are blacklisting the saloon as
an enemy of legitimate business, the liquor advocates are taking
refuge behind the Bible, and claiming that He who cursed the tree that
was barren, planted the one whose root and heart, bark and branches
are poisoning the blood of the nation. They pervert scripture, take
isolated passages and present an ominum gatherum of quotations to
prove the Bible indorses the use of strong drink. By the same process
I can prove one of these Bible license scholars should hang himself
and be in haste about it. I read on one page of the Bible, "Judas went
out and hanged himself." On another page I read, "Go thou and do
likewise." And on another, "Whatsoever thou doest, do it quickly."

Against these sacrilegious uses of scripture, I place the estimate of
the fruit of this upas tree from one whose words are unmistakable, and
whose wisdom none can question. Solomon said: "Wine is a _mocker_."
Was there ever a word of more weight in its application? When a boy in
school nothing so vexed me and made me want to fight, as for a boy to
_mock_ me. I remember when one of the prettiest girls in school made
faces at me and _mocked_ me; from that hour I could never see any
beauty in that girl's face, nor have I quite forgiven her to this day.
When the Jews wanted to heap the greatest indignity possible upon
Jesus, when they had driven the nails in His hands, pierced His side,
placed the crown of thorns upon His head and pressed the bitter cup to
His lips, they stood off and _mocked_ Him.

Is wine a mocker? Did Solomon know what he was talking about when he
gave it that detestable name? He added still another word and called
it a deceiver. Does it deceive and mock? It meets a young man at a
social feast, garlands itself with the graces of hospitality, sparkles
in the brilliant jewels of fashion, smiles through the faces of female
beauty, furnishes inspiration for the dance and mingles with music,
mirth and hilarity. Gently it takes the young man by the hand, leads
him down the green, flowery sward of license, filled with the rich
aroma of the wild flowers of life. When it has firmly fixed itself in
his appetite, it begins to strip him of his manhood as hail strips the
trees, and when, with will-power gone, nerves shattered, eyes bleared
and face bloated, he stands with the last vestige of manly beauty
swept from the shattered temple of the soul, it stands off and _mocks_
him. It goes to a home, tramples upon the pu