The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-09-15
ROBERT q. INGERSOLL'S
DENUNCIATION OF ALCOHOL.

D
Liquor Case)
l am aware that there is a preju-
dice against any man who manufac-
lures alcohol. / believe that from
the time ii issues from the coiled and
poisonous worms in the distillery un-
til il empties into the Jaws of death
oishonor and crime, it demoralizes
everybody that touches it, from it's
source to where it ends. | do not
believe anybody can contemplate the
object without being preiudiced
against the liquor crime.
All we have to do, gentlemen. is
to think of the wrecks on either hank
OF the stream of death. of the sui
cides, of the insanity of the igno-I
rance, of the destitution. of the little
children tugging at the faded anG
withered breast of weeping and de-
spairng mothers, of wives asking
for bread, of the men of genius il
has wrecked, the men struggling with
imaginary serpents. produced bv this
deVilish thing; and when YOU thin1;
OF the pals, of the almshouses. of
the asylums, of the prisons, of the
scaffolds upon either bank. / do not
wonder that every thoughtful man is
prejudiced against this damned stuff
called alcohol. Intemperance cuts
down youth in it's vigor, manhood in
its strength, old age in it's weakness
1t breaks the fathers heart, bereaves
the doting mother, extinguishes nat
ural affection, grasses coniugal love
biots out filial attachment, blights
parental hopes, brings down mourn
ing age in sorrow to the grave. 1t
produces weakness, not life. 1T
makes wives widows; children or
phans; fathers fends, and all of
them paupers and beggars It feeds
rheumatism, invites cholera. i'm
ports pestilence and embraces con-
sumption. 1t covers the land with
ldleness. misery, crime. It fills your0
laiIs' supplies your almshouses and
demands your asylums. 1t engen-
ders controversies. fosters quarrels
and cherishes riots.
1t crowds your penitentiaries and
furnishes victims for your scaffoId
IL is the life blood of the gambler.
the element of the burglar. the nropI
or the highwayman and support Of
the midnight incendiary. 1t counte-
nances the liar, respects the thief
esteems the blasphemer. 1t violates
"ollgatons, reverences fraud and
honors infamy. 1t defames benevo-
lence, hates love, scorns virtue ana
SANDERS innocence. 1t incites tba
father to butcher his helpless on
spring, helps the husband to massa-
ere his wife and the child TO grind
the parricidal AK. 1t burns up men
consumes women, detests life. curses
COD, despises heaven. II suborrs
witnesses, nurses perjury. defles tba.
jury DoX and stains judicial ermine
III degrades the citizen. debases tbe
legislator. dishonors the statesman
and disarms the patriot. 1t brings
shame. not honor; misery. not safe.
ty; despair. not hope; misery NOT
happiness, and with the malevolence
OF hend it calmly SURVEYS its fright
iul desolation and unsatiated havoc
1t poisons felicity, kills peace, ruins
morals, blights confidence. slavs
regulations, and wipes out national
honor, then curses the world and
laughs at its ruin. 1t does all that
and more. 1t murders the soul. II
is the sum of all villainies. the faith
er or all crimes, the mother OF all
nominations, the DEVILS best friend
and Gods worst enemy.