The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-01-16
EXTRACTS FROM SPEECH OF
SENATOR SHEPPARD OF TEXAS
ON NATIONAL PROHIBITION

1t is gratifying beyond estimation
To note the fact that the world is
waking as never before TO an acute
sense of the danger of alcohol. In
every country the same terrible in
dictment stands against it. From
every land ascend the cries of the
multitudes it has damned. Among
almost every people it is the chief
source of the murders, the suicides,
the thefts, the debaucheries of body
and of mind Before the popular iudg-
ment of almost every country The
dealers in this frightful drug must
answer the following arraingment:
Your traffic brushes every moment
some home, some heart The poisson
YOU distribute is an ever-spreading
pestilence. 1t impedes the physica
and mental growth of children, dis
torting the moral sense, promoting
disobedience of parents and disregard
for law. 1t curses the future genera
tions of its Victims-the craZed, the
manned, the palsied and the blind
into whose blood the fatal faint is in
evitably transmitted 1t wrecks do
nestle happiness and betrays the
most sacred VOWS. 1t contains ne
nourishment; it gives no strength.
1t impairs the vital processes, the Vi
tai tissues of the human organism. II
destroys moderation and self-control,
releasing every low and savage i'm
pulse. Instead OF satisfying thirst, it
leaves gre&yter thirst, suggesting the
agonies of hell 1t is the cause OF
practically half the accidents in in
dustrial occupations. 1t lowers the
efficiency of labor and weakens the
foundations OF industrial progress. II
increases the liability to disease, par
ticularly to infectious maladies like
of mankind into channels OF econom-
&c waste, causing a loss that far eX.
ceeds the revenue it provides for gov
ernmental use. 1t is an obstacle TO
human advancement that should be no
longer tolerated
AS the facts become more yiyidlv
impressed on all mankind, the cor
Yiction rapidly grows that temp0riz.
ing policies must be discontinued The
world is quickly coming to understand
that humanity must destroy the liquor
traffic or welcome moral degradation
and economic ruin. The overwhelm-
ing issue is whether men shall con
quer the liquor traffic or the liquor
traffic conquer men.
Mr.. President, responsibility for
the miseries and the crimes of men
rests far more largely with society
than may be generally supposed PEG.
pie who keep their own lives blame
less have by no means entirely met
their duty to humanity or to Cod \
man may be a drunkard and never
drink; a thief, yet never steal We
who permit conditions to exist that
make thieves are thieves ourselves.
We who permit conditions to exist
that make drunkards are drunkards
ourselves We who permit conditions
to exist that make murderers are muir.
derers ourselves We who permit a
traffic to continue that fills the peni-
tenuaries, the jails, the asylums, the
hospitals, the poor houses, and the
potter's fields are criminals before
an impartial heaven. We who permit
traffic to continue that will make
chaos of governments and beasts OF
men are anarchists before the bar Of
truth We are as much the authors
OF woe and tears and ruin as any fol
lower Of Alaric, who immersed his
sword in the blood of mothers and
babes And until we begin an al
hrmatlve movement against evils that
threaten to engulf mankind, until We
terminate the terrible partnership be
tween the government of this country
anu the liquor trade. a partnership
whereby the revenues that sustain
the republic-yea, our very salaries as
senator's OF the United States repre-
sent mems broken bodies. mems
wasted lives, the widows and the on
phan's cry, the white slaves barterol
shame-we Shall invite and. We shall
deserve any disaster that may over
whelm the nation or the race.
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His Stomach. Troubles Over
MIR. Dyspeptic, would you net lille