Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-08-21

HELENA, N. T., August II The Rev;
here to-day to a vast congregation.
Taking for his text, "Who Slew All
These? II. King x, 10, he preached a
powerful discourse on drunkenness the
Nations Curse He said:
I see a long row of baskets coming up
toward the palace of King Jehu. l am
somewhat inquisitive to find out what is in
the baskets. l look in and l fiod the CORY
heads of seventy slain princes. AS the
baskets arrive at the gate of the palace the
heads are thrown into two heaps, one on
either side of the gate. In the morning the
King comes out and he looks upon the
bleeding, ghastly heads of the massacred
princes. Looking on either side the gate,
he cries out, with a ringing emphasis,
"Who slew all theseT'
We have, my friends, lived to see more
fearful massacre, There is no use Of my
taking your time in trying to give you sta
tistics about the devastation and ruin and
the death which strong drink has wrought
in this country. Statistics do not seem to
mean anything. We are SO hardened under
these statistics that the fact that fifty thou
sand more men are slain, or fifty thousand
less men are slain, seems to mako no posi-
tive impression on the public mind. Suffice
it to say, that intemperance has slain an in
Vulnerable company of princes-the chill
dren of Gods royal family; and at the gate
of every neighborhood there are two heaps
of the slain; and at the door of the house
hold there are two heaps of the slain; and
at the door of the legislative hall there are
two heaps of the slain; and at the door OF
the university there are two heaps of the
slain; and at the gate of this nation, there
are two heaps of the slain. When l look
upon the desolation l am almost frantic
with the scene, while l cry out, "Who slew
all these ?" l can answer that question in
half minute. The ministers of Christ who
have given no warning, the courts of law
that have offered the licensure, the women
who give strong drink on New ears Day,
the fathers and mothers who have rum on
the sideboard, the hundreds of thousands Of
Christian men and women in the land who
are stolid in their Indifference on this sub.
ject-they slew all these?"
l propose in this discourse to tell you
what think are the sorrows and the doom
of the drunkard, so that you to whom
speak may not come to the terment.
Some one says: "You had better let those
subjects alone.' Why, my brethren, we
would be glad to let them alone if they
would let us alone; but when l have in my
pocket now four requests saying, "Pray fol
my husband, pray for my son, pray for my
brother, pray for my friend, who is the cap
tive of strong drink" lreply, we are ready
to let that question alone when it is willing
to let us alone; but when it stands blocking
up the way to heaven, and keeping multi
tudes away from Christ and heaven, dare
not be silent, lest the Lord require theil
blood at my hands.
think the subject has been kept back
very much by the merriment people make
over those slain by strong drink. | used tt
be very merry over these things, having {
keen sense OF the ludicrous. There was
something very grotesque in the gat of
drunkard. 1t Is not SO now; for saw il
one of the streets of Philadelphia sigh
that changed the whole subje t to me
There was young man being led home
He was very much intoxicated-he wa
raving with intoxication. Two young mel
we're leading him along. The boys hootet
in the street, men laughed, women sneered
but happened to be very near the doc
when he went init was the door of hi
fathers house l saw him go up stairs.
hea1d him shouting, hootiug and biasphem
ing, He had lost his hat, and the merri
ment increased with the mob until he cam
up to the door, and as the door was opene,
his mother came out. When l heard he
cry that took all the comedy away from tn
scene. Since that time when see maj
walking through the street reeling, tn
comedy is all gone, and it is tragedy 9
tears and groans and heartbreaks. Neve
make any fun around me about the grotes
uneness of drunkard. Alas for his home
The first suffering of the drunkard is
the loss of his good name. God has SO al
ranged it that no man ever loses his goo
name except through bis own act. All tn
hatred of men and all the assaults OF devil
cannot destroy mans good name, If b