The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1915-05-14
RS return! What . tragedy! What =

tragedy!
They came once month for eighteen
months And they never came that
the Governor did not see them, for the
standing order was that no matter what
the business or who was there, the
Wolverton family had the precedence
the right Of way. And in those eight
cen months saw wonderful thing.
saw man fight his way back to man
hood. l saw man who, through
drink, had made shipwreck Of his life,
find himself anew, ! saw the evolution
of human soul! And on the last Christ
mas eve ! spent in the great Office ]
stood again in the cleaning rs the shad-
ows heightened and the twilight deep
ened, and about me sat this family.
And again ! stood up, took the man by
the hand, and looking into his face, said
to him with voice that would tremble
with grateful emotion in spite Of myself:
'Wolverton, you're q man again.
You've found yourself anew. You've
fought a good fight. You've kept the
faith. You've filled the bond I'm
proud of you. And on this glad Christ
mas eve. so fragrant with the memory
of Him who died to atone for human
sin, I'm going to make you Christmas
gift worth while. Here it is! Here it
is! Your unconditional pardon!-writ-
ten in my own hand! Take it Wolverton,
take it, and go and sin no more!
My friends, do you know what ! was
trying to do that Christmas eve? won
der if you do! Do you? was trying as
best | knew to undo the work of Ii
censed and legalized saloon! was try
ing to give back to abandoned wifehood
a husband! was trying to restore to
disinherited childhood father! ! was
trying to right the wrong the rum traf-
fic had done an unborn baby! And,
somehow. as | look back to it, through
the years, it seems to me the blessedest
work in which | was ever permitted to
engage.
sat there long that night. after this
family had gone-alone with my soul
and my God. And in the silence and
solitude of the blessed Christmas even
ing tide, ! was born again. found a
new and holier altar than ] had ever
known. | saw a new heaven and new
earth. caught the vision of saloon
less land-a sober Nation-a stainless
flag and found u cause big enough to
to put my life upon! And it is q great
matter when a man finds 4 cause big
enough to put his life upon.
was Governor of my State-a great
commonwealth of three millions Of peo-
ple-at forty one. My friends were
kind enough to say that ! might justly
expect further political perferment.
but that night put my ambition on the
great new altar had found. knew
the price paid it gladly. ! went to
my home with the promise yelling up
from the deeps of my soul to my Heav.
emily Father that il He would help me
discharge to the end the duties Of the
great office, ! then held. when they
were finished Id 20 to the American
people and tell them the indispensable,
infinite wrong the legalixed liquor trsf.
fic Of this Nation is doing the childhood
of my country. From then till now
I've kept that pledge rs best could.
There is no American commonwealth
into which have not gone on this
high mission; no great American city
whose streets ] have not walked, To
whose people ! have not appealed in
this behalf And that might keep the
vow | made that Christmas eve, In Z
greater. bigger, more effective way.
than ! otherwise could, ! have called
about me these consecrAted men and
women who constitute the Flying Squad
ron of America, and am leading them
to and fro across the Continent in this
great Nation wide campaign. We seek
to raise in this land new banner one
to which the wise and good Of every
party, sect and creed may repair. The
event is in the hands Of God. As for
me.
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