The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-02-27

! have read that the battle field on which
moro troops met than on any other in the
worlds history was the battle field OF Lslp-
sic, 100000 men under Napoleon, 25o,Ooo
men under Schwarzeberg. No, no. The
greatest and most terrific battle is now os-
ing fought all the world over. 1t Is tne
struggle for food. The ground tone OF tne
finest passage in one OF. the great musicaI
masterpieces, the artist says, was suggested
to him by the CRY of the hungry populace OF
Vienna as the King rode through and they
shouted: BREAD. Give us bread" And all
the great harmonies OF mu-
sical academy and cathedral hear the
pathos. the ground tone the tragedy OF un-
counted mutitudes who with streaming eyes
and wan cheeks and broken hearts in behalf
Of themselves and their families, are pleading
for bread.
Let US take another look around to
see how we may serve our generation.
Let us see as far as possible that they
have enough to wear. God looks on
the human race and knows just how
many inhabitants the world has Inc
statistics of the worlds population are
carefully taken in civilized lands, and every
few years officers of government go through
the land and count how many people there
are in the United States or England and great
accuracy is reached. But when people tell US
Africa, at best it must be wild guess. Yet
Col knows the exact number of people on
our planet and he has made enough apparel
for each, and if there be fifteen hundred MIL
lion, fifteen thousand, fifteen hundred and
fifteen people. then there il enough apparel
for fifteen hundred million, Ateen thousand,
fifteen hundred and fifteen. Not slouch APP
parel, not ragged apparel, not insufficient
apparel. but appropriate apparel Az
least two suits for every being on the
earth, summer suit and a winter
suit A good pair Of shoes for every living
mortal. A good coat a good hat or good
bonnet and a good shawl, and complete
masculine or feminine outfit of apparel. A
wardrobe for all nations adapted to all
clmes, and not string or button, or pin
or hook or an eye wanting. But, alas!
where are the good clothes for three-fourths
of the human race9 The other one
fourth have appropriated them. The fact
is, there needs to be and will be redistri.
button Not by anarchistic violence. II
outlawry had its way, it would rend and
tear and diminish until instead of three
fourths of the world not properly attired,
four -fourths would be in rags. I let you
know how the redistribution will take
place. By generosity on the part of
those who have a surplus and increased in
dustry on the part Of those suffering from
deficit. Not all, but the large majority OF
cases of poverty in this country are result
of idleness or drunkenness, either on the part
Of the present sufferers or their ancestors.
In most cases the rum jug is the mael-
strom that has swallowed down the liveli-
hood OF those who are in rags. But things
will change, and by generosity on the part
Of the crowded wardrobes, and industry
and sobriety on the part Of the empty ward
robes there will be enough for all to wear.
God has done His part toward the dressing
of the human race. He grows sur
plus Of wool on the sleeps back,
and flocks roam the mountains and
valleys with burden OF warmth intended
for transference to human comfort, when the
shuttles of the factories reaching all the way
from the Chattahoochee to the Merrimac
shall have spun and woven it And here come
forth the Rocky Mountain goat and the cash.
mere and the beaver Here are the merino
sheep, their origin traced back to the focks
of Abrahamic and Davidic times. In white let
ters of snowy fleece, God has be n writing for a
years His wish that thsrs might be
warmth for all nations. While others are
discussing the effect of high or low tariff or
no tariff at all on wool, you and had better
see il in our wardrobes we have nothing that
we can spare for the shivering, or pick
out some poor lad Of the street and
take him down to a clothing store and
fit him out for the winter. Don't
think that God has forgotten to send ice and
snow, because of this wonderfully mild Janu-
ary and February. We shall yet have deep
SHOWS and so much frost on the window pane
that in the morning you cannot see through
it: and whole focks Of billiards, for God
long ago declared that winter as we'll as sum-
mer shall not cease, and between this and the
spring crocus we may all have reason to cry
80. b>a cto md ho-
fore this coldr'
Again, let us look around and see how we
NAV serve our generation. What short
sighted mortals we would be if We were
anxious to clothe and fee only the most in.
part of man, namely, his body,
while we put forth no effort to clcthe
and feed and save his soul. Time is
little piece broken off a great eternity
What are we doing for thu souls of
this present generation! Let me say
it is a generation worth saving Most
magnificent men and women are in it. We
make great ado about the improvements in
navigation, and in locomution. and in art
and machinery. We remark what won 1ers
of telegraph, and telephone, and stethoscope.
What Improvement is electric light over
tallow candle! But all these Improvements
are Insignificant compared with tine improve
ment in the human race. In olden times,
once in while, great and good man or
woman would come up AMI the world
has made great fuss about it ever since, but
now they are so numerous we scarcely speak
about them. We put halo about the pso-
pie of the past, bnt think if the times de-
manded them it would be found we have now
living in this year 1889 fifty Martin Luthers,
fifty George WaShingtons, fifty Lady Hunt
ingtons, fifty Elizabeth Frys. During our
civil war more splendid warriors in North and
South were develope in four years than the
whole world Developed in the previous tw"n.
ty wears. I challenge the four thousand
years before the flood and the eighteen cen.
turies after the flood to show me the equal or
charity on large scale OF George Peabody
This generation Of men and women is more
worth saving than any Of the one hundred
and eighty generations that have passed or.
But where shall We begin! With our
selves. That is the pillar from which we
must start Prescott. the blind historian,
tells us how Pizarro saved his army for the
right when they were about deserting him.
With his sword he made long mark on
the ground He said: "My men, on
the north side are desertion and death, on the
south side is victory; Gil the north side rama
ma and poverty. On the south side feru Win
all its riches Choose for yourselves; for my
part l 60 to the south" Stepping across
tno line one ny ohe. lis ,''ooP' ~
lowed and finally his whole army.
The sword OF Coils truth draws the
dividing line to-day. On one side of it are
sin and ruin and death, on the other side are
pardon and usefulness and happiness and
heaven. You cross from the wrong side to
the right side and your family will cross
with you and your friends and your
associates. The way you 60 they will
90. If we are not saved, we will never
save any one else. How to get saved! he
willing to accept Christ. and then accept
Him instantaneously and forever. Get on
the Rock first and then YOU will be able to
hep others upon the same Rock. Men and
women have been saved quicker than have
been talking about it. What. without a
prayer! Yes. What, without time
deliberately to think it over! Yes.