Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-08-11
A TRAGEDY AND THE RESPON-
SIBlLITY THEREFOR.
baltimore Southern Methodistl !

| Baltimore Southern Methodist.)
Several weeks ago, in company with
MIR, John f. Swift, vice president of
the Conference Board of Missions. we
were on our way to Washington on
car of the Washington, Baltimore
and Annapolis Railway to attend n
meeting the executive committee of
the Board. A short distance beyond
the District Line Station n man stag
gered on the track in front of the car.
which was quickly brought to II stop
oy the motorman's application of his
emergency brakes. The man. appnr-
emily. about thirty years old, was w.
ing III the fender, limp and uncon-
scious, with his left foot severed from
the leg ut the ankle and hanging by
lew ilEamcntS. The ear EMPLOYEES
ana several of the passengers carried
MN INTO the smoking compartment
anu made him as comfortable ms nos
sible until the White House Stallion
was reached when he was transferred
to an ambulance of the Casualty hos.
pital.
About ten davs later we were sum-
,nohSu TO coroner's inquest at the
washington Nlorguc, for owing to the
SePtic condition of the poor fellows
hnNn
sufficient vitality to overcome tho rr-
fects of the accident. The old story
of what WAS behind the tragedy w,s
brought out at the inuucst-hc Ind
been drinking and was RETURNING IN
nome to his wife and children. had
staggered on the track and had rc-
ceived injuries that resulted in his
death: a whiskcy bottle in his pockc;
had been smashed and his clothes
were saturated with its contents.
1t is tragically pathetic for a man
TO go into eternity under such conJi-
tions, but what language shall we use
IN speaking of the condition of his
wiic and four children, who were sud.
denly robbed of his protection and
support! We learned that they were
very poor. The father had not Ind
work Tor sometime, but had lust So
cured Job which was to begin the
uiy alter the tragedy occurred a
w;hiskey bottle was responsible ro,
the tragedy, but does not tho milf
mate responsibility rest upon ,ho.o
who made il possible for the whiskny
bottle to do the deed?
a certain advertisement which nm
peared recently in the Baltimore M
pers signed by several distinguished
gentlemen advising the voters TO nro-
coed cautiously in regard to pledr-
ing their support to prohibition This
inll on the ground of the sccinI mi
moral issue involved came into omr
minds and would not dismiss itself
The social, the moral and the geo
nomlc side Of this question wn.
strongly Illustrated by this romiIw
mat had been made helpless and do.
pendent by the bottle. This sad cns,
oi many is silent but irrcrut,blc
answer to the gcntlemcn's caution
But tins is not all. Mr.. Thomas IL
Llttiepage, the company's attorney
si'id tilat he had attended II hundred
'nquests at that mOrguc, and that All
OF the tragedies with the exception of
u very lew could be traced to wills
Key. Since this occurrence whisl,cy
mas ndded to its crimes several auto
nlpplie accidents not far from Bnlti-
more, resulting in fatalities and
cre',Iihg distressing social conditions
anu not iictle economic loss. So.
nrushing aside all moral considern.
Iiohs which are admittedly the high
est, the liquor traffic has no valid do
Tense on social and economic rromnI,
a review of the cost of corinr cor
the products of the saloon will Ir;nn
every unbiased man to this convir'
ton.
But the most appalling thing is the
moral responsibility which attaches
ilseii TO those who directly or indi-
iiecIly give aud TO the traffic. a strik
hg anomaly OF modern civilization
mat proudly proclaims that il is striv-
,ns 10 90 al IL can to protect society
ana 10 rnHlIpn c,tirn,.,.,,.
long human life is that il lepalizos
murder for n paltry price. Bv doinn
so IT thwarts its own high p1,rnosns
and Violates tho spirit, if not Tho Iot.
ter, of the constitution of this conn.
Try, which forbids the barterinp or
the health, morals and happiness of
the people for material gain. The
enlightenment of men as to their 10.
sponslblllty cannot but result i'm the
destruction Of this mcrciless, red
handed murderer, for their indifrcr-
ehce, not to speak of their abettinp
IN any way this monstrosity makes
them, IN the sight OF the Judge of all
the earth, partners in his crimes
Nothing will justify men in assum-
ing such II grave responsibility for
wnlch they must ansewr here or here
after. They may prate of personal
liberty, social or economic conditions
as much as they please, but this will
not wash the stain from their hands.
Time will be when they will wall with
Lady Macbeth:
Gould all great Ncptunc's ocean wash
my hand
Clean from this stain? Nay, but the
rather this hand
The multitudinous seas incarnadine
making the green one red"