The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-04-19
For the PsEryshnrg JOurnal,l
WHO INTO BLAMEi

. q
Yes ,oio is gultyS for ,hs, there Is guilt so'aeAsrs
no one will deny. Sights meet our eyes daily
which are sstanding disgrace 20 OR community
and somebody TO blame, In proof ofmy as
sertion 20 with me back to the saloon just passed
and be convinced. O. '"" '" ''
Look al thar eS6td 5eEins boys, pOteueOf them
yet too old to say " Our Father at their mothers
knee, but alas already wise 20 do evil and far gone
in ruin. One Is smoking the stump Of cigar
picked up froni the sweepiugs ofthe grocery, with
air aud manners as near as possible like him whose
refuse cigar hS snckes. His elbows are out, so are
his knees and toes, but what matters that-he will
soon be able 10 huoke as gracefnllyas Mr.. So-And-
SO, the merchant or lawyer Three more are
mOnching enormous quids, bat recently disgorged
It may be by some older animal of the same species
bat 1t will do to learn on, aud IL is dirty and sick
ening, they consoed by the thought that this is
the high road to eentlity, for all gentlemen cAeS ard
smoke and f be hard road to travel il is worth
the price it costs to be a GENTLEMAN, Two, there
are whose dress tells that they belong to the FFYs
but their parents little dream Of their VAereqdsuts,
the eompaaions or oec,patioA Of their darliugs and
were you and to 60 and inform them, they would
hardly credit it. .
And is the child to blame for so doing The
Doctor, the Lawyer, the Merchant--aye, and with
shame confess it-tbe Preacher smokes and
chews, and why not he : True, the father says il
is a filthy, disgusting and injurious habit, an d
hopes his son will never contract it, but the
smoking cigar which he holds daintily between
his fingers while he advises, speaks louder, strong
er and with telling effect, for the chrd reasons
silently, I" il it is wrong, why does pa do il" and
the fathers influence for good ceases, when the
child gathers up the refuse fragment for which he
has been waiting.
But does it stop here Nay, yerilyi Just as
surely the qualification of want begets an
ether just SO surely, sin paves the way for
other. ,.r--.. t....
Now see them gathered round the place where
| poison is sold by the glass, and women and chill
dozen beggared, and souls ruined by lac, and here
they learn to drink-here they learn to love the
! liquid fire which inhames the passions, destroys
the intellect and renders them nuisance in soci.
ety-fts them for feon's cell, drunkard's grave
aud eternal misery beyond. Again l ask, ,Oho is
| guilty-the child who proves so apt scholar as
to outstrp his teacher and arrive first at the goal
or the man who regardless Of the interests of So
cety and oblvious TO the claims Of humanity lends
his influence to the increase of crime and to un
dermining the foundations of society," Who is tC
blame-the child who accepts aud practices what
it is taught, the paren. VINO teaches the little one
at his knee to say Our Father who art in Heaven,
" Lead us not into temptations" and then goes out
from the most sacred Of all places, home, TO fire.
quent the place where men robbed of purse
and brains and reduced to fools or fends Alas
for the future of this generation. II tho children
of to-day smoke and chew and swear in manner
that would shame pirate chief, what can we ex.
| pect from the manhood of such
Fathers, charge you before God with the guilt
in this matter. If you would not have your sons
curse you with their dying breath, teach them by pre-
cept and example better things in childhood Will
you do it, will you risk the consequence of your
own sinful practices-evep the ruin OF your own
sons :? For your own sake aud for the souls whose
training God holds you responsible for, entreat you
heed this warning. #x''