The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-15
A Majority of One

Yes. voted for license two years ago.
hut i tell you I'd rather die
Than 10 do II again. and from this
time forth you may count on
You call me a ..turncoatg" I'm proud OF
the name! IL IL meant AZ
slur. no doubt;
But. garment or vote. turn my vva'
when 1 md IL wrong side out.
You see, tho a fellow has been stone
blind. II the time does come
II isn't easy to blind him again. You
may sheer as much as you
But wait till some wreck that was once
man just looks you straisn'
And tells you his soul II doomed TO
hell and that you are the
cause. and why.
Jack Hill did that; not in Just those
words but. You know what
Jack used TO be
A handsome fellow, straight anu
strong as ever you'd Wish 10
with his honest face and his great;
warm heart and his cool ana
But Jack had one faiIing-hed drink
sometimes: ah! you know 10
what II led.
Jack had Just moved back that spring
from Maine, where he'd hVeo
for several years.
And where, lacking temptation. NED
kept so straight that ms WIFE,
even, lost her fears,
And she looked almost Ikea girl again
we saw with pleased surprise,
With the soft, pink flush In her once
pale face and the happy hght
In her eyes.
That was the spring, you remember
that local option nrst came
Up at our April election, and the
county was all ahame;
And then, too, OF course. you remem.
ber-oh Gcd! IL could forget
That by a majority OF one the dues-
ton was settled-"wet
Jack voted dry" he had tried TO get
me to say l would do the SANE sans.
But I thought II would inture ousl-
ness and / said. Here, jack.
It's shame.
For you, strapping young fellow 80
long from this habit free,
To dread this elections outcome,
\ whatever II chance TO be-
You are making splendid record.
Jack! You're not chiio Out
Go in like a man and conquer your
self. you can do 1t; know you
And Jack said. 'I might: I'll try: but.
Dan, do you know and can you
what il means to fight an appetite
that Is cruel and fierce as hell!
And answered: Now, Jack. don't you
think. yourself, 'twould be
more IKE AMI winning mitS the me af foe in
sight than IL " were Tar away
You know I've no use for the stun, my
self; would rather the place
Except for the business side OF the
thing" and then we said good
bye.
You recall that day when the very
heart OF our town seemed
standing still
With horror, as UP TO the county jail
the sheriff brought Jack Hill.
His bullets aim had been all too sure
straight TO the mark IL spec,
And the noble wife. who'd nave given
her life 10 save his own, was
dead.
Perhaps you attended her funeral; II
you did and can suii vote
The evil one has foreclosed on you
AM he'll have you. don't for
You were not there? Well; lucky foI
You, you; I was and the ieariu
OF that haggard face in the mourn
ers' place has followed me da,
y and night
Two officers guarded him. even there
! he knelt and they knelt. eaci
side,
| He was manacled to them. wrist I,
wrist; / never could tell. IL
tried,
A thousandth part OF the awful sens
OF guilt that burned within,
AS realized that but for my &C
that scene would never hav'
been.
And I'm every sob that shook jack
frame, as he knelt In nj
i anguish there;
In the low. grieved notes that sth
singer sang, and the minister
pleading prayer,
voice Seemed sounding, sounding. til
IL rose to horrid cry
"a majority of one;-tust one" and
I knew that one was-L
I went to see Jack In the jail. thu
morning they took him away,
| And a sadder sight / shall never see
let IT be what or where IL may
With his bloodshot eyes and his brist
ling hair. and his tall form
sadly bowed.
air. and his bearing frm an'
| proud.
When the sheriff opened the heavy doc
Crying Dan, / tried! God knows
triedy and then he wept lik'
l. a child.
And I wept with him: I'm not ASHAMED
| TO tell fl; the shame would be
II I had not went at the cruel sigh
OF his fearful misery.
he wanted to talk and let him talk
] felt was guilty as he,
But the law could give him felon
cell, and what coulS IL do &
| me?
Nothingi I hadn't broken the law
that Is. not the law of tn
land;
Ana the law / had broken SEEM
| harder somehow, for the worl,
II to understand.
He told me all the sickening tale o
i how he had come to fall;
How his appetite, like a beast un
Gagged, had overleaped the wall
OF his resolution; how he drank an