The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-03-29

BY 8. A. lloTT.

BY 9. "A. MOTT.
A few years ago was stopping for
a time In village In the central por-
tiOn of New York State, and during
my stay series of meetings were
started Under the supervision Of Elder
Jacob Knapp. the baptist Revlvalist.
After 4 period the interest became
very marked and spread into all por-
ti0Ils Of the town. Business for some
days was entirely stopped, to give the
people the better opportunity to ''eeek
their souls salvation Prayer meet
ings were instituted In various parts OF
the town; and finally noon prayer
meeting was begun In the bar-rooin Of
the principal hotel. The hotel keeper
not only made no objection, but even
encouraged and assisted those who at-
tended aud carried on the meeting.
One of tive results Of the prayer
meeting was the delivery Of Temper
ance sermon, by Elder Knapp, in
which he related various Incidents
which had passed under bis own OBJ
servations. tending to illustrate his
subject; and among others gave tie
following narration:
"A rumseller rose one night in my
congregation and said: have sold
liquor for many years. l have been
the cause Of much ruin aud degrade
tion, Of great sorrow and misery.
Only yesterday man bought liquor
at my bar, went ont and started for
home. He had gone hut a short way
when he fell and broke his leg. He
was taken UP and brought intD my
sitting-room. His leg was found to
be SO badly broken, that amputltion
became necessary. The surgeon was
brought and very soon the operation
was performed. As ! looked Mt the
limb, after 1t was removed, | thought:
That is my work.
II have done mischief among every
class. One day a few years since,
young man came into the bar4oom
and demanded brandy. knew him.
He was from one of the most respect
ed families In the town. He was n
graduate ofa college, a man ofability,
of wealth, Of refinement and OF great
promise. lie demanded liquor.
felt that ought not to let him have t.;
but | wanted his money so poured it
out. Soon he returned and asked for
another glass Of brandy. Again felt
| ought not to let him have 1t, vet
again for his money poured it out to
him. Soon the third time he returned,
and demanded tile third glass Of brall-
dy, and though | felt again compunc-
tiOns Of conscience | supplied him
with the damning stuff and he retired.
''Soon after, having occasion 70 70
ont of my bar-rooln, as / went toward
the barn, | saw my customer leaning
against Q post. AZ approached him,
he shuddered and appeared frightened,
and at the same time cried ont:
Don't hurt me. don't hurt mel |
told him wouldn't, persuaded him to
90 into the hotel. took him up 10 a
spare room In the second story and
put him to he'd.
II thought no more about him.
The next morning a friend OF hiscane
In and made inquiries concerning him.
Something within me, | can't tell
What it was, made me reply he IL
dead then told him of the OccNr-
renee Of the previous day, ut the same
time leading the way up stairs. We
advanced to the room and entered.
We turned down the clothing Of the
bed, and there lay what was left Of dc
once noble young man, cold, stark.
dead!
II slrank away. for It seemed az
though was his murderer. But }
did not cease selling rum. for 1 co.llsl
not give up the idea Of making mon
ey. Oh. II some strong hand h.M
been interposed. II some strong law
had said thou shalt not do it, I might
perhaps have been saved, but now
shall go down to my grave feeling, In
my soul that am o murderer"
Such were the words OF q rnmseller,
In that revival meeting of Elder
Knapp and | thought wlaen / lnawl
him tell it-could we desire, and if we
did, could We have a stronger argu-
nlent IN favor of prohibition? We
would protect the man who drinks, by
telling him he shall not have it /; but
here is a man who sells, ard | doubt
not there are thousands Of Others, who
would he protected from the Ain Of
selling and from the perpetfatiOn of
crime arising out of the act, by a law
which shall prohibit him from contin-
uing In his traffic.
''But." Optinist asks. "why does
he not stop selling?" For the same
reason. that you do not stop your buS-
iness--he wishes to make money.
but is he to make money at the ex-
pense of his souls'' by no means.
but SO long as humanity is the poor
weak humanity y Is now, just SO long
will money be the root Of all evil" 10
1t, and just SO long win men barter
their eternal happiness to gain 1t, and
the question for ,ls to consider, il
whether or not We are free from guilt
and are not inperiling our soul when
we let them do 1t? Ifa man stand BY
and let his brother man kill his neigh
Dor, he Is held equally guilty Of the
murder, and SO shall you and ! optIm-
ist If we stand by onr brothers, ind
aloe them to murder other Of our Rel
low beings be held guiltyg win the
crime entirely rest upon the rum-seIl-
er, or shall we find that we in lifting
the skirts Of our garments and inniQS-
Ing afar of that we mighe let him !
alone, nevertheless spotted them with1I