Martinsburg weekly independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1873-1875, 1874-10-17

us influence, OF industry exiting
uShed and disease engendered, and
remember that this has been going
on for thousands OF years wherever
wine has been known, what are we
to think of the men who still press
into the fire? Have they any more
sense than tho moths? 1t is almost
enough to shake mans faith in
immortality to learn that he be-
longs to a race that manifests so
little sense and such hopeless reck-
lessness.
There is just one way of safety.
and only one, and young man
who stands at the beginning Of his
career can choose whether he will
walk in it,or in the way of danger.
There is a notion abroad among
men that wine is good--that when
properly used it has help in it
that in a certain way it is food, or a
help in the digestion Of food. We
believe that no greater or more IA
tai hallucination ever possessed
the world, and that none greater
ever possessed it for q long time.
Wine is a medicine, and men
would take no more Of il than of
any other medicine If it were not
pleasant in its taste, and agreeable
in its first effects. The men who
drink 1T drink it because they like
it. The theories as TO healthful-
ness come afterwards. The world
cheats itself, and tries to cheat it
self in this thing; and the psopiss
who prate of +" using this world as
not abusing it," and the chemi to
who claim sort ofnutritious pr Sc
erty in alcohol which never adds
TO tissueGl and the men who make
jest Of water drinking, all know
perfectly well that wine and strong
drink always have done more
harm tnan good in the world, and
always will until that millennium
comes, whose feet are "enstantly
tripped from under it by The drum
kards that lie prone in its path.
The milleuium with grog-shop at
every corner is just as impossible
as security with a burglar at every
WiHdOWy VI bIlC flOuoSs All
men know that drink is a curse yet
young men sport around it as if
there were something very desira-
bic in it, and sport until they are
hopelessly singed, and then join
the great, sad army that, with un
diminished numbers, presses on
to its certain death.
We do not like to become an ex-
horter in these columns, but, if it
were necessary, we would plead
with young men upon weary
knees to touch not the &C ursed
thing. Total abstinence, now and
forever, is the only guaranty in
existence against drunkard's life
and death, and there is no good
that can possibly coa.e to man by
drinking. Keep out of the candle
1t will always SINCE your wings or
destroy you.
An exchange speaks of "profes-
sional politics." And the words
mark what is only too accurate
modern definition. Politics are as
definite profession now as law or
medicine. They need little capt.
tai; their returns are some thous-
ands per cent; the chances are APP
parently more fiattering and spec
dy of realization than is actually
the case. There is no reason there
fore; why the profession should
not be entered by any one who is
WI tlino tn Iaupfa hi, ti,oa ~ ~
who has some little influence to be-
gin with; who has few scruples
and fluent speech. Gradually
these advantages over honest and
slowly rewarded labor have been
perceived, and now in this coun-
try we obviously have a caste
who govern uS-a Brahmanical or
der who do our legislation in Con-
gress, and fill their pockets with
the perquisites of fees before the
Supreme Court, from Kelloggs,
and Baxters, and Pichbacks; who
are sometimes even so desperate
ly "hard up" as to beg for these
brides, and who are political shys-
tiers, making politics profession
as having a money value only.
There is a religious sect called Win
nebrennarians, and they have a society
in Pittsburgh. Washing the feet they
regard as sacrament, and at their
Sunday services large number of per-
sons take part in this rite. On re-
cent service there were about thirty of
them The pastor fills two basins with
water, and man and woman, each
wearing an apron in imitation of the
girdle worn by Christ washes one by
one the feet of those of .their own sex,
the shoes and stockings having been
previously removed. Bth feet are plac-
ed in the basin, and after having been
washed are wiped with the apron worn