The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-02-28
soRRIETY AS A BUILDER OF MA
TIONS
archbishop Ireland. J.


intemperance touch, there is pollu-
ton. 1t humans the citizen, takes
from him all the ability needed that
he may contribute his share to the
general prosperity of the common
country, DERIVES him of that calm
thought which is needed in the exer-
else of his citizenship. We hear
much of the evils of bad, injudicious
voting. l can trust the American
people voting and legislating in per-
feet sobriety The evils in our cleo
tons are due, in immense share. to
intemperance. What can a man know
as to his duties of citizenship when
his mind is muddled and his con-
science scared through the curse OF
alcohol? And do We not know that,
again and again, those who would
mislead the people do not stand to our
view with sober men? They strive,
first, to pollute the heart and mind OF
the voter by alcoholic drink, and then
they know they have chained him to
their chariot, and they tell him to
vote and legislate in the name OF the
country.
Laws have been made striving TO
keep men sober on election day. Well
so far so good; but what we want is
10 keep the citizenship OF America So
Der every day in the year. so that
they will have full time to know what
liberty means, to know what are the
rights of other men, to know what
the welfare of America means.
The men and women of country,
it's individual citizens. make or mar
it. We know that alcohol lowers in
it's victim manhood and womanhood.
We know in past history that it was
through indulgence in vice and large
liz in the vice of drink, to an excessive
degree, that some older civilizations
were led on to their decadence, and |
we know. today, that thoughtful peo-
ple the world over have sounded the !
note Of alarm, and this in many coun-
tries. that there is a decay in man
hood. and a decay in intelligence
and virtue most alarming, brought on
by the use of intoxicants. 1t is prov |
ed today that the smallest quantity OF
alcohol is injurious, does no good, and
is perilous, because one indulgence
brings on another.
Given a drunken people and all our
constitutions and all our promised
liberties will not last. We boast OF
the prosperity of America, and we'll |
we may. Not on the globe is there
another country reveling in such
wealth, giving to its people such OPP
portunities to advance and progress.
Yet. we have poverty and misery, and
the jails and the poorhouses are filled.
We wonder thta the country can IN
dergo all the expense that this pow
erty, those poorhouses impose, and
we have not the courage to grasp at
the cause of all that misery-intem- /
perance.
Go, as have gone, again and
again. into asylums and reformatories
and poor houses, and find out what
brought thither their inmates. Elk
anime closely. find the immediate or
more remote causes, and in ninety
cases out of one hundred it is drink
sold to these unfortunates. To the
saloons and other drinking places that
cover the land, feel like saying:
You are the institutions that PEG
pie the poor houses and asylums and
jails. and scatter poverty across this
rich land" 1t is not through accident
which may occur; it is apart from i'll
health, which may come to the best
behaved.
There is no one in America that
need be poor; there is no one that
need be poor who exercises econo-
my, who saves his money, who puts
now and then a few dimes or a few
dollars in the savings bank, as the
poorest among us may do if he has
economy and industry. Why, the
sum spent in intemperance in year
would take the unfortunate in hand,
and make them prosperous and hap
Ply.