Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-03-06
THE PRIZE ESSAY.
Essay Written by Student of
Johnston High School.
Wins Prize of SIS Of
fered by w. c. T.U.

History is a record OF sad pre-
cession of world tragedies. Nation
and empires in turn have risen t.
greatness only to fall. Before tn
| death blow was struck from withou
| the evidence shows in every case tn
i 1rsyages of a titanic destroyer with
! in, under whose operations the vi
ltality and strength of the natior
were submerged in a gen eral de
generacy. For centuries the philoso
Ipners and historians have looked OF
aPpalled, overwhelmed. Only in the
3iass few years has science taken VI
the question. Following her patient
ngid methods, under which nature
fg6d life have slowly yielded uE
t5sir secrets, science has at last
cared up the mystery and identi-
IHsd the great destroyer as alcoholic
InAisoning."
This great agitation about alco-
boil had its beginning in Ohio in
lEecember 1878. A small band of
women were moved by an address
IbyDr. Dio Lewis of Boston and
they decided to battle against this
demon, alcohol. They formed an or
gaDization and from it, temperance
societies in other counties were
formed, then it became a state wide
EqAestion, and now it has crossed the
ocean: and has become a worldwide
agitation. Now the w. G, T. u.
women are working all over the
world to educate the young to form
a:better public sentiment, reform the
drinking classes, transform by the
SPssser Of Divine grace those who
are enslayed by alcohol, and to se-
care the entire abolition of the Ii
'dapr traffic. Christian men and wo-
1aGp are working as missionaries for
.!sse, Hey ass Send liz fefas
Z. g parts of the
Is s1S osshcials are attefn lais ID
,DDrohibition. IS Bills are being brought
60 congress frequently against this
deadly evil, alcohol in all OF It's
forms.
Why are so many people be-
coming interested in this great
alcoholic question? Good Christian
people of every name and IN
every cline have found out that
they cannot conquer vice by letting
it alone. They have learned that 1t
is the duty of virtue to rule vice,
for the good of both parties, and
that, if virtue fails to rule vice,
vice will rule virtue. For illustra-
tion of this I mention Charleston,
where the same people who are
striving to keep their gambling
race-tracks, are attempting to drive
the salvation army away.
Second, people have learned that
Governments are very important
m moral agencies. They have learned
that all governments are installed to
upbold virtue and put down vice,
knowing that what is virtue and
what is vice is not a matter OF SUI
perstition, but matter OF eXperi-
an.o virtue being such self-res-
traint as experience has shown to
be good for mankind, and
vice that excess of liberty,
which experience has shown tc
be injurious to mankind. All the
nations of the past have understood d
the elementary principle of states
manship, that the sole purpose OF
government is to uphold virtue and
put down vice. See what Gallo, the
Roman governor said in Acts 18th
chapter, 14-l6 verses.
Good people were deceived for
long time by the false doctrine ina
governments should do but little
governing. Even that plous man
Jefferson Davis, temporarily crushed
; the prohibition movement in Texas
many years ago by urging that doc
trine in letter to the governor o
that state. But the alcohol nam
became so heinous and lnsolven
, and Unsuitable that good peopl
were compelled to abandon una
false doctrine, and require thei
governments to reinforce the goo
work done for temperance IN tnei
i, homes and churches. 1t makes ever
good man and woman in Edgehel
! shudder to think of the days VINE
: Peter Tins Tavern" was IN OF
|eration within mile OF Pleasar
> Lane, S. c., ten miles from the pc
r liceman of any town. II good pe'
r ple had not required their goyer1
3 ments to curb such liberty in dea
b ing with alcohol, what would
-. oondit;on2 Ia 1t not clear tr