The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-02-05
DOWN WITH KING ALCOHOL
What the Monster Costs in Blood and
Treasure-It Should be Voted Out .

To the Editor of The Robesonian:
We are living in a time which
shall go down in history as the age
of the bloodiest conflict the world
has ever known. We are living in
a day when more than half the world
is engaged in a gigantic human mas
sacre. We Americans are providen-
TALLY blessed by being allowed to
remain out of this awful conflict.
But being at peace as We are with
all the world, We must not forget
we have an enemy at home already
strongly entrenched behind the Ma
tional laws and supported by the ar
tillery of millions of our citizens.
This enemy is far more dangerous
to the welfare Of America and the
world than the armies Of Kaiser Will
liam or King George. This enemy
is rightly called king Alcohol.
King Alcohol is not so young as
Emperor William, Gar Nicholas or
King George, but on the other hand
he is as old as history. He has
been sitting on his throne since the
beginning of civilization. Statistics
show that up to the present war
King Alcohol kills more people each
wear than were killed in all previous
wars in history.
In the United States alone King
Alcohol kills each year three hum
dred and twenty Thousand Ameri
nan citizens and robs our govern
nent annually of $2,5GO,000, This
che years drink bill would build
Panama canal pay off our National
debt ard build 100000 miles of pike
roads. In addition to all this, King AL
cohol is responsible for 35 per cent of
all our insanity more than 80 percent
of our poverty and Is per cent OF all
our crime; and this is to say moth
ing of the ruined homes, hundreds
, thousands of naked and hungry
children, and many thousands of
broken-heated mothers and wives.
King Alcohol is an enemy to ev-
cry decent organization and to every
| respectable American citizen. With
his strong organizations, backed by
j hundreds of millions of dollars of
capital he controls many of our city
and State governments and largely
! influences our National Government.
/ Reason, morality, science and ev-
cry institution that stands for the
welfare of mankind and the progress
of civilization, condemn the liquor
traffic. Even the Supreme court of
the United States has decided that
mo man has an inherent right to
sell Intoxicating liquors" The reve-
nue. is no longer necessary ard our
| Supreme Court has declared that If
a loss of revenue should accrue to
the United States (hccause Of prohi-
bition) from the diminished. con-
1 sumption of ardent spirits, she will
! be the gamer a thousand fold in
wealth. health and the Happiness o.
her citizens. Yet in the race OF ri:
this our enemy flourishes. In many
of our States every year sees an IN
crease in the manufacture and sale
of Intoxicating LIQUORS.
Every conceivable argument in ia
vor Of the LIQUOR traffic has beer
completely exploded. Even the Ii,
ouor dealers statement that nationa
prohibition could never be success
has been proven false by prohibition
Russia, which has given the worlo
, it's greatest temperance lesson. The
!, rulers as we'll as the great masses
of the Russian people are enthusl
, astic in their praise of prohibition
"Vodka" said the Minister OF Finance
"and not Germany was Russla''
! greatest enemy There is more
money in the saving banks than ev
5 er before; forest fires have de
, creased more than fifty percent; Ell
ficiency in factories and mines ha:
increased thirty-five per gent anc
there are less criminal cases in thu
| courts of Russia than ever before
= AS we think of Russia's glorious vic
tory over this damnable enemy W.
t hang our heads in disgust and sd.
it is a downright shame that Chris
: tan America has failed to DO a
much in time of peace as Russia ma
: done in time of war.
What Russia has done, Amerlc'
can do, and must do. And we nov
= rejoice to know that in the "han
l writing" on the wall is written tn
doom of King Alcohol. About 2
of our States have dethroned him al
ready and have had many occasion
n / to rejoice because of his overthrow
L These same blessings will come to tn
r other States when they get busy an
S make war upon his entrenchmer
). with a fire of artillery deluge frol
n the ballot.
: What we must eventually have
National prohibition, and we can OF
s " get such through the vote Of pc
u triotic American citizens who low
: their home, their church and the
IS Gct!. Realizing the awful destru
IS ton brought about by King Alcoh
i, and the countless blessings that wi
r come from his overthrow, friend
let US raise our voices in utter col
n demnation to his onward march ar
t. dethrone King Alcohol.
If By this time in my mind, there
sc rhmye like this. I find:
Il My dear friend, did you ever stop
N think,
Of the manv things you take wi
n every drink?
re -hc+Ae'' it be beer, whiskey or ar
Ind If booze
II You are drinking battleships, as We