The Van Buren press., 1871-01-24
btdset of Seisserings.
+" Must Support my Family.

"Hew are you, Aleck? It's an sge
since I saw you! What are you doing
for living. old fellow =
well, little OF pretty much every
thing. I've been marker in a billiard sa.
loon. then | went up to Snake IL Wolf, ,as
sort Of clerk, and now I've settled down
In business for myself. Call in and see
me-"
"What business? Where did you
pitch your tent? What kind of basiness
is it ?"
"Oh, it's the universal supply busi.
ness"
whats thst'"
Weii-it's selling liquor
"A grogshop2 That's pretty busi
ness for your fathers son? Snake a
Wolf keep gambling den, don't they p
"Yes-though they call it saloon OF
fortune"
"Why, Aleck, what's got into you
You used to be above such things! You
are going straight to the devil"
= Fact. ! think so sometimes myself
Should like better busiiess but it pays.
A man must take care of his family"
We suppose that this excuse for wick
cd practices is as old as the food. 1t is
probable that there never was a villainous
course that had any money in ii, that
men have not justified themselves in prac.
ticing it on the ground of supporting
their families.
But what kind of support is that Has
father right to prostitute his integrity
for the sake of his children? What sort
of bringing up will children get, whose
bread is earned at the expense OF their
parents good name? If the children
turn out i'll, then the parent will have cor.
rupted himself for the sake Of destroying
his children. But il, from some kind
ovcrruling providence, the children grow
up to honest manhood, what a shameful
legacy is their fathers name9
Food and clothes are very important,
doubtless, but they may be bought at too
dear n price "Man shall not live by
bread alone" No man has brought up
his children who has cared only for their
animal wants. Children need a fathers
instruction in morals, his example in fol
lowing all goodness, and his succor when
they are over tempted. Young people
will have an ongh to tempt them without
having father as an example ofcvil do
ing.
No. No man supports his family well
who earns his children's bread by wicked
practices If a man may keep dram.
shop on the plea that his family must be
supported, he may with equal propriety
keep gambling den. or pandcr to pas
sionate immoralities. or even steal and
rob. There IS no moral evil which may
not be committed if this plea is sound.
But the plea is unsound 1t is disgrace
to make it and still more dsgraceful to
follow courses which require one to make
1t. No one would like to eat the bread
whicn Judas would have bought with his
thirty pieces Of silver. But, to betray
morality, to undermine the virtue Of So
ciety, to pursue course that degrades
ones self or ones fellow men, is to be-
tray Christ in the person Of the poor and
weak. No man can afford to take home
the wages Of corruption. Men will per-
jure themselves; will dcfle their con
sciences will commit petty frauds with.
out number; will consort with the men
that are pests to society, and then carry
home the wages, of their iniquity to feed
tender wife or sweet little children
thereon He would be monster who
should feed his children en- carnon. He
does worse who earns their bread by his
own corruption Henry Ward Beeeher