The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-06-06

and the stock should double ever
e four years, the amount would be s.
400. And if the stock double ever
: three years, as it sometimes does, tn
Q cash value in ten years will be nearl
9 1900. A snug little sum, my friend
to save in ten years, by simply goin'
/. without strong drink.
t End of prelude.
q THE ADDRESS.
> TExr-1st Corinthians 10: @. Gan things ar
! lawful for me, but all things are not expedient.
1t is evident Paul does not use tn,
word "ail things" in any absolutel.
general sense. It must he limited by
the word ''lawful." All lawful thing,
I have a right to do. But som,
things, though 1 may have a perfec
right to do them, the laws of NAL
and the laws of God affording ms
full license-yet may not be expedi'
ent. For instance, the eating o.
meat that has been offered in sacrifice
to an idol. An idol Is nothing and
the fact that meat has been offered to
an idol, does not affect that meat a
particle. It's Gods gift to us, to be
received with thanksgiving. But il
a superstitious man sits by your side,
says Paul, filled with the idea that
the meat thus offered has become
sacred, and that you by eating it, do
thereby become a partaker of the idol
worship, then you should refrain
from eating. Why? Not because it
will harm you but because it will
harm him: it will wound his weak
conscience and lead him estray.
Friends, we are not hermits. We
don't want 10 be. We are surround
ed by other men, otter individuals,
each one of whom has personal
rights, the same as ours, and as
sacred to him as a r to us. And no
mans individual rights can be so in
terpreted as to give him license to
overrun and trample under foot
another's individual rights. The
scale Of right in the complicated web
| of society, has to be so adjusted as to
meet and harmonic the rights of
every individual member of that So
ciety. And hence an act that might
in itself be considered entirely lawful
and appropriate, yet when considered
in its relation to others may become
q crime-a high crime: We all have
an appetite for good victuals-a very
innocent appetite-but to indulge
that appetite at the expense of a
neighbours larder without his con-
sent, would be adjudged a crime.
A large bonfire affords immense
sport to some boys; innocent sport,
and may be ever useful, if the ma
terials used are worthless truck you
wish to get rid of. But if to indulge
that appetite for fun fire is set to a
neighbours barn or wood pile, the in
diligence becomes a crime.
We send men to Congress. They
have the same natural right any of
us have to fritter away their time in
self-indulgence or in money-making
schemes. But as Senators, repre-
sentatives of a mighty nation, have
they any such right? Holding the
interests OF many millions in their
hands, their very position requires
that their individual selfish interests
shall be held in allegiance to the
higher demands of the multitude.
You place u man in charge ola vessel
as its pilot, and that man has as good
= right to sleep as any other man
living. But has he a right to sleep |
while stationed at the wheel? The
engineer of a passenger train has as
good a right naturally to play check
ers by the hour as any other man.
But has he any such right while the |
lives of the hundreds in that train |
are entrusted to him? A thousand
such illustrations might be presented,
all pointing n way. When indi-
Yidual rights come in collision with
more valued and important rights of
others, they cease to be rights. Their
indulgence 10 a crime. The lesser
must always yield to the greater.
Now I wish to apply this rule to the
settlement ola very practical and im-
question:
A MAN A RIGHT TO DRINK
wHISKEY?
A right usually taken for granted,
In the affirmative without
question. But with the above rule
before US, 1 shall be obliged to call in
question said right. If whisky
drinking is found to come into COLI
sion with valued and important
or interests of others, then such
is a crime, and not = per-
sonal right If you are a married man,
your wife objects and has a perfect
to object to your drinking,
When you assumed the position OF a
husband, you formed a partnership,
over your individual rights
to the tirG. And you have no right
by the terms Of that compact to pur-
sue any course in life that is opposed
to her individual interests or vested
in you. For instance, the
you earn by hard work,
doesn't belong to you; it belongs to
the firm. If she is a true "help
she earns her share of it by
her loving care of you and your
children. And you have no more
right to spend that money than che
has. You are therefore committing
act of robbery to throw that
away, while she may be suf-
for want of it. If she is not
suffering now, if you plentifully pro-
vide for present wants, you may not
be able to do so--probably
will not if you continue drinking.
And hence she has a right to demand
hat your surplus money shall lie
aid by for some future contingency,
instead of being spent in the in
iulgence of an appetite taat will
probably grow until it devours all. F;
The fact is, without her full and !
consent to such a use of i.
money, you are committing a crime ,
her, thus to deprive her of it.
With no adequate return. And that 4,
he endures the wrong so uncem- /,
only makes the act more F,
'arbarous and hideous Oh your part. :
But the financial consideration is ,
My a small part of her objection to !
our drinking whiskey. When you :
into that solemn life long :
compact you put into it, not only 8
our property, you put yourself il as :
'ou then were-when you had man. q
leod and nobility of character, when =
intellect was keen, and the moral g
haracter good; when your plans and :
prospects for the future were bright .
nd promising. You put into that +
ompact a manly heart full of noble =
esolves, aud full too of purest love !
nd alteration for her, which was :,
vorth more to her than place or posi- T I
or wealth. These are some =