The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-11
TRICE'S TRUMPETEER
ARTICLES Published under this Heading fur
nished by M. r. A. Bureau. jacksonville
TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS REWARD
Will Be Paid For Sixteen Names u
You Know Them.


ton speakers and newspapers used
with great gusto story of alleged
fact, and it is starting the rounds
again, "by request of a reader" L
will pay $500 to the first person who
will establish the truthfulness of the
article, by furnishing me with the
names of the judge, prosecuting at
torney, defendants attorney, the de-
PENDANT, the twelve Jurors, and the
name of the court house where the
dramatic episode occurred, and the
postoffice address of each of the per-
sons included in this list.
So that you may identify the story
l quote some striking sentences from
it, as follows:
Prisoner at the bar" said the
Judge, "have you anything to say why
sentence of death should not be pass
ed upon you? / have, your
honor. l stand before this
bar convicted of the wilful murder of
my wife. But, may it please
the court, I wish to show l am not
alone responsible for the murder of
my wife. = Think you that
the Great Judge will hold me, the
poor, weak victim of your saloons,
alone responsible for the murder of
my wife,"
The article is unquestionably a full
mination of the unbridled magma
ton of some clever writer, who feels
justified at wringing the hearts of
his readers, by the sacrifice of truth
Yet it is quoted as an actual happen
ing and as such is solemnly proclaim
ed by press and pulpit and from poll
tical platforms.
People whom are forever and ter
nally harping against the use of
stimulant, because some men use
them in a forbidden manner and rob
themselves of reason, ought at least
to be consistent enough not to rob
themselves of their faculties by false
or specious reasoning. 1t is a crime
equally as grave as the one complain
ed of.
AS sentimental fiction, the article
is clever. AS record of historical
fact it is unquestionably false. AS
laying down the fundamentals of di-
vine or human law it is disgustingly
specious.
The same desire to shift individual
responsibility for personal acts
throughout all the centuries has made
manly men ashamed of our common
ancestors-Adam. Idiots and luna
tics are not responsible for crime, of
the mental deficiency be of an. un-
avoidable nature. But from the age
at which We know right from wrong
we are individually and solely respon-
sible for personal infractions of the
law of society. If any other rule pre-
vailed it would only be necessary for
a william harboring desire to murder
and kill to fill his brutal self with
some decotion that would make drunk
come and then go out and satiate his
fiendish desires, without responsible
ty. And it would not be necessary,
to go to an open saloon or drink a
drop of whiskey.
Diabolical as crime is today, not
new one has been added to the de-
calougue in two thousand years. In
deed many have become obsolete
from non-use. Only the instrumental
tiles of crime and the devious ways
OF escaping merited punishment
have kept pace with the boosted pro-
gress Of the ages, perhaps a little in
advance to no avenue of escape is
more popular at this time than the
cowardly desire to shift responsibility
for crimes to innocent shoulders.
1t is denial of the omnipoteht pow
er of God to claim that plain preach
ing will not save the vilest sinner, If
he wants to be saved. It is based
deception to teach weak humanity It
can be saved by the legislature. I'll
is dennial of the wisdom of God to
conted that He sent His son into the
world to save mankind and failed to
inspire Him with understanding and
foresight to point out every means of
salvation for all time to come. 1t is
denial of the honesty of Jesus to say
that he failed in the fullfllment of
every purpose for which He was sent.
1t is tantamount to an accusation of
treachery against Jesus Christ to
claim that sane drinkers are acces-
series to the crimes of rum-soaked
demons, inasmuch as He not only did
not prach against sane drinking, but
at one time at least actually supplied