The Fiendish Deeds of Alcohol

Rum and Ruin: A Collection of Writings on the Issue of Alcohol

by L. F. Bittle (1833-1905)

There guarded by our license laws,
With Appetite to plead his cause,
The Alcoholic Demon reigns,
And in his retinue retains.

The hydra dire of vice and crime,
And, with an imprudence malign,
Enthrones himself in church and state,
And rules the little and the great.

Untrammeled in his evil ways,
Upon the nation’s life he preys,
Degrades the lofty, stains the pure,
And robs the wealthy and the poor.

Arouses hatred, kindles strife,
And makes the land with murder rife,
Each pauper house and prison fills,
The innocent assails and kills,
Breaks woman’s heart with purpose fell,
And dooms his devotees to hell!

His horrors our official view,
And all permit for revenue,—
Permit, encourage, sanction all,
The fiendish deeds of Alcohol,
That they may fill the public purse,
With taxes from a nation’s curse.


The above post is an excerpt from the book, Rum and Ruin: A Collection of Writings on the Issue of Alcohol. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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