Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-11-29
Opium and Tobacco.

Mr.. Talmnge .recsnliy in the Brook
iyn Tabernacle delivered the first Of q
series Of sermOns on the ',Ten Plaques
Of New York and Brooklyn" His text
was from Exodus. IL, IA II will at this
time send all my plaques upon thy
heart, and upon thy servants, and upon
thy people," He said that the first
plague of New York and Brooklyn was
the narcotic. The use of opium, he
said, was increasing at an alarming
rate. In 1851. 100, 900 pounds Of opium
were imported into this country, and
in 1880 the amount had Increased to 523.- :
COO pounds. It is estimated that In 1875
there were 235 0O0 opium consumers in
America, and that now there are at least
500,O It Is not merely Asiatic barba
rians who go down under the drug, but
its victims are found among the most tai.
ented and the most fashionable society
of the country. There are 20, 600 opium
users in Chicago and the same number
In st. Louis. In the same proportion
there are 10000 in New York and
Brooklyn. In some cases chl0ral 10
taking the place Of opium. and 1t is inn
ported into this country In hundreds Of
said Mr.. Talmage. "Let me utter
quaking, flaming, laundering shouts Of
warning against this plague narcotic
The devil of morphia in this country
will become greater than the devil Of
alcohol"
'But there is another narcotic You
know it is inapiring, elevatiug, para
distng nerve raising, dyspepsls breed
ing. health destroying tobacco. shall
not be too personal on this head, because
l know you all use it. Laughter ] 1
kDOw by personal experience its results
l know what it il to be its slave aud
know what it is to be its cOnQuerOr. !
have no expectation of breaking many
of you of the habit, but l hope to in
duce you to save your children from its
evils. Tobacco is good to kill moths,
ticks and vermin Of all kinds, and to
fumigate pestlferous places. God Gre
ated it for good purpose, as he did
other poisops. But the same God gave
us common sense, and we ought to
know how to use the weed. Ali the
medical fraternity warn the community
against its use. It causes seventy diff
ferent kinds of disease. It kills twen>
ty-five per cent. of the physical vigor
of the country. and damaging this gen
GRAFTON, Injuries the next. It tends to
the increased use of intoxicants. There
AI q SluOhcIS WuO w uOS O1Suh, Uut tueI0
are very few drinkers who do not
smoke. Horace Greeley called it q
profane stencil One reason that there
are 60 many victims of the habit is that
go many ministers indulge in it. They
smoke until they get bronchitis and
then ask the dear CONGREGATIONS to pay
their expenses to Europe They smoke
themselves into stupidity. A fine in
scription ON the tOmbstOnes of many
ministers would be, Killed by too much
CaveDdish!' have seen u cuspidOre in
pulpit in which the minister dropped
his cud before saying, Blessed are the
pure In heart! have seen smoking
rooms at ached To the conference hall
have seen the pnisOnOus saliva ON the
| beard of the holy man ami have seen
him locking about for something with
HI anxiety which might be mistak en- for
search for the grace OF God, when ia
isct De was nnif searching for spot
into which TO discharge mcuthful Of
nsstipess. In my own experience 1t
took ten cigars to make one sermon
A minister of Gcd cannot afford to
smoke. The true Gospel of the Lord is
self denial for the good and rescue Of
others.n