The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-03-02

wooden image was carried through the
| streets, and theatrical entertainments
Bacehantes clad in faun skins, with stream.
ing hair, frenzied with drink and excite
ment, danced and sang songs in honor oil
the god. These orgies were held at night,
under flaming torches and with the widest
enthusiasm. In the early days Of Greece
these Bacchic rites were simple and rude
III form, and women only were initiated in
to their mysteries. Later on men were
admitted also. In her palmy days they
degenerated into the most unnatural
excuses, and became characterized by a
RIGHTEOUSNESS and immortality that threat
ened the destruction of the state Greece
and Rome finally attempted, by edicts, the
suppression Of the Baechanalia. The early
poets and artists represented Bacchns as
handsome youth, crowned with ivy and
wine leaves and holding wine glass in his
hands. The later artists, in order to heap
contempt upon his worshippers, represented
him as an ''old bloat'' with red eyes sur
rounded by a retinne of Satyrs and
Baeeb9, and followed by old Silenus on
an ass. The hog and the goat, low types
of habit and taste, were sacred to him.
The worship of BacchGs extended into
Egypt and throughout Asia Athen@ns
the historian, has left as graphic descrip-
ton OF festival held in honor Of Baecbns
on the day Ptolemy PhiIadelphus ascend
ed to the throne of the PharoaIls. which.
for costly display, exceeded any demon
stration of ancient or modern times. The
abom nations OF the Baeehie rites are, to
this day, practiced at the temple Of Jug
gernaut in Hindostan. The Hindoos honor
the god with two festivals year. At the
one called the ear-festiyal a frightful i'm
age of the god, painted black, and with
gaping, red mouth, is brought out Of the
temple in gorgeous array and placed on a
stupendous car on low wheels The car is
drawn by worshippers, attended with flags
and banners and accompanied by the sound
Of musical instruments and the shouts of
the multitude. Vile and indecent figures
are painted all over the car Worship is
rendered by singing obscene songs and by
lascivious actions, to please the god they
say, and cause him to move along
We pity the benighted condition of the
nations Of old, burdened with polytheism
and governed by an exacting and profligate
priesthood We sbudder at tie thought
of condition Of society in which vice was
deified aud chastity almost unknown. We
boast Of our higher civilization ard rejoice
in the knowledge Of the true God We
extol the Christian religion that incnleates
virtue aud throws around woman its pro-
teeting shield We abhoF the old poly
thcism, Hith its low forms of worship, its
qualification Of appetite and passion, aud
its sacrifice Of female virtue. And yet, as
a nation, We are polytheistic We worship
a multitude Of gods. While We contrib
ute annually twelve millions Of dollars to
the support Of an evangelical ministry, and
five millions FIVE hundred thousand dol
lars to home and foreign missions, nine
hlEttfeu ubilATS Is our titfIHR
Baechns through The medium of strong
drink We build him shrines under the
shadow of our church spires, and by our
license system create for him a legalized
priesthood His yotaries are Oh all our
streets and in all our avenues Of trade.
They sit in our legislative halls, manipn-
late Affairs of state aud Bacehus governs
the nation. BaecIiantes hold carnival with
wine AID song, and their nightly orgies are
as near approach to the ancient Bacchan-
ALA as the law of the land allows Baby
Ion Of old paid homage to the god Of wine,
aud read her doom in the Handwriting on
the walln Imperial Rome sacrificed to
Bacchas physical stamina and moral eour-
age and WAS trodden down Of northern
hoIdes. Nine hundred millions of dollars,
wrung from the hand Of toll, is the offer
ing We bring, and We have anarchy and
general discomfort God sits upon the
circle Of the earth, and God is mightier
than Bacchus.