Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-09-10
A Parsons View OF the Filthy Weed.

Mn. EDIToR:-Yuu request me to write
something OF religious type for your pa
per, but the question comes up: how cana
man write on religious subjects when the
pulpit, press, and the very air he breathes
are teeming with politics, and the writer
drinks in the same spirit and takes to poll
ties Ms naturally as ducks TO water? Then
| am Of that temperament as | go by the
wav, OF walk the streets, | am inclined to
look at the dirk side of the picture CON
seauently, il | write or speak | am con
stantly stirring up strife. There is nn old
proverb, that Our best friends are those
that tell us OF our faults, aud teach us how
to correct them" But that prOverb must
now be obsolete. The grea, effort of wr'-
ters and speakers as a rule, seems to be to
keep within the bounds of what the people
luant to hear.
As pass along our streets aud drop in.
into different business places, und see What
| am forced to see, | often query in my own
mind Are we even civilized let alone
an enlightened people? As | walk the
streets, | see old men, middle-aged men,
young men and even little boys that seem
| TO be on fire, and this one religious thought
will enter my mind: "The smoke of their
torment ascendeth up forever and ever"
Step into their business places, and you
may see the proprietor, II prole-sed Chris
iian man, with Il cigar in his mouth and
selling cigars to little bits of boys whose
| heads are hardly above the tops Of the
| counter, Pass to the stove and look around
and Won will see that all language fails to
picture the filth you can behold, especially
| il YOU can endure the sight of the thing
called the spihoon. When compelled to see
suck sights, one question will come INTO my
mind, How can any lady love a being so
filthy, who chews and spils, front and rear,
mn and down, and besmears their own raj.
! ment, and almost every thing with which
thew come in contact?" Ask man what
he thinks OF the habit OF chewing and
smoking, aud the response is almost uni.
versal: 80, il IL nasty filthy, habit, but
have got into il, and can't quitl" Such
an excuse comes from multitude of men
protesting the holy and pure religion OF
Jesus. Follow them TO the house OF God,
and YOU may see them praying, begging,
and entreating sinners TO repent, iolsake
their sins and turn TO God, with tears in
their ewes. And by the way OF encourage
ment for them, YOU will hear them quote
" can do all things through Christ which
strengthen me-" l}nt, can't quit chew
ing aud smoking tobacco" " know my
bible tells me =" / am the temple of the
living God" that "ii any man dehle the
temple of God, him shall God destroy
" But, habit has such power over me az
deiling, nasty rs il is, cannot quit my to.
bacco" "rhis kind eomelh not out bul
by prayer and fasting"
Now, Mr.. Editor, il you are pTesumpti'
ous enongh TO ruin your paper in the start
by publishing this, don, let "Aunt Lydia
know who wrote il, for shall surely bring
The ssverest kind Of a "ourtain lecture
upon my poor weary old gray head abou
eyerlastmgly stirring up strife, and no
mipding my own business and letting othe
peoples alone" Don't tell any OF thes'
good whole-soaed fellows who enjoy smOk
ing aud chewing so much, who wrote it, fol
believe them to be my friends, and