuals but it is further necessary
that those individuals should cooper
ate, and they eau only properly CO.
operate when they have reached that
development of character where they
possess justice, charity and the princi-
piles of the golden rule.
believe that Americas responsible
ity in this matter extends to the whole
world. will not develop this phase
of the question, but I would remind
you that America is really the great
Christian nation of the world
It is the first duty Of any state to
protect the lives Of its people. I can
not be true to my facts without re-
garding the saloon institution as a
wholesale assassin. The state not on
Iy has the right but it is it's bounden
duty to protect the lives of its citizens.
This is not only a question of the
life of the individual citizen, but it is
actually a question of the nations life
itself and the first law of nature-the
law of sels-preservatior-glves the
state and the Federal government not
only the right, but the bounden duty
to strive as fast as possible to put an
end to this deadly traffic.
We reached a conclusion as to the
individual, that the only reasonable
life in this world is life of total ab-
stioence. We now register the ver-
dict Of society aud the state, namely,
that this great destroyer itself must be
destroyed.
Now shall we proceed to destroy it.
We have diagnosed this disease, I be-
lieve, correctly. It has been running
for 5000 years. It has the grip OF the
generations not only on the families of
the rich. the leaders, the governments
of all the world, but the very govern
ments themselves are its allies and get
the bulk of their revenues therefrom.
Furthermore, it is estimated that
over eighty per cent of all the people
of the United States and ninety-hve
per cent of the people of other white
nations are under its sway. ltis the
most organic, the deepest-seated dis
ease known to the body polite or the
BODY social. Therefore it is very easy
to prescribe the remedy. The remedy
must be organic treatment.
We are fighting an enemy that has
been conquoring for three Thousand
wears and he employs all the great
laws of war. We must follow these
laws. The first law is: Make your
preparation. The next law IS: You
must be prepared so that you can
WELD ali your forces. That means
you must drill them as an army: you
must be organized to the last unit.
The liquor element fooled some OF
the farmers down in Alabama, but not
the farmers wives, and from that
day have been strong advocate of
woman's suffrage. I believe that we
should gain woman's suffrage and be
able to marshal into the ballot box,
the women who cannot be deceived.
When we finally declare war and
when we are upon the battle line, we
must follow the eternal laws Of STRAIT
egy, and here is the fundamental law:
Whenever great battle is to be
fought, whenever great state ls to
decide whether it is to have prohibl-
,,;+;on in ita constitution turn the