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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! 3