Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-02

saloons of this country side by side, and il is
carefully estimated that they would reach from
New York to Chicago.
This evil is pouring its vitriolic and damnable
liquors down the throats of hundreds OF thou
sands of laborers, and while the ordinary
strikes are ruinons both to EMPLOYERS and EN-
ployees, proclaim a universal strike against
strong drink, which strike, If Kept up, VIII Dc
the relief of the working classes and the saliva
tion of the nation. will undertake TO say that
there is not healthy laborer in the United
States who, within the next 20 years, II he Will
refuse all intoxicating beverages and be saw
ing: may not become capitalist on small
scale.
Oh, how many are waiting to see II something
cannot be done for the stopping of intemper-
ance. Thousands of drunkards waiting who
cannot go ten minutes in any direction without
having the temptation glarinC before their eyes
or appealing to their nostrils they fighting
against it with enfee bled will and diseased ap-
petite, conQuering, then surrendering, con-
querlng again and snrrendering again, anu
crying: How long. oh! Lord, how long before
these infamous solicitations shall be gone"
And how many mothers are waiting to see II
this national curse cannot lift. Oh, is that the
boy who had the honest breath who comes
home with breath vitIated OF disguised? What
ch ange! How quickly those habits OF early
coming homo have been exchanged for the rat
tlng of the night key in the door long after the
last watchman has gone by and tried 10 see
that everything was closed up for the night
Duty of the Churches.
to-day stand side by side with an Impotent
look. gazing on this evil, which costs this coun-
try more than 81, 900. .0O00Oe a year to take care
of the 500 600 paupers. and the 3l50OO criminals,
and the 10000 idiots, and to bury the 1000
drunkards. Protagoras boasted that out of
the 60 wears of his life 40 years he had spent in
running youth; but this evil may make the more
infamous boast that all its life it has been ruin
ing the bodies minds and souls of the human
race.
Put on your spectacles and take a candle,
and examine the platforms of the two leading
political parties of this country and see what
they are doing for the arrest of this evil and
for the overthrow of this abomination. Reso-
lutlons-oh! yes. resolutions about Mormonism!
1t is safe to attack that organized nastiness
two thousand miles away. But not one resolu-
ton against drunkenness, which would turn
this entire nation into one bestial Salt Lake
City. Resolutions against political corruption,
but not one word about drunkenness. which
would rot this nation from. scalp to heel Reso-
lutions about protection against competition
wi h foreign industries but not one word about
protection of family and church and nation
against the scalding. blasting, all-consuming
damning tariff of strong drink put upon every
financial. individual, spiritual, moral national
interest.
look in another direction. The Church of
God is the Grandest and most glorious institu-
ton on earth. What has 1t in solid phalanX
accomplished for the overthrow of drunken
ness? Have its forces ever been marshaled?
No. not in this direction. Not long ago q great |
ecclesiastical court assembled in New York |
and resolutions arraigning strong drink were |
offered, and clergvmen with strong drink on
their tables and strong drink in their cellars de-
feated the resolutions by threatening speeches. |
They could not bear to give up their own lusts. |
l tell this audience what many of you may never /
nave thought OF, that to-day-not in the millen- |
mum, but to-day-the Church holds the balance |
Of power in America: and il Christian people |
the men and the women who profess to love the |
Lord Jesus Christ and to love purity and to be |
the sworn enemies of all uncleanness and de- |
and sniff all such would march side |
by side and shoulder shoulder this evil |
would soon be overthrown. Thi K OF three |
hundred thousand churches and Sunday schools
in Christendom marching shoulder to shoulder! |
how very short time it would take them to
put down this evil, if all the churches of God, |
and cisatlantic, were armed on
this subject!