The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-06-12
The Law of Influence.

There is a picture by great artist of a
striking scene among the Alps. A guide
has led a party of three tourists up an Al
pine summit. In order for better protcc-
ton against accident rope is tied around
the waist of the guide, and also around
each one Of the travellers. The picture re-
veals the result of some mishap which has
caused the last man in the line to lose his
footing. and this sudden jerk has taken the
next man off his feet and, his weight add
ed, still the next, and the guide to save
himself. and them, has thrown his arms
around great rock, but the cord by which
the others were fastened to him has snap
ped asunder at his back. and they are
falling over the precipice to certain death
The cord was strong enough to lead them
into danger but at last. when the guide
was safe with his arms about the immova-
BILE rock, it snapped asuuder. That pic
turc, although very impressive in itself,
never acquired its full power over my mind
until saw it realized in actual life Some
years ago was visited by an old man who
had travelled nearly two hundred miles to
interest me in the welfare of his son. He
was a saloon keeper in the county where |
lived and the old white haired father came
to implorc my aid in retaining his son
from his iniquitous business. This venera-
BILE man told me the story Of his life He
had been pioneer on the northwest coast.
When he first settled in one of our frontier
towns his three boys were but children.
lie had been careless in those early days
about his morals, and although he had
never been drunkard or regarded as
dissipated man. he had drunk moderately
and permitted the use of liquor about his
home. His boys had acquired in their
childhood 4 taste for intoxicants. After
a while in his middle age the father had
thoroughly reformed and for a quarter of
a century before my meeting with him had
lived most pure and loly life. But the
deadly poison had entered into the life
blood of his boys, and the bitter tears
coursed down the old mans wrinkled
cheeks as he told me that notwithstanding
every exerton he had been able to make
TO counteract those early influences, two Of
his boys were saloon keepers, and all of
them were gamblers and drunkards. AS
looked upon his trembling form and lis
tened to his sad story, ! saw again the AL
pine picture. Here was the guide before
me. He had led his three boys by the cord
of his influence in the path of danger.
At last he had thrown his own arms about
the great Rock of Ages and was safe.
But the cord of his influence had snapped
asunder and his boys were falling to Ger
tain ruin.
The most dangerous citadel of the rum
traffic is not in the lowest and vilest dens
where only the vicious and criminal classes
congregate; it is rather in the closets and
on the tables of respectable people. The
fallacy of moderate drinking with all its
train of dangerous and deadly influences
must be routed before we can hope to
achieve fiual success. Respectable, and
even religious people, who are upholding
by precept and example the moderate use
of intoxi eating liquors are the most power
full enemies the temperance reformation
has to contend with. No human tongue
can tell: no record but Gods can compute
the untold injury which is being done to
humanity by the wine-drinking preachers
and church-members of this age. May
God have mercy ON them and may their
race soon die out Res. Louis 4. Bahks.