The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-11-07
THE DRUNKARD'S GATE.

Another gate of hell, and the chief
gate, and as wide as all the others put
together, is the gate of alcoholic beY-
erage. On the night of our explora-
tiOn | found that everything was done
under the enchantment of the wine
cup. That WAS what the mattresses
carried on the platter; that was what
glOWed on the tables; that was one of
the chief attractions of the Illuminated
gardens; that flushed the cheeks of the
patrons who came in; that staggered
the steps of the patrons as they went
out. The wine-cup is the instigatOr of
all impurity and the patron of all un-
cleanliness. 80 far as God NAV help
Inc shall be its unending foe. 1t was
the testimony of the officials, on the
night Of our exploration, that nearly all
those who frequent the houses of
death 90 intoxicated. The mental and
spiritual abolished, the brute ascen-
dant. Tell me a young man drinks
and | know all the rest. Let him be-
come the captive of the wine-cup and
he is the captive of all other vices.
Norman ever runs drunkenness alone.
That is one of the carriOn crows that
goes in a flock. If that beak is ahead
you may know the other beaks follow.
II other words, strong drink unbal-
mi5ts and dethrOnes, and makes him
the prey of all the appetites that choose
to alight upon his soul. There
is not place of sin on this Continent
but finds its chief abettor in the places
of inebTiety. There is a drinking-bar
before it, or bar behind it, or a bar
over it, or bar under it, The officer
said to me that night: You see how
they escape legal penalty; they are
licensed to sell liquor" Then ]
thought within myself, the Court
which licenses the sale of Intoxicating
liquors, licenses gaming-hOuses, licenses
libeTtinism, licenses diseases, licenses
:iss..i-' Licensees all crimes. all suffer-
ings, all disasters, ali woes. II is the
Legislatures and Courts who swing
wide open this grinding, roaring,
stupendOus gate of the lost. But you
say YOU have shown us how these
gates swing in to allow entrance for
the doomed. Please tell us how the
gates swing out for the escape of the
penitent. Let me answer: 1t is the
exception when any come out. | think
nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a
Thousand perish. Let that poor soul,
penitent for her wandering, knock at
your door; will yOu let her come in?
VIII you invite her to sit at your
table? Will YOU let her be the gov
erness of your children? Will you in
trOduce her to your acquaintances :?
Will YOU take the responsibility of
pulling on the outside of the gate of
hell while she pushes against the in
side that she may come forth? No,
you will not. You weep over her fate
and write poetry about her doom, but
help her you never will. Perhaps there
are three or four ways of escape for
her. One is the sewing-girls' garnet,
dingy, dark, cold, hunger-blasted. An
other way of escape may be out toward
the East River at midnight, the end of
the city wharf, the moon on the river
looking so smooth she wonders if it is
deep enough. 1t is. No bOatman near
by to hear the plunge, or watchman to
pick her out before she can sink the
third time. Another way of escape
NAV be by way of the curve of the rail-
road, where the conductor of the eX-
press train can't see for more than a
hundred yards an obstacle living across
the track. He NAV blow the whistle
down brakes, but it is too late to dis
appoint the poor child of sorrow. You
say, Are there no other ways of es-
cape? viii not God forgiven" Yes !;
but man will not, Woman will not.
Society will not. The Church saws it
will, but will not. Ny object in this
sermon is prevention, not cure. Stand
ing on these cliffs of death, it is not so
much that ! may induce the one that
has fallen thousand feet down to
crawl up over the rocks, as to warn
those who dance too near the edge
Listen to the voice that comes up from
the far dPDthS.