The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-01
Battling for Temperance.

/ believe in moral suaslon Tor the
drunkard; I believe in appealing to the
conscience of the moderate drinker, and
asking him to be a hero. What is
heroism but self-sacrifice? All heroes
are workers for others. Ask the worlds
great men in what their greatness consists
One will tell you: "I make marble
breathe:" another: 81 make canvass
speak" another: 81 sing song that
ages will repeat;" another: II conquer
world" Are these men heroes?
Perhaps. Are they great men? Perhaps;
but listen! Across the Hills of Galilee
is heard the voice of Him who spake as
never man spake. Reverently we ask:
e'Prophet of Nazareth, what is Thy great
ness?' Hear the reply: Il come to
seek and to save that which was lost"
"By what means? 2" "By giving Myself
a sacrifice for them" Competitors for
heroism, fix your eye there, and take
your rank according to the most mag
nifeent standard of heroism that ever
the world knew. Aye, there are heroes
in common life. In one of our sleeping
ears at night there was an old batcbelor,
who was annoyed by the continued crying
of child, and the Intellectual attempts
of the father to..quiet it. Pulling aside
the curtain, and putting out his head, he
said:
"Where is the mother of that child?
Why dosen't she stop this nuisanceF p
The father said very quietly: "The
mother is in the baggage-car in her coffin;
/ am travelling home with the baby.
This is the second night / have been
with the child, and the little child is
wearying for its mother. I am sorry if
its plantive cries disturb any one in this
carr "Bless my souli" said the old
batchelor; "wait minute" The old
man got up and dressed himself, and
compelled the father to lie down and
sleep while he took the babe himself.
That old batchelor, stilling the crying
Of the babe all night was a hero, and the.
man. who for the sake of others, gives
up a lawful qualification in his own
house or in the social circle is as great
hero as though he stood upon the battle
field. It requires some self-denial to be
a teetotaler. 1t costs some men more
moral courage to invite honored guests
to the table and keep the wine away
than it would to march right up to
the cannon's mouth on the field of bat
tle
The other day / had an attack of
neuralgia In the face; it was as if fingers
of fire were feeling for every nerve, and
it was so agonizIng at times that / just
grasped the side of my face with clenehed
hands and cried out. A gentleman said
to me:a Would you take tablespoon
full Of brandy If you knew it would relieve
YOU of that painw I was not long in
saving stNo.S Yon may call that extra
fanaticism, but void not take spoon
full of brandy to save my life. Yuo
may say that is suicide. ! have
another Judge besides you and !
shall stand in His presence. am
ready to give an account on that
question. IF. were.to take glass of
brandy to ease me of pain it would
iniure my influence for good; and man
who willingly does that (which will
iniure his influence for good among his
felIow-men, I hold commits sin. am.
willing to work with all who labor in
any way for the promotion of this cause
Of temperance, but advocate law for
the tempter, and for the tempted
love and sympathy. have been
prohibiti0nist all my life, but / am none
the less 4 moral suasionist. ! rejoice
that we are falling into our rlghtfuI
position. At one time many or most Of
ourtemperance advocate sWere unlearned
and uneducated men. Now We have
DR.. Richardson, Sir Henry Thompson,
and Sir William Gull to fight our med
ieaI battles for Us. We have bishops,
and nobody knows how many can0ns, to