Dodge City times., 1888-04-05
A TEMPERANCE SERMON.

"A IEM L CE SEhMON.
Synopsis of sermon preached by Rev. G. Lowther
at the funeral of Mr. Blakeey. of this city.
'.Where is Able, thy brother: And he answered
/ know not Am my brothers keeper? And the
Lord said What hast thou done: The voice Of
thy brothers blood crieth unto me from the
ground. And thou art caused from the EARTH
| Gen. IV;9 10.
Anything may now say cannot benefit the
| dead. He has gone to a land where the censure or
praise of mortals pass for naught. It is sufficient
if say that like the rest Of us, he had in greater
or less degree, weakness, foibles and faults. God
! grant thath and we may receive pardon TO
| them all. 10 Bot desire by any remarks
make, To probe the wounds death has made in the
aifectiona'e natures IF tile brokeE-hcarfed wife
and fatheriess children
speak for the Ii Ing. tGat'they learn the les
sons that death is teaching and avoid the dangers
consequent upon life in world Of sin
The questions and answers in this text, raise
the question of responsibility for the life and
wel-being of Others
/. Ii will be proper to consider the extent to
which a man is responsible for his own life and
safety. The answer that suggests itself to every
reasoning mind, is that his responsibility is meas
ured by his capacity. 1t was proper for Able to
protect himself against the murderous assaults
of Cain, and he was under oobligaton to do 80
mp to the measure Of his capacity. Beyond this
he not responsible. By the same law, it is
right that we should resist temptations to sin:
that we should .contend manfully against the
forces Of evil that bring death and woe upon us.
Bnt our responsibility ends with our ability, for
god requires nothing impossible. Able was not
40 fo~ -,
Cain; neither is a man culpable on account Of in
herent mental or moral weaknesses that render
him incapable Of resisting Temptation As to the
extent to which this man capable or incapa-
BILE, do not know. 1t is not my province to
know. God alone can tell. But there are men
as defenseless children, and in such casees,
great responsibility attaches to society and to
those who are stronger and place temptation be-
fore them.
II. 1t is right to consider in how far is the mur-
derer responsible. The murderer to whom the
question was put-"Where is Able, thy brother:"
| and who answered-"Am my brothers keeper!''
In how far is he responsible: Answer:-In so far
as he with his own free will, did that which he
knew would cause the death Of his brother. 1t
matters not whether in was in anger malice, am
bition or for personal gain, it was murder.
In Barberous lands highway robbers are by com
mon consent permitted to practice their robberies
for personal gain. But civilization has in many
land disbandeds the robbers and abolished the
profession Later in the worlds history men
were permitted to cruise upon the high seas as
pirates; but a better civilization abolished it.
As late in the history Of England as the reign Of
Queen Elizabeth, Sir Francis Drake was peculiar
ly honored by the court and Queen Of England,
notwithstanding he was pirate. Vast stores OF
wealth are now in chancery in England for the
heirs of Sir Francis Drake in America, and his
wealth was the spoils Of robbery and murder. But
in this afternoon Of the Nth century, civilized
America, Christian Aamerica, provides in its laws
for the protection Of business aye, enters into
partnership receiving part of the profits from a
business that kills every year 10000 Of her sons
and makes every year 100000 widows and or
phans. Here lies before US one of its victims.
and here are the sorrowing widows and children.
Two years ago this man came to Dodge City with
$1,000 in money Now money and life is yielded
up to this business which-thank God-Kansas
no longer protects, but is doing all in her power
to prohibit. But the traffic is murderous, slayinp
by thousands the weak and unfortunate unable
to Withstand its tempting power
LII. How far is society responsibles Answer:
Up to the measure of its ability to prohibit. If
Adam had stood by with stolid indifference as
Able struggled for his life against his stronger
brother, Cain; if he had laughed at Eve as she
tried to save her younger and weaker son from
death, then he becomes accessory to the crime I
charge up of the liquor traffic of this city, that it
has murdered this man, and pauperized his wife
and children. l charge upon those who have
sorry to the crime. They see the work being done
and know the results. Their influence would
make it impossible for the traffic to live. II it
exists, therefore, it exists by your consent. You
are therefore partners in the crime of the muir
der OF this man and nine others killed BY the
Drink traffic In this city within the last two years.