Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-30
THE PRODIGAL son.
Robert j. Burdette Talks to the Young
Men of Sacramento.

men OF sacramento.
1t having been announced that the we'll
known humorist Robert J. Burdette was To
address the young men at the Clunie Or
era House Sunday caused that building to
be packed upstairs and down. The exer-
cises were held under the auspices Of the
Young Mems Christian Association, and
the leading Protestant ministers of the CITY
occupied seats upon the stage An excel
lent choir sang appropriate music. After
prayer, scriptural readings and singing,
Kew. Mr.. Hopper came forward and said it
afforded him great pleasure to introduce to
Sacramento audience an individual who
was as much of Christian gentleman as
he is gifted and talented humorist. :"
Introduce 10 you my old-time friend Rob
ert J. Burdette"
When Mr.. Burdette stepped forward he
was greeted with applause. He is small OF
stature, has keen eye, wears a mustache,
and looks to be several years younger than
he really is. He has a pleasant voice is a
rapid and forcible talker. is never at a loss
for word and keeps his audience laugh
ing most OF the time at his original wit.
He said he liked to
TALK TO YOUNG MEN.
~ hbSn u lOuAiS IudI WHY'S, MS I'M
pulses, his errors and temptations. He
knew the thousand and one temptations
that beset him. | like TO talk to the Young
man about the error of his WAYS, the evil
influences that surround him. A mans
religion is what he feels, hat he believes
and what be does. A man never believes
he is bad. No, no; there are 1OI worse men
than he is in the neighborhood. He ad
mlts that be has been making fool of
himself, but not that he is bad The prod
lgai son OF 1888 is just about the same, not
much worse than the one we read about III
st. Luke. Young men must wake I'D to
the realization of the fact that the world
Don't owe any man a living or dollar.
You are the responsible party; man does
everything wrong himself. You have made
up you mind TO settle down when YOU get
To be about 40. You are now sowing vour
wild oats. Young man. laugh while YOU
are sowing your wild oats, for that is the
last laugh over that crop. You cannot kill
THE WILD OATS,
They resist the blight, the drought. and Won
will have to gather that crop when the
harvest season comes. | am troubled some
with insomnia, and as | lay awake in the
night / try to think if ever did an honor
able, upright or manly act in my life. If |
had l could not think of it, but every
mean act that did in my life comes up
until they form long procession. The
only way to fight them is to never do them.
Young man, don't be like the prodieal,
but stay on the farm. To leave home and
launch out as did the prodigal in history
has attraction in it, has excitement. There
is noise and hustle, there is merriment and
hilarity until the purse becomes exhausted.
He wakes up some morning to find that
the life he has been living is at an end If
ended with his purse. His pocket. book is
gone he has headache and one suit of
clothes; that's his entire assets. There are
many vices worse than intemperance. The
liar is
A BIGGER SINNER
Than drunkard. He deliberately makes
up a lie and before it is told he frames a
half dozen others to support it. Now a
man never intends to get drunk He sets
his mark and says. will not go beyond
that" The trouble with this individual is
that he sets the mark SO far off that he is
blind drunk before he gets there. The
drunkard is not as mean man. is not so
much sinner as the individual who sells
cloth by thirty-five-inch yard measure.
In recommending person for a position
/ once gentleman remarked He has but
one fault" What is it ?" was the query.
He lies, steals and fights" He was
good young man but he tippled, and the
man who drinks does SO at his peril. 1t is
an ignoble vice. How many cities have
beautiful fountains erected on their souai es
| where the cool, sparkling, gurgling water
forever flows laughingly to quench the
thirst of her citizens. On these fountains
are the names of the donors. Water, pure
| water is thus honored the world over. No
man yet has been found TO put I'D a beer
| fountain for the public. No man has fur
| nished a commonwealth with a whisky
| fountain. History don't tell of any deed
| done for either beer or whisky. It is not
SO with tea. Here you have a subject to
warm up on. 1t played an important part
| in the history of our country. Everybody
drinks it now, but at one time
PATRIOT WOULD DIE
Before he would drink it under unjust tax
alton. They fought for their rights and
| they won. Men fight on the streets for
beer and whisky. What do they get? Ten
days. 1t is not easy TO be Christian. Say
| ing you are a Christian don't make YOU
one, ard saying you would like to be saved
| don't save you. You are prodigal son
away from home and you don't like 70 90
back to your fathers house. 1t is easier to
do evil than good. 1t is hard, hard,
thing TO do right. 1t is race and hard
race. 1t is not summer days stroll, it is
pilgrimage. Day after day. year after
yesr. it is constant struggle 1t is not
easy to come back. If you are hungry
come back. The prodigal did not go home
to sfarve. He could not stay in that far-off
iand and reform, he had TO go back home.
! He gathers the
! cEoP OF WILD OATS,
And finds that every kernel sown has pro-
duced. He wss not particular what he
should do when he returned home, he was
penitent, would be a servant and no doubt
from his hungry condition would like to