Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-04-11

: country no less than FIVE millions
dollars year. which is clearly wastet
It is true. the land producing win,
or corn, barley and hops, used in max
ingfomented liquors, might serve bette
purposes: so might the fields and mead
t wsyieldingoat and hay for our aristo
8 Gratis horses be also used for bette
purposes and the material and labo
squandered in the construction of gal
carriages and gala furniture, woul,
, build comfortable homes for all tn
poor families in this country. Blu
: here | haye Inadvertently run my sub
ject into the province of National econ
my, to which / can not do justice here
Civilized society has ideas of its owl
in this respect, especially the friend:
and patrons Of commerce and indus.
try. In National economy it makes
no difference, whether so and so many
thousands of persons derive their sup
port from the manufacture and sale OF
fomented liquors or silk ribbons, cigars
or beer, wines or matches, champagne
or bracelets. 1t is all waste, in one
sense, and none in National economy.
Therefore, the same right which that
poor girl has to purchase cheap trink-
cts, looking from a distance like that
wealthy ladys costly jewels, the same
right has the poor man to purchase his
cheap drink, and to derive the same
satisfaction from il as Mr. Toplofty
does from his imported champagne and
Habanas more so even, for the money
spent by the former remains in the
country. IF this is correct it follows
that the use of wine or strong drink
can not be called either immoral,
impious, ungodly, or even waste of
property; not even by those whose
terminology is shaped by the extra die
tionary, supposed to have been revised
by the Holy Spirit, which editions are
very cheap and extremely useful in
shaping things for the popular market
But it is not the use, it is the abuse
of the thing, which is the cause of the
complaint and excitement. The in
temperate use Divine and strong drink
degrades, brutalizes, ruins body and
soul, stupefies reason, benightens the
judgment, and is frequently the cause
of shocking crime and untimely death,
of sorrow and affiiction, of insanity
and suicide. 1t is inebriety, against
which Moses holds up Noah and his
degraded son Ham, Lotand his delud-
ed daughters; against which Solomon
and Isaiah, and many other prophets
and sages speak solemn words of ad-
monition and rebuke. The abuse is
a calmity, which for the sake of hu-
manity ought to be remedied by Just
and proper means.
Here story of the Talmud must be
narrated. A heather asked a rabbi, |
If your God hates our gods and
idols, why does He not destroy them
if He is almighty" "You worship /
sun, moon. stars, mountains, rivers and (
all the various objects of nature, the !
rabbi replied; can you expect of the I
all-wise God that He destroy His 4
beautiful creation on account of some
foolish men?" This, indeed, is the
real point at issue. Is it proper, just
and wise to destroy or prohibit the use
of anything not improper in itself on
account of some foolish or wicked men
who brutally abuse Gods gifts Is il
just to punish the innocent In order to
reach the guilty ones2 Have we any
right, or is it common usage in the civ
ilized world, to prohibit things because
they are liable to abuse by the impru-
dent or unjustr Let us quote parallel
cases, and decide by analogy.
One of the most horrible causes of
and crime, of the loss of honor
and virtue, and the destruction of hap
piness and life is money. My time is
too brief, the widest imagination
too feeble, to depict mere fraction of
the woes and crimes caused by money.
1t makes rogues of honest men, and
Williams of generous souls. 1t blinds
the eyes of the wise and perverts the
words of the righteous. Money makes
slaves, hypocIites, gamblers, thieves,
and assassins. Money, alas 4
ruins virtue, beguiles innocence, turns
uprightness into falsehOod, outweighs
honor and patriotism, brings wicked
ness, shame, and brutality. The
wealthy, alasi as well as the poor give
and take bribes to cripple the arm of
justice. Thousands of souls are lost,
other thousands languish in peniten-
taries and houses of correction, hun
dreds expire on gallows, countless
hearts are broken and families ruined
by the curse, or rather abuse, OF money,
and the corrupt appetites to possess it,
more, still more, of it. Brethren, let
US pray, sing, and preach to abolish
and utterly prohibit all sorts of money, I
which is Satans medium to purchase
lost souls. Brethren, let us pray for
all those poor sinners who use money.
But before we do, let US look upon
another, and probably no less fatal
source and cause of crime, shame and
name is luxury. / do
not mean effeminacy, sensuality and
lascivousness l mean extravagant in
diligence in expensive diet, costly dress
and equipage; to outshine and outlive,
if possible, every other person. Is
there any degradation of human nature
to which an insane luxury has not
misled thousands of Gods creatures?
there any CATEGORY of shame or
crime which has not received its vic
tins from the eorrupting hell of ex-
1t is the apish pomp and
masquerade which ruin per-
sons and families, force business men
into banruptcy and suicide, and inno-
cent persons into the dens of shame
and crime You have heard ofpublic
men who must sacrifice their honor to
keep up the capricicus style and tone
of the day. You hear and see daily
the exchange of purity for trumpery,
aud of Yeracity for glIttering and de-
ceitful masquerades Purgatory is not
large enough to hold all the victims of
insane luxury. Well, then, let us have
q revival and close all stores which
offer for sale such abOminable articles,
offering that horrible temptation to
the innocent, running so many souls and
families, so many helpless women and
children Let US form calico societies,
muslin unions, and leather clothes as
sociations and let US move back into
Adams paradise, because ever so many
people abuse Gods gifts in this world.
Is there anything in this wide uni
verse, however blessed and necessary, 4
that can not be abused? Among all
the feelings of the human heart none
give us more delight or genuine happi-
ness than The love and affections which
unite spouses in perpetual and reeipro-
cal esteem, friendship and sympathy.
Look upon the shocking crimes and
nameless woes emanating from the
abuse of that identical love of the
sexes. Jealousy is the progenitor of
lifelong aud implaoable ami