Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1917-03-16

"ANs N11N
our court dockets today were
caused by men being put back to
lower levels of mentality and emo
tionalism by the use of whisky.
Ponder hat in your spare mo-
ments! Out of the whisky bottles
has come IS per cent of our ma
tional disgrace!"
Mannersley stirred uneasily,
like a soldier who realizes for the
first time that bullets are falling
too close about him.
"Oh," he said impatiently, 81
don't believe all this stuff"
"Then Smith challenged him.
his voice sharp and quick, "you
don't believe facts-facts and fig
ures that have been published
time and time again, and never
controversial"
He advanced a step nearer to
the congressman.
"Finally,'' he took up the story
he had come to tell, "I speak in
the name of charity-the women
and the children" His smile was
at the same time all appeal and a
denunciation. "Mr. Mannersley.
every evil thing that has been
wiped out OF existence has gone to
destruction before the awful
strength of woman's tears. Have
not enough women wept enoughg
Every lovely thing that has come
into the world has been builded
out Of the fabric of women's
dreams. Are not the dreams of
the women to be realized? In this
evil thing, as in all the others, the
prayers of the kneeling women
will avail. Their tears cannot be
denied. Their dreams must be full
filed"
Mannersley started to interrupt
but Smith,, his voice bell like, his
attitude heroic, swept on, refusing
to be quieted. Two members of the
House and several employees in
the building, attracted by the
sound of the discussion, had
opened the corridor door and
were standing, silent, caught up
by the imperious scene. Neither
Mannersley nor Smith knew that
they were there. Waller wrote
about it afterward for his paper.
"Think of it, Mr.. Mannersley I!
his words rang out. You stand
there, a whisky agent at your
back, and utilize your official po-
sition to uphold the thing that
starves children and impoverishes
men-the thing that some day may
break the hearts of your own
daughters. 1t is useless to deny it.
1t is folly to call it by any other
name. The statistics of investiga-
tors and the voice of your own
conscience must be in accord.
There is no escape from it! 1t is
written On the face of this coun-
try-that whisky, the thing you
defend, is our national disgrace,
our foe, and our degradation. 1
have given you my arguments
the money, the sin, the misery. I
ask you: what is your answer?"
He fell back a step, waiting.
Miss Downey, surrendering to the
spell of what he had said, placed
her arms on the desk and, lower
ing her face into them, sobbed.
The sob was almost a groan. The
group in the corridor doorway
was motionless, like figures or a
piece of tapestry.
"And the right of personal lib
erty," Mannersley answered him,
his voice cold and cynical, his
manner reluctant, as if he argued
unwillingly with the man con-
fronting him, ''the right of per-
sonal liberty, which is the key
stone in the arch of our govern
ment, our democracyi What of
thati" /.
Indignation took hold Of John
Smith-indignation and scorn.
personal liberty!" he made The
phrase a scourge. can argument
for murder and a motto for anar-
chists! The cry of the coward
the refuge Of the rascal! Mr..
Mannersley, when will you realize
that there is no such thing as per-
sonal libertyi When will you, and