Pocahontas star herald., 1912-02-16
OAKLAND FARM NOTES
TEMPERANCE TALK

""OSS VIC are belHSn because we
do not consider the lives of Others.
When we voted for local option
we voted dry. The saloons were
abolished in this county and | sup
posed we had heard the last of the
liquor question.
But don't you know the business
had just started!
find young farmers who used to
go to town and drink a few beers.
buying whlskey by the gallon from
st. Louis, Kansas City and whole
sale houses. And / am satisfied
there is more whiSkey used here to.
day than ever before.
So | am a firm believer that it
isn't the saloon that's to blame but
the whlskey.
Watch the criminal cases in our
courts and you will find whiskey is
the cause of nine out of ten of them.
Watch one of these cases as it
proceeds through the court and see
what each one costs the taxpayer,
besides the amount of anguish and
tears from the mothers and sisters.
1t lis a well known fact that the
habitual use Of alcoholic stimulants
is sure to undermine the health SOON
er or later and the constitution be-
comes so weakened in such person
that he is almost sure to contract
consumption.
If he becomes the father of child.
ren they begin their life handicapped.
Not only because of the appetite
inherite for strong drink but be.
cause of the weakened constitution
which makes them so liable to have
consumption.
1t Is also fact established beyond
question that alcohol is a brain
poison and children born of parents
addicted to the use of alcoholic
beverages are affected by it.
About half the parents of idiots
are drunkards.
When the duty on spirits was
removed in Norway it was found in
due time that insanity had increased
fifty per ceut as a result of it.
A sad case that came under my
observation was that of Young
man who started out as clerk in a
large business in which his father
was partner.
Everyone thought he had been
carefully reared in one of the best
homes and that his prospects were
exceedingly bright. 1t turned out
however that the father kept, secret
lY in his cellar, liquors and a. stated
periods would go down there and
take drink. He was often fol
lowed by his little son whom he
thought too young to observe what
he was doing. After the boy start
ed in lite for himself he thought of
his fathers habits and had a desire
to do as his father did. The father
had been honored by being elected
to fill all the positions Of trust in
the town. Nobody but his son,
then grown to manhood, knew that
he ever tasted intoxicating bever.
ages. In a short time the fathers
partner discovered that the boy had
been drinking and began to give
HIM some good fatherly advice.
The young man replied "My
father is looked up to more than
any man in this community and he
has always kept liquor in his cellar
and drank it when he wanted to and
if he can drink l can"
1t was not long before the young
man committed a crime, when in,
toxlcated and fed from the country
to avoid the penalty.
In few weeks or months later
his parents received a notice that
while intoxicated he had murdered
man and was to be hanged on {
certain day. The night before the
execution was TO take place thC
father and mother of this boy, sc
bright and promising few months
before, paced back and forth their
home all night without closing thei