OCR Text |
Show OKKMAN I.IOI'OK KKVOICM. It is just a little hiirpi ising to lind the (leruian governmct promulgating regulations for the government of the liquor tratlic for tho avown! purpose of cheeking drunkenness. We have been told that in (iermany where beer is ns common as water in this country, there was no seen evil of drunkenm ss as that which this coiiiiti v lias to I'liiiii-iiil v. nli, but the action of too govern, m ut .spoils toe picture that has been drawn. When Ihe whole truth is told it will bo found that wherever men us intoxicating liquor as a beverage the curse of alcohol alco-hol will harvest its appalling crop of victims. Whether iu (iermany, England Eng-land or tho t.'niled States, if the cup be freely resorted to, its brood of vipers w ill swarm; strong hands will be pal sied; bright minds will be destroyed; tender ami loving husbands will be turned into worthless brutes, misery ! and want will supplant plenty; rags will take the plsro of tidy garments; pinched faces will sit where happy counteuauHOS beamed; crime will stalk iu where purity and (iodiiness reigned; tears will take the place of smiles; and when death shall show its face al the door it will hu welcomed wel-comed by broken hearted wives as a relief from shame and misery greater than they can bear. If Emperor William iu the fullness of bis strength can throttle tho devil of the liqur habit he can thereby confer an inestimable blessing upon his people. It ho realizes the measure of the evil he may be able to make some grand stroke that v.'ill immortalize his name. If ho should secure peace for Europe and enable en-able his subjects who are now in the military establishment to lay down their arms anil take hold of the plow he would make his name famous through all succeeding generations; but the triumph would scarcely be greater thau that which would be involved in-volved in surrounding his people with such conditions that they would throw away the two-edged weapon with w hich i j so many murder themselves and scourge the tender lives of tho members of their dependent families. |