The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1915-03-04

his last nickle and sell it to him regard
less Of the protests Of his innocent
wife; every fiber Of his being was
crying cut for alcohol. He fell time
and again only to get upand make a
brief struggle and fall and fall again,
until, ahopeless, helpless wanderer,
way from home and friends, the tired
body lay down to sleep the dIeamless
sleep.
Such is the picture, the awful tragedy
Of one human life. But we make
in this country 100000 drunkards'
graves a year, 277 each day. During
this funeral hour, II others Of our
fellow citizens will 60 in the same
way, and thus the miserable work goes
on from year to year.
Clyde sought the comfort and help
Of religion. He had a religious nat
ure. have prayed with him IN my
own home, and witnessed with pro
foundest pity this hopeless struggle.
My predecessor, Rev. J. B. Work
man, told me he never worked as hard
to save man as did he to save Clyde
Liller. But the grog shop with its
doors always Open was sufficiently
powerful to overbalance any influence
for good, and thus the task Of saving
him under the present conditions had
to be abandoned. He tried working
in dry town, but the national gov
eminent itself is in the miserable
liquor business, and for the small pit
tance Of SIS will give man federal
license, and then protect him if he
violates the law Of the state in which
he sells. Then when a poor drunkard
wants to free himself from his slavish
chains he may 90 from Maine to Cali
lornia, flom the gull TO the lakes, and
on every foot Of territory over which
old glory waves her proud folds, he is
bounded and hunted by his monster
until, at last, like poor Clyde he lies
down to the sleep that knows no
waking.
Who can picture in all its hid
eousness the American liquor ,rai-
fc1 Human words are inadequate.
Figures daze us. We are led in our
desperation to exclaim 20 Lord, how
long2"
Gladstone said, it has destroyed
more human life than war, pestilence
and famine combined.
Somebody is to blame. This poor
body is a murdered body and the
murderer goes scott free in this land
freedom, this land Of churches, boast
ing one hundred thousand pastors
this land Of college and universities
This land that has been styled "God''
last chance for he human race, u
goes on numbering other wives, hus
bands, other children's fathers, othe
mothers sons, goes on ruling con
gress, dominating state legislatures
intimidating town ard city
councils, goes on thro,tling the voice
OF the pulpit until God in His righte
Gus anger has sent our land its great
est spiritual drought. And the pit,
Of it all is, but few seem to care.
Lincoln said: This nation can
live half slave and bali free." Neithe
can it live hall drunk and hall sober.
Sin will down any Of US; even in tn,
strongest OF men il is too mighty Il
contend against unaided. The great
!; est delusion in this world is that yol
can build yoursel! up by tearing some
body else down, or that success cal
be reaped out of the frailities AM
misfortunes Of others. Upon thi
false principle the licensed liquor trail
, ic acts. By this delusion the peopl
t Of this fair town allow the sccurssd
stenchiul, blackening, damning insti
tution,- the licensed saloon-an in
r stitution that fosters and perpetua,e
an evil almost as old as sin itself.
An evil, haggard, monsirous, iuriou
S and diabolical, that for ages has wake
and crawled the earth combining a
that is obnoxious in the races Of mer
!. 1t has gored with its horns, it has tor
J, with its tusks. it has crushed with i
}. hoois, it has poisoned with its I ngs,
s has stung with its insectile iavel!r
s greater numbers Of the human rae
It than have pefished from all 9th,
IL causes cenbipeD. 1t trtes, il lure
decoys, charms, lascinates, temp
r seduces; has the eye Of an eagle, Il
d tooth Of a rattlesnake, the Jaw Of
o crocodile. the crushing coils Of b