Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-02-21

eih" 81 prize Oh % and Slgne Mel
son. pupil in the seventh grade at
Longfellow school, won the second
prize of 81 in the essay contest con-
Quoted by the central branch of the
"omans Christian Temperance union,
writing on the subject The Enemy in
camp. The winners among the bows
were Eugene Stone of Franklin school
and Charles Sackville, of Longfellow
school. The essays written by the
irst and second prize winners among
the girls are here printed:
FIRST PRIZE.
The Enemy in the Camp.
(By Florence Tams.)
One OF the worst enemies in our
American camp that our soldier bows
nave to contend with is alcohol. 1t is
very injurious to the entire body, as
/ IL weakens the nerves, muscles, heart
and the corpuscles. 1t also weakens
the mental powers and especially the
Will power. 1t takes away mans sense
OF all that is right and honorable
when men are drunk they do things
that they would not do while sober.
MOST crimes are committed by people
while intoxicated.
The liquor question is being fought
not only by the government of Amer
lea, but by those OF Russia, England
and France, for they know a soldier
cannot shoot straight or endure the
long marches and the life in the
trenches
Railroads will not employ men who
tamper with liquor, as already too
many trains have been wrecked and
100 many lives lost because of drink.
Shops, mills, factories and business
places do not want drinking men in
their employ, and il these people do
not want this class of men, surely
Uncle Sam does not want to have
them in his service This has been
proven when We notice that the men
who have been accepted in the draft
are the strong. robust ones and not
those whose physical powers have
been weakened by the use of alcohol.
The old custom of using it as medi-
cine is being abandoned. Briefly, it
may be said that the modern physician
finds very little use for alcohol inter-
nally, but finds many cases when it
has been the promoter of disease.
If some boys who have been called
to duty never come back, their par
ents will not complain, for they gave
their lives for noble cause; but they
will complain if they come home
Observation-Disclosures because men
and women have voted for liquor; be-
cause officials have not done their
duty by enforcing the law, and be-
cause our camps have not moral sur
, roundings.
When some mother held back her
tears as she babe farewell to her boy
and said to him, my son, go fight for
our country, win or die" little did she
think he would enter battle when he
reached his camp and be captured by
, old King Alcohol She had protected
!. him until he had reached manhood,
and was proud of him, and then to
know that somebody had caused his
downfall would break her heart. Yet
some of our so-called best citizens will
vote for alcoholic drinks; but when
they see man or boy intoxicated on
our streets they do not stop and take
him to their homes and care for him
; until he becomes sober. They are toe
proud to recognize him. 1t is his pooI
family who must endure his abuse
while he is in that condition.
We do not have to leave our own
city to see soldier boys intoxicated
for this we have observed often on ouI
streets during the week and on Sun
low ic CHI rff bar
we read an item in our paper telling
; about four soldier boys getting into 9
fight and breaking large window in
one of our Second avenue stores while
under the influence of liquor Thi!
goes to show that there are people il
Rock Island who are not patriotic, al
i. these boys would not have been giver
l drink, for no patriotic or law-abidint
person would sell liquor to man il
uniform
Just now our churches, schools an(
colleges are being closed in order t.
conserve the coal supply. We think i
I IS a patriotic act, but why are thu
schools closed five days while the sa
! looms are closed only one? Is it no
giving men more time to spend thei
| money 1OT uTluh luSIedu VI Uuy liza
/, food and clothes for their family? Ar
! they receiving a better education il
I the saloon than their children are il
$ school?
i We think it is time for Rock Islant
I to wake up and see that our city woult
be better place if the saloons wer'
: closed Davenport and Moline hav
r prospered since their cities went dry
, while Rock Island has been harbor
, ing place for an undesirable class o
: loafers. making it unsafe for our boy
a and girls to be on the streets.
When to the ballot We go to vote,
Let's look to God with prayer AM
:, hope.
Asking Him to guide us right
And help us win this awful fight.
: Though we ourselves do not drink,
' For our soldier boys sake, let's sto
! and think
| They for our flag are willing to tight
/ We must keep booze away from thei
, sight.
Worse than bullets flying near,
u Nav our brave bOyS old alcohol fear.