The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1912-04-05

By Mas. BELLE HHIsEs.

Service that / am pledged to pre-
sent to you to-day, is that Of the
Liquor Traffic. 1t is you may say
i thread bare question, You have
heard it discussed from childhood.
But il is and ever will be one of
the greatest problems of every age
SO long as it ,xists It is no time
for as to get disgruntled or dis
couraged, it is no time to say we
have law If you enforce it-who
is the you, lit is not some of the.
men alone, but it is every mans
business, it is yours, and yours,
and yours.
Some years ago | heard OF saloon
keepers offering to pay a temper
ance lecturer sum Of money to
canvass the state of Pennsylvania,
and lecture on the drnnkard and
no other phase Of the drink
traffic. Why because be wanted
all other phases of the iniqnitons
business kept in the dark; he
had all of the drunkard's money,
and was through with him. And
along that line deluded people
prayed and lectured for years.
TO day we are after the rum
seller,-we are after you Christian
voters. we are after every body who
ID partner in the legalizing of the
traffic. We are not after the
: drunkard but do plead with you
sober minded Christian men to set
Iup your conscience in hostility
acaiDst the grog shop. And /
want you to remember this day II
yon forget everything else have
said, for / know yon have "
national and civic pride, | want
vou to remember that this govern
ment Of ours will never rise any
higher than the character and
capacity Of it's citizens, and this
community will never be any
better than the character Of the
citizens who compose it. Now
don't take offense at this plain
statement and say that you are
not found among the idle and
vicious Id this community, for we
know you are not, but we do want
to know what kind Of an excuse we
have to offer for conditions here
and throughout this entire com
munity. We are all standing afar
OF bewailiDg our unfortunate con-
dition ia this borough and it's
surroundings. The boy not vet
out Of knee pants is to be found in
our pool rooms resolving his ednca-
ZION that will make the addition for
future rowdyism. And just here
We most heartily commend the
article id our MIDLAND JOURNAL
II I2mo Doth FIR th,re is no
medium for good in any community
THAT equals a good, clean local
,,aper such as we have.
When these pool rooms were
first faxed Of many felt deep
concern for the results that to day
; confront us. We were told that
churches, various social and re
ligious organizations had establish
+ ii pool rooms. This we say, that
when the Methodists, Presbyteri
ans. Catholics and Friends set mp a
billiard room ID our midst, we will
Withdraw oil objection. Bnt there
never vet was one established for
mercenary motives that was not a
menace to society.
TO day we are pleading for our
vouth. Those not yet out of their
teens are at times to be seen along
vour streets in a halt drunken,
hilarious condition, orthe little boy
with the deadly cigarette puffs
along street or public highway or
calls for his coca-cola of birch beer
il certain so. called respectable
places within these borough limits.
There is saying in the Book Of
Books to be not merely hearers of
the word; all around about us goes
M the vail of a ruined manhood
and the dreadful outlook for the
hoys.
A canvass Of this borough shows
that so per cent. of the voters, not
to speak of the 100 per cent. Of
women, stand opposed to existing
evils. Then what is the use OF
saying it can't be helped. How
many of you would submit TO | 5
Of the voters of this section running
your business affairs. and stand
aside and say it is deplorable but
can't be helped. In this case you
would awaken to the fact that you
could and would help it. To day
the man enters the town sober, he