The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-15
DRUNKENNESS AND PROHIBITION.
A Sermon Preached at Thorntown, by Rev.
S. saMxer-The Cure for Drunkenness.

S. Sawyer--The Cure for Drunkenness.
Text-Prov xiii, 90 So who hath woel Who
hath SORROW! They that terry long at the wine.
Look not thou upon the wine when it is red.
At last it biteh like serpent and stingeth like an
adder"
After an Introductory alluson and exposition
of the words of Solomon, Mr.. Sawyer said:
Most of you are familiar with the vari Gus
efforts put iortn to grdle, regulate restrain or
TO e2tirpate it There was the Washngtonian
movement which brought the principle of total
abstinence from Intoxicating drinks as a beverage
into prominence, and put thousands if not mill
ions on their guard against the destroyer. Re
formed drunkards, urging the sentiment which
had been sounded from many pulpit and many
a Christian home. took the rostrum, told their
own sorrowful experiences and appealed to their
audiences to sign the pledge. But many of these
reformed drunkards who had not been renewed
no experimental knowledge of the grace
Of God, went back to their cups
again, like the dog to his vomit or the sow that
was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Barnes Beecher Kitridge, Justin Edwards, and
such as they, in the pulpit and by the press su-
perntendents and teachers in the Sabbath
school Christian fathers and mothers gave line
upon line, precept upon precept, here little and
there little of wholesome teaching; and mem
bers of the legislatures Of different States
brought forward legal measures to restrict or
exterminate the evil, but the army of drunkards
kept growing in numbers and the burdens the
liquor traffic entailed upon society were heavier
and more and more griev0us to be borne. Dis
tilleries multiplied, saloon-keepers multiplied,
tipplers multiplied, homes were desolated, wives
widowed, children orphaned, and the distressing
cry went up from millions of heartsY Howloug,
O Lord! before complete deliverance from the
curse shall Gomez The woman's crusade against
the monstrous evil carried the case directly to
God and vet there was about it an appearance
of impatient waitng-a disposition now and
then to help along and to hurry up the provi-
denco of God.
THE RIBBON ARMIES.
Then came the Blue Ribbon and the Red Rib
bon armies of men, women and children pledged
to total abstinence. Their numbers swelled to
thousands-from thousands to hundreds OF thou
sands-from hundreds of thousands to millions
and the success of prohibition, as it is termed,
in Maine and Kansas, and Iowa, and in many
towns, and cities and counties of many States,
cheered and encouraged the friends Of TEMPER
ance everywhere. The hope began to be cher
ished that the time was drawing near when the
principle of prohibition, as one method of pro-
lection against the evils of incompetence, would
be submitted to the voters of all the States, to
he passed upon by them at time
when men. freed from party politics or
partisan bias would determine this ques
ton by itself, and upon its own merits,
prompted by the love of home, the welfare of
society and the fear of God Things were tend
ing this way. Every index finger pointed in this
direction, and all the better clements OF all par
ties were hopeful that even in our day we might
hail the dawn Of that promised period when
nothing shall be left to hurt or harm
the heritage Of God-when the power of
alcohol should be broken, that it should no
more bite like serpent and sting like adder.
Crafty politicians like the unjust judge IN the
Scriptures, who feared not God nor regarded
man took in the situation, and, making their
calculations according to their stand point, they
reasoned, and planned, and won. The temperance
feeling was running strong the prohibition wave
seemed rising every hour; many of our best Chris
men and women were praying. and working, and
hoping for the approaching victory-none more
earnest or more sincere than they. But
there appeared in many localities selfish and de-
signing demagogues, like DiotreDhes seeking
pre-eminence, some of them disappointed in
their political aims and ambitions elsewhere,
and thinking possibly new political party could
be formed upon this single ethical basis harry
ND council meetings and county, State and ma
tional conventions, and it is given out that they
are themselves willing to serve their country in
the role in which they have so often been found
before-as candidates for Office Their single
motto is prohibition They are tired waiting
on Providence The Lord moves 700 slow,
entirely too slow to suit these sanguine leaders.
They mark out programme for Him. They are
going to sweep the country. Hundreds OF thou
sands If not millions of voters are expected to
rally around them How much do such selfish
dernagoeues care for any good or great causeY
They advertise themselves as modern Jehus,
driving furiously. They are acting Diotraphes
over again. They are weighed IN the balances
and not approved. Who has faith in the disin-
terestedness Of such men2 One per cent. of the
Prohibitonists may be DETECTED by them for
single campaign, while SO per cent taE0
no stock in them whatever as leaders, be
cause their course seems well calculated to be-