Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1920-01-17
ACHIEVED LIBERTY
January 18th, Will Become Notable
in American History
PROHIBITION HAS BEEN WON

BY REV. EDWIN WHlTTlEh CAoWELL
July 4th, 1776 is the day we celebrate
the founding of our Republic. January
10th, 1920 will be the day ever memor-
able as the period in which the League
of Nations, the Federation of the
World in the interests of peace,
brotherhood and freedom was organized
in France The nation most instru-
mental IN the achievl ment OF the
League of Nations is ne only great
people prevented from participation in
this historic assembly.
But January 10th. 1920 will become
notable IN all future history rs the day
when Americans achieved liberty from
the slavery of the rum power. All the
centuries of the past have felt the
fangs of this mighty monster. But
now the Thermopylae of Prohibition
has been won in this land of freedom.
1t is we'll for US to re11ember that the
wheels of Gods charip of progress
never roll backwards. We have bound
this serpent of evil with the chains of
law which will never be ,unloosed. The
twin ours, = of MANKIND, war and in
toxicants, are perishint together and
will be buried IN one t mb of oblivion.
The DEVILS liberty to Fush nations by
force of arms and to ruin homes and
hearts by the fiery liquid of hell hence
forth will be called the right names of
slavery and oppression to the bodies
and souls of men, created in the image
of God and destined for immortal
realms.
The demon of rum has reached his
fiendish climax and has ended his ca
reer of crime and ruin by suicide. He
dies and is buried under the white bal
lots of American free men. The poet
Whittier prophesied lorg ago the COM
ing of this glorious triumph
''The years are slow, the vision tarrieth
long,
And far the end may be;
But, one by one, the iiends of ancient
wrong
Go out and leave us free"
O., glorious day, so long foretold I!
Can it be that we are free, that two
billions Of wealth will not be poured
out every year to feed this behemoth
beast, that cities and states and nation
will not longer live by the revenue of
rum. that the marriage bond will no
longer be broken by this ,tyrant of
drunkenness, that the catalogue of
crimes is now rapidly diminishing, that
the pockets Of the poor are being filled
instead of emptie1 to support this in.
fanny? Can it be that brothels will no
longer thrive under the shadow of the
saloon, that politicians will not rendez-
vous within its deadly precincts
Yes, we have chained the beast with
links of law, roped him with public SEN
timent and suspended him before the
gaze of all mankind. where he can view
the wreckage of his crimes and where
all may see him die.
A father, hunting in the woods with
his boy, became separated from him
and saw panther following the tracks
of the boy. He found a hiding place
between the boy and the panther and,
as the angry beast came along, shot
him dead. We have gotten between
the youths of the land and the saloon,
and have mortally wounded the animal
that for forty centufies has cursed
mankind. Let US all watch, fight and
pray till the beast draws his last breath
and we draw the breath of liberty lo7-
ing freemen, and may we ever remem-
ber that
behind the dim unknown.
Standeth God within the shadow, keep
ing watch above His own r.