Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1911-07-14
w. c.. T. u.
COLUMN.
Edited by the Local Chapter Of the
WomeHs Christian temperance Union.
The Court Of Last Resort
MS. Nellie q. Burger.
ADAPTED.


ed by the Judge. In many Instances
these cases are appealed TO the courts
OF higher degree, until at last they
reach the Supreme Court of the United
| States, the co0rt OF last resort, from
winch tnere is no appeal.
| Today, in the state of West Vir-
ginia, a noted criminal, the legalized
| liquor traffic, is on trial for his life,
land the tase has been tried in the
mi DIS Of The people aud is now being
carried to the court of last resort-in
this case the ballot box, where the
verdict VIII be rendered and sentence
pronounced as the sun goes down No
vember the 9TH, nineteen hundred and
twelve. No such criminal has ever APP
peared III the prisoners dock, none be-
fore In whom there was no redeeming
quality. OF this one, no good word can
be said, no one can defeEd him upon
the ground Of tenderness, kindness or
extenuating circumstances, and claim
the clemency of this court of last re-
sort This criminal has forfeited all
rights to mercy-let justice have her
way.
arraign this criminal as the great
EFT highwayman the world has ever
seen, all others dwindle into lnsigni6-
canoe beside him. Suppose you are
waylaid tonight by a highway who,
at the point of revolver, demands
"Your money or your life" If you
value personal safety above your
money you will hand over your money
and valuables, and leave that encoun-
terjust as sound man physically as
when the demand was made. This
might be repeated indefinitely and
still you would be physically sound
and whole, although poor in worldly
possessions. But what does the high
wayman OF the liquor traffic say? Not
"Your money or your life" but "your
money and your life" At his behest
the man lays down first his dollals
and dimes, which should go to the
support of his needy family, but the
highwayman cries "MoreW He then
lays down his noble impulses; his will
power follows; his manhood is de-
bauched his life is sacrificed, inch by
inch, and last of all his i'm 10 ortal soul
is lost,
Why should not the extreme penal.
ty of the law be visited upon such
highwayman?
| arraign this traffic as the robber
of womanhood and childhood, robbing
them Of the fright of life, health and
the pursuit of happiness" If could
picture to you the suffering of these
two classes alone, you would say in
horror, Away with the human rot
ber"
] arragn this traffic as murderer
annually Staying thousands of men
and boys, not only taking human life
itself but inspiring others with its
death penalty in West Virginia for the
destroyers of human life itself, but in
stead of visiting the death penalty
upon the one, who under the influence
of strong drink has taken life, why
not visit the death penalty upon that
which Incites meu to such dastardly
crimes. Why not? Then would the ends
of justice be comprised and the real
criminal suffer.
arraign the liquor traffic as the hot
bed of anarchy aud violence and the
prolific source of vice and crime The
red flag of anarchy never fioated upoh
/ high from an American breeze save
from the portals of an American sa.
loon Why should such law-defying
criminal be permitted to WELD hi.
baneful influence upon the life and
morals Of cur people? The liquor uuf
iic is fundamentally wrong, the Su
preme Courts Of various states have
declared That men have no "inheren'
right to sell intoXicants which de
mVIalize and degrade society.
1t is essentially sinful, the evil,
" h.ch are The outgroWtG of this traf
iic are the truest evidence in the case
The "Whlle slave traffic" so much talk
ed of today, being the climax of it
sniulness.
1t is dabolically cruel, regarding n,
cry for mercy, no pleadiug moves it.
I'siony heart, but like Shylock demand
Ell ITS toll of human flesh and blood
Such unspeakable cruelty the worlt
has never known. The Aztecs sacrI
feed human victims, tearing the bleed
ing hear from the writing victim
breast, tut it was done to satisfy ,
heather god. The sacrifice today of TIN
bleeding hearts of the victims of tn,
liquor traffic 5 made at the behest o
the godiof Mammon, the deity of TIN