Newspapers / The Prohibition Banner (Concord, … / May 13, 1886, edition 1 / Page 1
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f r J" i , UJ 1 4- FTrlT7T7 i j r.i j ii Ml iii U U if Oiu 'Corf, Our Country mid Our IfnurA. VOL. I. CONCORD, N. C, THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1886. NO. 15. .PM) I VICTORY. TCNT.. "Sell h haf v' Wallace hied. Friends of Freedom swell thTkong, Old and youHij the ttrnin prolong, Make the Temperance army etrong, And on to Victory ! 7 Knife the glorious watchword hih, "Total Abstinence" the cry ; Let the echo reach the sky, Anil the (arth keen jubilee . ho 'i)nvravo, "Who woulcTtfii to rum a slave, AVho wouid fill a drunkard's grave, Or bear hi Infamy ' A V 1 1 1 ye rally, every one. Father, mother, daughter, ton, Teach th weak tiie cup to ehurj, And ond this la very ?. God of mercy hear us plead, For th help we intercede ; See how many hearts still bleed, And heal them speedily ? Let the Spirit's fruits be these, Temperance, and love, and peace ; Then this withering curss will cease; THE MODERN PHOD1CJAE. How He Was Fm1 On lIiitkH' In a short time the beauty of Americus Junior became like Pha roah's seven ears of corn blasted with sin east wind. The joyous vig or of life in his heart became a cup of death j he was stricken, and he was yet not sick; his portion was wounds, bruises, and purefyiug sores; he bad wasted all his sub stance, and began to bs in want. He had sat among kings of men, and he had' gone down to dwell among swine, and fed at their troughs. But ho remembered whence he had.falleu ; he recalled ancient pportunities, and the burning dregs of remorse were wrung out to him to drink. His mother, as full of anguish and des pair as her son, bestirred herself to find i.elpers and remedies. "There must," she said, "be some means of rescue, and some cure-- tor this awful state of moral aud physical disease." ' , The shameless extortions of the Liquor Party, the devasta tions wrought by them, had roused up many enemies. People who had suffered by them in their kin dred or; estates banded agaiast them ; philanthropists and political economists felt that it was high time to restrict their operations and moderate the miseries occa sioned by them. Learned and be nevolent, people had shut themsel ves up to a vigorous study of the L'quor Question, and hundreds had formulated a whole code of laws, which should reach tlie on tire case, and assure to the family of Columbia a reasonable amftuut of comfort and 6afety. Other hun dreds had particularly devoted 'themselves to considering what would heatAhe woes aud wounds of tho victims of the Iquor inter est of Americus Junior. Therefore when from the public highway, where Columbia sat watching and waiting over her fal len child, arose .a mighty cry, "Help me ! help me ! O my people!'' a uqudred doors opened, and aji imposing throng of Pundits aud Philanthropists came to the res cue of Columbia and her son. "Columbia, lake heart,' said one Pundit, "your strength shall be iu law. We will enact laws that shall deliver you from tho chief pari, of your uneasiness. Your son is young, and his youth has been takeu advantage of. Habits are formed iu youth. Had he been preserved from this driuk habit till he reached man's estate, j he would have been safe. We will enact a law against selling to mi nors ; if we have no drurfken boys, we shall have no drunken men. Do you not see that clearly, Co lumbia V She did npl, see it very cleaily, but the Pundit spoke like a judge on the bench, aud she yielded as sent. - 4And, Columbia," said tho sec ond Pundit, "I nave yet a better law' to propose to you. Wo will enact that no one sells ' to druuk ards. If your Ron is drunk, he shall not get drunker. Once let him get druuk, and he cannot buy." "But," said Columbia, I dou t want him drunk at all. Is it not a pity and a sin to allow him to gedinevitablo ; we must limit them by drunk !" "We must not too much inters fere with the liberty of the subject,", said the Puudit. "I am certain that this law is the very essende of all wisdom." "It does not look so to me," said Columbia, "but we wilkhavo it if it will do my dear boy auy good.." "I have yet a better law,'' ciied a third, "Culumbia, if your son went to church on Sunday and said his prayers, aud had a respectable dy of it, ho would get moral force to put him through the week. I pro pose a Sunday-closing law. That will solve all difficulties. Give Ameri cus a day of sobriety and deceucy, and he will see how good it is, and de3ire other days of the kind. Let us save bim the first day of the week, and he will save himself the other six." "i nope so, " saia uoiumoia, as a fourth Pundit rushed up. "What we want is the early clos ing of tliest liquor dens. It would save young Americus to go home and go to bed. Then he would watte sooer, anu oe aoto to do a daj work. Columbia, if you have any desire to save your son, you will pass my law for early closing, say 11 o'clock." So Columbia passed the early losing law. Then a whole throng of Pundits, wise aud rich, came to her, carry, ing banuers and wreaths of vic tory, and blowing trumpets. They were the High License Men," and they made sure that the hope of Mrs. Columbia, and the safety of her sou. Such coufideuce always imposes itself ou others; aud Co lumbia's eye brightened, and her sorowful face cleaied a little, aud her hand lay with less agonized clasp ou the head of her sou resting ou her lap, as she looked at this im posing array of helpers. "What we want," said this dele- gation, "is high license. We must tax these hqu r men, Columbia ; if you really waut them out. of exis- tauce, there is but one way t.ix (he m out. If you make license high enough, the liquor can uot be sold to Americus poor, only to Ameri cus when he is iieh ana can stand it. If you tax high euougl orJy rich men can pay for license, aud there is a certain dignity and res pectability about tue rich. If only rich men are makers aud sellers, then the 'places of sales will be costly, elegaut. refined. If Ameri cus will get druuk, he shall get druuk ou a plush sofa with a Brus. sels carpet under his feet, and a silver salver at his side for his glass." "That won't help me !" cried tlie amazed Columbia, "drunk is drunk, and it is the drunkenness that mad deua me. The style of it, O Puo- dits, will not better it !'' "Indeed it will," sai l the dele gation. "You must look at the mutter on all Hides, dear Columbia. If you have high licence, only a few can pay for it, and so places ot liquor selling will decrease, ami it there are only half at many places Americus will be onlv half as likely to get drunk. Besides, by high li cense the business udl he made less piofitable, andvin time far les wdl follow it and it will die out by degress. Our friends, the League men, will not want to keep up a profitless trade; they will invest in something else. We grant you drunkenness and drunkard making are crimes. Under the present constitution 'of things crimes, are statute." At this point a strange man pass ed to tho fronl of the throng aud spoke earnestly : "Columbia there can be no statue of limitations tor crimes. If you limit crime by law you legalize it within the limit, and if law frames mischief where is our resort? The seat of justice aud judgement, Co lumbia, must not bo made a throne of iniquity. Wo want something better than all this," said another group; "we can not get all that we want, bat we must get the best wo cau and near our goal by degrees. Give us local option. Where people don't want the liquor let them banish the l;quor. Lat us have some'safe places." "Columbia," protested the High License men, look at this matter fairly. Do you see, that added to the advantages we have suggested, there is the other vast advantage of your increased revenue? Amer icus has been very expensive to you ho. wasted your fortunes the liqdor men have been expen sive; your treasusies need replen ishing; let the liquor which has ru ined you, repay you repay your sou. iT "Now, Columbia was vulnerable . . . . TS . ou this point, and she saKishe would have high liceuse, and fhe higher the better, and she hoped good would come of it. 'But local option! We want lo cal optical!" cried some. ' 1 i j.uat is tvrrannicai. ana re- straiUvS individual liberty.'- said the friends aud beneficiaries of the Liquor men. "It is the will ot the' people rul ing, the choice of the multitude, which underlies all our policy!"' cried others. It is urjust coerciou and restric tion,'' said the Interest-. , "it is ho more restrict iou, or ro i ercinn, than Sunday closing, earlv j closing, high license, aud a!) the i rest!'' shouted the Option men. " Local option, sounds well to me," said Columbia. "L.'t us have it where we can get it; with all these laws, I and now a ui sure my. boy is sale." ' Thereupon Columbia aroused Americus and rose up. She anointed her head and Washed her face and clothed herself in splendor; she il luminated all her windows in the joy of her new hope. Sue took Americus Junior out of the gutter; she washed him, aud curled ami perfumed his hiir; sbe put on his Sibbath apparel, a ring ou his haud, and shoe- ou his feet, aud made a great feast, and sent him forth iu gladness, as a youug king going to his esjtousa s, tor now his steps were envoirred with the safe- guards of law, and he was eupport- ed bvj statutes of limitation. WUat was then Columbia's hoi - ! I ror to h hd i hat t he Liquor jPui ty to a large extent, blinded. or bribed, her police, aud that th.e numerous r . " . . i aws Was a deaI letter. The law iga'nt seliiug to minor!; was 'evad ed; also men 'Could .become drunk- irds at r thy were t&etity-one. If the front doors of.saioons! were shut on Sunday, tie bilfck doors ' were open; bar keepers tpjd different' opinions as to ft hen a njan was too drunk to sell to; the early closiug was mocked at; on high license the Liquor traffic flourished, tor; they got tile license, money all backin iio ime, joy raising the price of drinks whilo their patrons never grumbled at the price ot rum, though they tore ;their hair and blasphemed over the price of flour. II the law forbade a liquor den, near a school bouse, the. schooUhouse uot the deu was moved; and .when j Local Option would- bave consecreerated a locality, tho lukrest stuffed the ballot boxes. . SojAmericus went down into the depths again, aud reeled to, and fro and djrew nigh to the gates of per ditioii. Once moro ' tho mourning ot his? mother filled the universe, and as Law bad so far failed to help her, Love came iu its place. Butl6ve is often efficacious without its measure of severity. . i .The new helpers of Columbia opened reformatories and inebriate asylums, but if they cured Ameri- r " cus within their wans, ne leu a i - prey as soon as he came out. ; They made Suuday breakfasts for iAm er icas; the little children formed "Bands of hope," and the women "Bands for prayer." They reason ed with Americus, they comforted him, they encouraged Jiim; a thous and times with patient zeal they raised him up as he lay fallen, fil thy wounded bleeding, aud. they healed hiai, and sent him out only to tall again. The troiible was, not that the means were not very good but they needed to be reinforced with stronger and more fuudamen- al measures. To Americus always presented themselves Temptation and opportunity. A pledge was devised for Amerieuf ; he found tliaS even from that pletlge he could fall; that a whirlwind of pas sion and appetite could sweep him away, a'ud his- pledge; was as the seven, green withes, or,-the new ropes' upon Sampsou. They told AmeHcu-j Junior In his falling and his wo', of Iivine J-'ower thijt res cues ia man -from .IijinseU anil his sins, jiind ihev. told him tiui1 But yet, theie is i Ioic-ni- eventrj, and (iod demands that. iheu .should ust- ' 1 .proper menus ana uot rush oi : ctioice into temptation and ci v then to i e kept . (Vod bad u; e m. ; troversy witlj Columlda. because her i son Mad talleti by her .av;inci and her sin, and as-Jong' as that" ac curitil trtqihy, her bribe of? ;o.d was (n uer tieasure.F,.Mhe cur.ie .lay ujKn; her house. Anl thus it was tliat this i poor prodigal ot tloj West had been ted on hiisks, and his mother, in hei dcsptiir, put o gai ments .-of.ti ldow- i hooil ;aud lifted uj her voice and wept Jor lhey had bee u miserable comforters, and healed tdigbjtly the j hurt of her ton. and . hatl i said "peace, peace, wheu there was no Kace;j'' j Julia AlcAitt WKujim Tne.xoung man who imprinted respectful kiss on the IWir - foiehead of hi best girl, told his friend the next day that hie had bet u having hangup time. i wint n iii t iiv !-? Hie-rapid progress of 1 1 aus a. . .1.. O . t .... ui icilipci aiU'.c Mi uie oiuunnii States is giving the liquor-men not a little aiixiet v. I ue ( hamp on. a The t'hamp'.on. lupior organ of the Northwest, . rounds an emph atic note of . warn ing, iu addition- 'to th n ;ires it has jiven -before," ' that just so sure as the sun shall ag im tultil it winter solstice will the S-mth be revolutionized on ttie prohibition question within a few yearn, unlesa the proper counteracting influences are most speedijy set iu motion." The Democratic pally has been the reliance of the liquor-men bith. er, but now the Champion declare: "The Democrats have tried to stand uvagaiust the rising and rushing aud swelling tide, but there is a limit to their resistance." And it frantically proclaims that "the time for talkiug will soon be past-nay, it is past already, and the time for action is now at hand.' What kiud of action it does not define, but obviously it must hence forth be chiefly .rebel ions and revo lutionary.. Constitutional prohibi tion is destiued to make, by the voice of tho people, liquor making aud vending for drinking purposes unlawful at no distant day through out the land. Will the Champion and its distilling, brewing, and li quor selling allies submit or rebel I Nat. Temd. Ad. ' Only A Pensive Little Blnle. A sad-eyed mule; with pathos written iu every hue of of its droop ing body, was being towed along by a man ou a furniture van yester. day., It trotted reflectively along until it reached Police Headqaar ters, where without the least warn ing it stopped short, apparently. like grandfather's clock, never to go agaiu. The connected man aud van were naturally forced to stop likewise. The mule appeared to find ils standing position unco al fortable. It drooped more and more; until with a plaintively moN ish cry it sank upon the ground, dragged its 1. tubs luxuriously aud tried to sleep. The man on the van had no desir for slumber, aud was not sufficiently unselfish to give up to the mule. He coaxed if. Ho petted it. Ho scolded it. He tearJully besought it to rise, if not for his sake, for that of up- W . a pearauces. U was no use. A po- iceman came out o! tho Central Ouice,a'nd was about to shoot the animaf, When the owuer interposed and said it was a'i old trick. The uitile va.N on .strike. When it got leady U would arise iud trot oT , as it had don a shoiltime ago at ( anus. So the 'policeman refrained from bloodshed alter a luiet siesta the mule was himself agt.ti.VWrkiv Star. - - - Drinking va;v rreirlier m'aks a man, su k, nor m-debt, nor his wile4 a widow. Spanish Maium. '--.-'-. . . No womier we can't get weather to suit us. -The hignal service is undergoing in .etiatiou for elab orate but unlaw lul expenditure of public money. - 'i he (r. II. is our only resource until the clouds roll by. Democrat. - A correspondent ay: "What are the Amei iean tUhery Tite in CanadMu waters w hear s much' alKut r" We iievr fished much in Canadian waters, and don't know , jn-t what the riten are, but if t o. ritual is the sauieas iu the Amer-. lean waters, a pig ot whiskey and a column of lies will be found neo essary-to tlie lauding ot every fish. Burdelte.
The Prohibition Banner (Concord, N.C.)
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May 13, 1886, edition 1
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