The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-07-30
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Again: We will try the power Of the
pledge. There are thousands OF men
who have been saved by putting their
names TO such document know ~
Is laughed at; but there are some men
who, having once promised thing, do
IT. "Some have broken the pledge"
Yes; they were liars. But all men are
not Liars. do not say that II is the
duty Of all persons to make such sigma
ture; but / do say that 1t would be the
salvation Of many Of you. The glorious
work OF Theobald Mathew can never be
estimated. At his hand four millions OF
people took the pledge, and multitudes
in Ireland. England, Scotland and Amer
lea have kept it till this day. The pledge
TO thousands has been the proclamation
Of emancipation.
Again: We expect great things from
inebriate asylums. They have already
done glorious work. think that we
are coming at last to treat inebriation
as 1t ought to be treated, namely, as an
awful disease, self-inhicted, to be sure,
but nevertheless disease. Once fas-
tened upon man, sermons won't cure
him; temperance lectures will not eradi-
cate II; religious tracts will not remove
it, the Gospel of Christ will not arrest
it. Once under the power Of this awful
thirst the man is bound to go on; and, II
the foaming glass were on the other
side Of perdition, he would wade through
the fires Of hell TO get it. A young man
in prison had such strong thirst for In
toxicating liquors that he cut his hand
at the wrist called for bowl Of brandy
in order to stop tie bleeding, thrust his
wrist into the bowl, and then drank the
contents.
Stand not when the thirst is on him,
between man and his cups. Clear the
track for him. Away with the children;
he would tread their life out Away
with the wife; he would dash her TO
death. Away with the cross; he would
run 1t down. Away with the Bible; hei
would tear 1t up for the winds. Away
with Heaven; he considers 1t worthless
as a straw. "Give II to mel Though
the hands Of blood pass up the bowl,
and the soul trembles over the pit--the.
drink give it to mel Though 1t be pale
with tears; though the froth Of ever
lasting anguish floats on the foam-giye
1t TO mel ! drink to my wife's woe, to
my children's rags, TO my eternal ban
ishment from God, and hope, and Heavenl
Give 1t to me! the drink"
Again: We will contend against these
evils by trying to pursuade the respect
able classes Of society to the banishment
OF alcoholic beverages. You who move
In elegant and refined associations; you,
who drink the best liquors; you who
never drink until you lose yoar balance,
let US look each other in the face on
this subject You have, under God, In
your power the redemption Of this land
from drunkenness. Empty your cellars
and wine-closets Of the beverage, and
then come out and give US your hand,
your vote, your prayers, your SYM
pathies Do that, and will promise
three things; First, that you will find
unspeakable happiness In having done
your duty. Secondly, you will probably
save somebody-perhaps your own
child Thirdly, you will not, in your
last hour, have regret that you mede
the sacrifice, II sacrifice II be.
AS long as you make drinking respect
able, drinking customs will prevail, and
the plowshare Of death, drawn by terri
BILE disasters, will 60 on turning up this
whole continent from end to end, with
the long, deep, awful fHrrow Of drunk
ards graves
o, how this rum fiend would like to 90
and hang up skeleton on your beauti-
full house, so that, when you open the
front door to go in, you would sec 1t in
the hall; and, when you sat at your
table you would SEQ 1t hanging from the;
wall; and, when you opened your bed-'
room, you would find 1t stretched upon
your pillow; and, waking at night you
would feel its cold hand passing over
your face and pinching at your heart.
There is no home so beautiful but 1t
may be devastated by the awful curse.
1t throws its jargon into the sweetest
harmony. What was II that silenced
Sheridan, the English orator, and shat
tered the golden scepter with which he
swayed parliaments and courts? What
foul sprite turned the sweet rhythm Of
Robert Burns into tuneless babble?i
What brought down the majestic form
OF one who awed the American Senate
with his eloquence, and after while
carried him home dead drunk? What
was 1t that swamped the noble spirit OF
one OF the heroes Of the late war, until,
In drunken At, he reeled from the
deck OF Q western steamer, and was
drowned2 There vas one whose Yoico
we all loved TO hear. Ho was ono Of the
most classic oratcfs d be c6ptury.
People wondered WHY man q ~ pure
heart and so exoelIent a }{fo should
have such a sad couufentnce RlTays
They knew not that bis vito Wa 4 tot
I call upon those who are gniIfy Of
those indulgencies 70 out tho path Of
death. ohl what q change II would
make in your homei 10 you sce how
every thing there ID being desolnted7
Would not you like 70 bring back joy 70
your wife's heprb and have your chil-
dren como out TO foeet you With as much
confdehce as once they shoEsd2 Would
you mot like 70 rokindie the bome-
lights that long ago xore extinguished2
II Is not too late 10 change. Itmsy not
entirely obliterate from your soul the
memory Of wasted yenrs and ruined
reputation. nor smooth out from your
anxious brow the wrinkles which trouble
has plowed. Itmay not call back un-
kind words uttered, or rough deeds done;