Smyrna times., 1878-05-15

broken, diseased, death.stricken forms
OF prostrate men, as they lie along the
PAIN OF lie give fearful admOnition tho
cold, dark, yawning graves, into which
men are cast, alter they have cursed them
selves and all around them, bid the ivinp.
GcsrUc n Hr dr1n.karFs doon. Take a case
Wlthln your own limts-one who has
tampered with the accurspd stuff and has
! nceh ruined. GOu knew him, pprbaps.
when no shade Of crime, passed over his
| nlahly couhteh"hcc; when he walked with
h@an erect ana braveu manfully, the storms
OF llte; when life flashed from his eve and
| Vlgor was III his step. Again, YOU have seer,
that form bend, but not with age: vou have
seen that step ialter, but not through fear
! you have seen that once noble form reolin,
10 and fro, to lie at last, bcsotted bv the yy.,,.
sac. on have seen everything that was
/ then, noble and beautiful, spoiled bv thn
destroyer:-and the temple of his immortal
! soul laid in ruins
Nor Will the young people Of to-day.
escape tins fearful destruction, if thcy
Should dare to enter any Of the fatal
avenues winch leads to the drunkard's
| doom. Let me persuade you then. if Won
nave not committed yourself to the cause
oi temperance and pledged yourself IN
s.
Some tell us that . Moral Suasion'; !. tba
weapon by which this evil is to be over.
thrown. Moral Suasion" has accom-.
phshed great goOd-it has created a senti.
iheht IN favor Of temperance which fills
this hail, Sabbath after sabbath with earn.
est listeners; 1t contributes its influence to
such degree that at your last election in
smyrna, the majority was cast on the side
OF law and order. While all of this MAJ,
oe accorded to the influence of Moral
Huaslon, there are two reasons which
operate against its ultimate triumpb-frst
legal enactment, protecting and authorjzino
the traffic; second, the insatiate thirst nf
the victim for the stimulant. What in.
Huence can " Moral Suasion" have mon
the liquor seller? He meets vour ai.a,,.
ments by saying, that his business is legally
authorized, the paying Of his money
lhlo the treasury entities him to protection.
ana any business that an enlightened leri s
lature, assembled to make laws for The
people, authorizes and protects, must b,
I!!Sht. what influence can Moral Sua.
SION nave upon such Il man, with such
"uth"rity' and with such protection? 1t is
powcrless
Look at the inebriate with a thirst for
alcohollc drinks that is consuming, what
effect have arguments and appeals mon
nm? lie Is ready to sacrifice GamAcaI. So
he can have his raging thirst satisfied For
these reasons, 1t seems to me, Moral Sua.
sion cannot accomplish all that we want
we need legal enacment, sustained by
heaIthy moral sentiment. | know that
lhere mas been legislation on the subject.
ana efforts have been made to regulate the
evils (that Is man must prove a GOOD
character, pay for Il license, aud then he sis
at liberty, yea authorized to increase taye..
nil the almshouses Of the land wit
paupers, the Jail with conyicts)-,rkqt0 E,,ceI
One OF the principles of Just legislation is
not to rfyalatf or c5atrol evil but to r,,ao.g i
W hat would be thought of government
that should seek to regulate murder. arson
burglary or theft, by law? Or what kind
OF government would license murder or
robbery, under 01y circumstances Such n
government and such laws would be re
garded as destitute of feeling for the
welfare OF Its subjects, but would it be
more so, than that species of legislation
winch authorizes men, right in the face of
the moral law and Of good government. to
lniilct injuries upon their fellows, such as
time can never heal ?
nat tGod ; laws pronounce wrong. human
leglslahon can never make right
P'"' ~ oc EallSb DY temperance
workers Is the creation of such a public
sentiment, as will demand and sustain
legal prohibition.
call on all whom now address to exert
their influence in this cause. We look to
the aged whose heads are frosted with
many winters, to those in middle life for
cooperation and support; to the Young full
OF energy and life, for stern, solid work
to christians the land over. TO the pulpit.
speaking in tones solemn. earnest and con.
slant. The watchmen should see eve to
eye and SO give no uncertain sound.
VI every officer and member of the !
church, It should be known where he can
be found.
We want no vacillating, no coldness:
no shrinking away, but let every church be |
indeed temperance organization. under |
the banner and leadership of Christ. the |
friend and model of purity.