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poison that softens in one's ears the sound of the
foot-fall of approaching death. Like Lord Xeayes.
‘‘l'm very fond of water when qualified aright,"
and so I like my temperance lecture to be
qualified aright. Why such wholesale condemna
tion of this gift of nature that like all of nature's
gifts is a mixed evil and blessing? (live it its due.
It has done some good in the world. Recall Doctor
Holmes' tribute to it. he a scientific gentleman as
well as poet, when he describes the mother mixing
the punch for her soldier boy.
“ ‘Drink. John.' she said ‘'twill do you good, poor
child, you'll never bear,
The working in the dismal trench out in the mid
night air;
And if, God bless me! you were hurt, ‘1 would keep
away the chill,'
So John did drink —and well he wrought that day in
Blinker Hill."
Renan, the most temperate of men and the
gentlest, went so far as to protest against the sup
pression of drunkenness merely because it caused
men to beat their wives. “Instead of suppressing
it " he said, would if not be better to render it sweet,
amiable and accompanied by the moral sentiments?
There are so many men for whom the hours of
drunkenness are, after the hours of love the time
when they are at their best." As for myself I would
rather have one night with Lamb if George Dyer
could be there—even if the hippocrene turned into
hippocras the next morning, than a thousand with
the pious gentlemen whose letter I have mentioned
if each one of them reprieved me a year from hang
ing !
—The Poet in American Magazine.
Give the People the Light and They Will Find a Way
of Doing Things.
If Joseph Al. Brown, or “Little Joe'' takes his
candadacy serious, there is very great need for an
investigation into the man’s sanity. But, is it pos
sible that everybody does not know that Mr. Brown
entered this race purely and simply to expose his
old-time enemy Hoke Smith, who nobody disputes,
needs the light of publicity turned upon his official
acts ?
If Mr. Brown has both the ability and the pat
riotism to make of the race a means of educating
the people, politically for better things, his entry
is a most fortunate thing, especially just at this time
when hypocracy and deceit count for so much more
than true manhood and common honesty. But does
not the estimates of the man obtained from casual
observances of both his political and private acts
create much doubt, even in the minds of his most
zealous supporters whether he shall be able to do
more than an amatuer ?
Goethe's dying cry was for more light. And the
living cry of the people of Georgia today is for
more light. But is Mr. Brown the man to give it?
The War of the Revolution, which created the
only Republic that has ever been worth the name
came through the enlightenment of the people by
the work of earnest num.
There is nothing able to save the Republic of
Cuba but the enlightenment of the people of that
Island.
Likewise, there must be an enlightenment of the
people of the South before there will even be much |
strength in our social fabric or government st rue- i
THE REASON
ture. The strength of this country depends upon
the strength of the people. And their only strength
lies in knowledge.
The best that any man can do in this life is to
give the people light.
If Mr. Brown can let the people of Georgia know
what has been done by legislative enactment in the
recent past and lead them to the undoing of much
of it. his race, whether he carries a single militia
district or not shall not have been in vain. Could
he help them to make up their minds as to what
shall and shall not happen in future he would per
form a far more important duty.
But there must be no theorizing about it. We go
to the laborer and Iced his stomach when we want
work done that requires strength of muscle. Work
of reform requires strength of brain. This ran be
given only by feeding the brain, just as yon feed the
stomach of the laborer.
Give the people the light and tln'y will find
away to correct every abuse, inaugurate every re
form and decide every question that concerns them.
If We Should Stump Our Toe and Fall Down.
The sensible thing to do always is not to under
take those things we are incapable of doing. But if
it should happen that we make' the mistake ami do
so and stump our toe and fall down, tin 1 next best
t hink is to get up and move on.
In undertaking to make laws, which would pre
vent the sale of alcoholic beverages in Georgia and
reduce' drunkenness. the legislature undertook what
it has not done and never can do. It has simply
st uniped its toe and fell down.
Is it not incomprehensible that men having fore
knowledge that such would be’ the result did not
make themselves known and enter a protest against
the unhappy event?
Surely there must have been men in the legislat
ure last July who saw in the denial of light bever
ages, such as wines and beers, to those who art' ac
customed to their list* the almost certainly of this
class of people becoming addicted to to the use of
strong drink. As members of a great society, as out'
of a common household, whose duty it is to warn
other members of the family of the approach of
danger, did not these men fail in performing a sacred
duly in a time of great public peril .’
It was due from them as great average men, who
can add to the best of thinking on all lines of re
form the unobserved disadvantages that we are com
pelled to purchase with the benefits that fall to us
from all actions intended for the public good. Dm'
also from them an account of the trust which tin'
people place in them, by seeing in all that they do
and say their ideal of what is best for them, best for
their home, their eountrv and their God.
But they chose not to do it.
And what is the result ?
Well, we have our prohibition and a great deal
else besides, that's a fact.
We have hundreds and hundreds of idle men.
thrown out of employment by the shutting down of
the breweries; likewise, millions and millions of dol
lars of idle money tied up in brewery plants, not
earning one (‘ent. So much brain, muscle, money in
idleness —doing nothing in a country whose de
velopment can least afford to bear the losses which
all this idleness and in-activity entails!
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