The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-07-17
R, G, |NGERS0L ON
THE-K|NG ALCOHOL

In n speech delivered before jury
in n liouor case the late Robert T.
Ingcrsoll, said:
| am aware that there Is PrcJu-
dice against any man who mah"'"c-
lures alcohol. | believe that from
the time it issues from the co'l'n'
and poisonous worms in the diStiI-
lery until it empties into the Jaws
of death, dishonor and crime, IT de-
moralizes everybody that touches H.
from it's source to where ii ends.
do not believe anybody can contcinp-
late the object without being pre-
judiced against the liquor crime.
All we have to do, gentlemen, Is
to think of the wrecks on either bahk
of the stream of death, of the sni1
cidcs, of the insanity, of the lghor-
ance, of the restitution, OF the niue
children Juggling at the faded ana
withcrcd breast of weeping ana de-
sparing mothers, OF wives asking
for bread, of the men of genus II
has wrecked, the men struggling
with imaginary scrpents, produced
by this dcvilish thing; and when you
think of the jails, of the alms-houSes,
of the asylums, of the prisons, OF
the scafiolds upon either bank, do
not wonder that every thoughtful
man is preJudiced against this
damned stuff called alcohol. Intern
perance cuts down youth in its vi2or,
manhood in its strength, old age in
its weakness. 1t breaks the fathers
heart, bercavcs the doting mother,
extingushcs natural affection, grasses
conjugal love, blots out filial attach
mcnt, blights parental hopes, brings
grave. 1t produces weakness, not
life 1t makes wives widows. chill
drcn orphans. fathers ficnds, and
all of them paupcrs and beggars It
feeds rheumatism, invites cholera,
imports pcstlcnce and embraces con
sumption. 1t covers the land with
idlencss, misery, crime. 1t fills your
jails, supplies your alms-houscs and
demands your asylums. 1t cnIendrrs
controversies, fosters quarrcls, and
chcrishes riots.
1t crowds your pcnitcntllrics and
furnishes victimc for your scaffold
1t is the life blood of the gambler
the element of the burglar, the prop
of the highwayman and support of
the midnight inccndiary It coun-
tenances the liar, respects the thief
estcems the blasphcmcr. 1t violates
obligation, rcvcrcnccs fraud and
honors infamy. 1t dcfamcs bcncv-
olencc, hates love. scorns virtue and
ISLANDERS innocence. 1t incitrs the
father to pitcher his helpless off
spring, helps the husband to mas
sacrc his wife and the child to grind
the patricidal ak. 1t burns up men.
consumes women, dctests, life, curses
God, dcspises heaven. 1t suborns
witnesses, nurses perjury, dcfilcs
the jury box and stains judicial cr-
mine. 1t dcgradcs the citizen, de
bases the legislator, dishonors tn
statesman and disarms the patriot
1t brings shame, not honor; misery.
not safety; despair, not hope; mis-
cry, not happiness; and with the
mclevolencc of "A fiend it calmly sur
veys its frightful dcsolatlon and un-
satiated havoc. 1t poisons felicity,
kills peace, ruins morals, blights CON
fidcnce, Stays regulations, and wipes
out national honor then curses the
world and laughs at its ruin 1t does
II that and more. 1t murders the
soul. 1t is tn sum of all vilainics,
the father of all crimes, the mother
of all denominations, the devils best
friend and Gods worst enemy.