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SHEPPARDS STIRS U. S. SENATE
(Continued from last week.)
In Africa the liquor traffic has been prohibited in large sections and restricted
in others by an agreement among 18 of the leading nations, including the
United States, known as the Brussels general act of 1890. The importation
of alcoholic liquors into the territory under this agreement is also piohibited.
An international federation has been formed for the protection of the native
races of Africa from the liquor traffic, one of its main objects being the en
forcement of the agreement embodied in the act of 1890. It should be stated
here that Menelik, ruler of Abyssinia, has issued an edict prohibiting the im
portation of intoxicating liquors into that country. He is using every meas
ure at his command to prevent the introduction into his kingdom of wine,
beer, whskey, and other intoxicants, all of which he calls European poison.
When Khama, King of Bechuanaland, issued an order some 20 years ago
prohibiting the manufacture or sale of intoxicating beverages within his domain,
the order was disregarded by the white traders. Khama and other native
chiefs who were following his example, appealed to Queen Victoria for assist
ance, and she replied:
“I approve the provision excluding strong drink from your country. I feel
strongly in the matter, and am glad to see the chiefs have determined to keep
so great a curse from their people.”
It was this native ruler, Khama, who said on another occasion:
“To fight against drink is to fight against demons and not against men. I
dread the white man’s drink more than the Assegaiis of the Metabele, which
kill men’s bodies and it is quickly over; but drink puts devils into men and
destroys both their souls and their bodies forever. Its wounds never heal.
And thus it comes to pass that this native African chief has uttered a truth
that the highest civilizations of the world may well take seriously to heart.
In various parts of Latin America movements are under way against alco
hol. Laws against it have been introduced or are pending before the National
Legislature of Argentina and other Latin-American countries.
Especially notable is the progress of prohibition in Canada. In the Province
or Prince Edward Island complete prohibition has been adopted and crime
has practically disappeared. The entire Province of Nova Scotia, with the
exception of the city of Halifax, has been placed under prohibition. The
liquor traffic has been outlawed in 700 of the 1,000 municipalities in Quebec.
A majority of 5,000 in favor of prohibition has been registered in British
Columbia. In over half the municipalities of Ontario the traffic has been
discontinued. In nearly all of Newfoundland and Labrador prohibition has
been established.
Turning to our own country, the United States, what pride may be felt
in the fact that an area equal to nearly three-fourths of our territory con
taining half our population has been voted dry. Complete state-wide prohibi
tion has been adopted in Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina,
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee and West Virginia. The states having
prohibitory law for half or more than half of their population are Alabama,
Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, lowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Min
nesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah,
Vermont, and Virginia. Those having prohibition for one-fourth or more but
less than half of their populations are California, Delaware, Illinois, Mary
land, Massachusetts, Michigan, Misouri, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Wiscon
sin and Wyoming. The remaining nine states —Arizona, Connecticut, Mon
tana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode
Island—have prohibitory law for less than one-fnorth of their respective pop
ulations.
The movement against the liquor traffic has obtained such headway in the
United States that nothing can prevent its ultimate nation-wide success. (Ap
plause in the galleries). The people of the United States understand that
the national government must be summoned to the contest, and at a great
prohibition gathering at Columbus, Ohio, last month the campaign for nation
wide prohibition was definitely and enthusiastically begun. It is a crusade
that deserves to rank with the outpourings in the Middle Ages from Chris
tendom toward Jerusalem.
This is no new question in (he United States. The agitation against the
liquor traffic dates from Revolutionary and Colonial times. The sale of slaves
to American colonists found a permanent basis in the fact that African negroes
could be exchanged for American rum. The liquor traffic gave great impetus
to African slavery in the United States. Slavery has been destroyed, and
its partner —the liquor traffic —must follow it to a common grave. (Applause
in the galleries.
The resolutions that have been introduced in the American Congress for a
prohibition amendment to the Federal Constitution mark a distinct stage in the
war against alcohol, but they are by no means the first suggestion of general
prohibition. In 1777, 12’years before the present Constitution came into being,
the Continental Congress at Philadelphia passed the following resolution:
“Resolved, That it be recommended to the several legislatures in the United
States immediately to pass laws the most effectual for putting ‘an immediate
stop to the pernicious practice of distilling grain, by which the most exten
sive evils are likely to be derived if not quickly prevented.”
Mr. President, responsibility for the miseries and the crimes of men rests
far more largely with society than may be generally supposed. People who
keep their own lives blameless have by no means entirely meet their duty to
humanity or to God. We who permit a traffic to continue that fills the peniten
tiaries, the jails, the asylums, the hospitals, the poorhouses and the potter’s
fields are guilty of serious dereliction. We who permit a traffic to continue
that will make chaos of governments and beasts of men are culprits. And until
we begin an affirmative movement against evils that threaten to engulf man
THE GOLDEN AGE FOR WEEK OF JAN. 29, 1914.
kind, until we terminate the terrible partnership between the government of
this country and the liquor trade, a partnership whereby the revenues that sus
tain the Republic—yea, our very salaries as senators of the United States
represent men’s broken bodies, men’s wasted lives, the widow’s and the or
phan’s cry, the white slave’s bartered shame —we shall invite and we shall
deserve any disaster that may overwhelm the nation or the race. (Applause
in the galleries.)
« •
* WILL POWER.
* We can not make ourselves one •
* grain more talented than we are, *
* but if we once try to get out all *
* our talent we shall find that we *
* have enough to occupy us profit- •
* ably all our life. Will, not talent, *
* is the lacking power in most *
* •
SHUPTRINE’S 1914
SEED BOOK
NAW RFAHY Standard varieties for
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SHUPTRINE COMPANY, Savannah Ga.
>•’ <■, t
/>-.••• ..
JawOISS
I CUT YOUR COST OF
I CHOPPING 75 PER CENT
If you work eight men hand chopping they probably chop eight
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|’,.W the cost. And the amount saved in one week will more than pay for
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H THE AKERICM
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M PRICE $35.00
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|| DON'T CHOP YOUR COTTON BV HAND
H THIS SEASON
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WL Ame tic an Cotton Chopper Co 9
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GIVE “SYRUP OF FIGS”
TO CONSTIPATED CHILD
Delicious “Fruit Laxative” can’t harm
tender little Stomach, liver
and bowels.
Look at the tongue, mother! If
coated, your little one’s stomach, liver
and bowels need cleansing at once.
When peevish, cross, listless, doesn’t
sleep, eat or act naturally, or is fever
ish, stdmach sour, breath bad; has
sore throat, diarrhoea, full of cold, give
a teaspoonful of “California Syrup of
Figs,” and in a few hours all the foul,
constipated waste, undigested food
and sour bile gently moves out of its
little bowels without griping, and you
have a well, playful child again. Ask
your druggist for a 50-cent bottle of
“California Syrup of Figs,” which con
tains full directions for babies, chil
dren of all ages and for grown-ups.
7