Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-03-06
INTEMPERANCE.
pR. TALMAGE CALLS 1T THE SEC.
end PLAGUE OF NEW YORK.
WHAT Will Happen to tho Nation IL
the Evil IL Not Suppressed. -Po-
Iiticai Parties and the Churches
Scored for their Indifference.

New YORK, March l, lS9l.-Dr. Tai
mage continued today the series OF ser
mons he commenced last Sunday on the
''Ten Plaques Of New York and Adjacent
second on the list is incompetence. and on
that subject he scoursed this morning IN
the Academy of Music, Brooklyn, and
this evening in New York. Al the close
Of Music, DIR. Talmage went over to the
Union Square Theatre, whore his son, Mr..
Frank Dewitt Talmagc, was holding an
overflow meeting, and br ely addressed
tors sermon was taken from Genesis 0.
2O-2l: Noah planted vineyard; and he
drank OF the wine and was drunken"
Tnis No4h did the best and the worst
thing for the world. He built an ark
against the deluge of water but introduced
a deluge against which the human race has
ever since been trying to build an ark
tho deluge of drunkenness. In my text
we hear his staggering steps. Shem and
Japhet tr ed TO cover up the disgrace, but
there he is drunk on W. ne at a time in the
history OF the world when, TO say the least,
there was no lack of water. lnebration,
hav .ng entered the world, has not re-
treated. Abigail the fair and heroic wife,
who saved the nc, ks of Nabal, her hus-
band, from conhscation by invaders. goes
home at night and finds him so intoxicated
she cannot tell him the story of his mar
row escape. Criah came 10 see David, AMI
David got him drunk. and paved the way
for the despoliation Of a household. Even
the church biz hops needed 10 be charged 10
be sober and not given 10 too much VINE,
and so familiar were people OF Bible
times with the staggering ana falling
motion of the inebriate that Isaiah, when
he comes TO describe the final slocation
OF worlds says THE earth shall reel to
and fro like drunkard.'
Drunkenness is the greatest evil OF this
nation. and il takes no logical process TO
prove 10 this aud .ence that drunken
nation cannot long be free nation. | call
your attention 10 the fact that drunkenness
is not subsiding certainly that it Is not at
n standstill, but that il is on an onward
march, and it is double quick. There is
more rum swallowed in this country. and
OF a worse kind. than was ever swallowed
since the first distillery began its work Of
death. Where there was one drunken
home there are ten drunken homes.
Where there was one drunkard's grave
there are twenty drunka~ds' graves 1t is
on the increase. Talk about crooked
whiskey-by which men mean the whiskey
that does not pay the tax 70 government
tell you all strong drink is crooked.
Crooked Otard, crooke. Cognac, crooked
schnapps, crooked beer, crooked wine,
crooked whiskey-because it makes n
man 8 path crooked. and his life crooked,
and his death crooked, and his eternity
crooked.
call attention 70 the fact that there are
thousands of people born with thirst for
strong drink-a fact too often ignored.
Along some ancestral lines there runs the
river Of temptation. There are children
whose swaddling-clothes are torn of the
shroul Of death. Many a father has made
a will of this sort: In the name of God,
amen. / bequeath TO my children my
houses and lands and estates; share
and share shall they alike. Hereto
1 afilx my hand and seal in the presence oil
witnesses And yet perhaps that very
man has made another will that the people
have never read, and that has not been
writing would read something like this:
"In the name Of disease and appetite and
death. amen. ! bequeath TO my children
my evil habits. my tankards shall be
the rs, my winecup shall be theirs, my
destroyed reputation shall be theirs.
Share and share alike Shall they in the
infamy. Hereto affix my hand and seal
in the presence OF all the applauding
harpies of hell"
II seems 10 me il is about tine for the
II. 900. 900 pro essors of religion in Amer
lea TO take sides. II is going to be an out
and-out battle with drunkenness and
sobriety, between heaven and hell, be-
tween God and the devil. Take sides be-
fore there is any further national de-
cadence. take sides before your sons are
sacrfc cd and the new home Of your
daughter goes down under the alcoholism
OF an embrutcd husband. Take sides
while your voice, your pen. yoar prayer,
your vote may have any influence in ar
resting the despolation Of this nation. If
the II, 900. 900 professors Of religion should
take sides on this subject 1t would not be
very long before the destiny OF this nation
would be decided in the right direction.
Is drunkenness state or national evil?
Does it belong to the north. or does it be-
long 10 the south? Does it belong to the
east, or does it belong 10 the west? Ali
there is not an American river into which
its tears have not fallen. and into which its
su. cides have not plunged. What ruined
that southern plantatIon?-every field a
fortune. the proprietor and his family once
the most alliueut supporters of summer
watering-places. What threw that New
England farm into decay and turned the
roseate cheeks that bloomed at the foot Of
the Green Mountains into the pallor of
despair? What has smitten every street
of every village, town and city of this con-
tinont with q moral pestilence? Strong
drink
Gather up the money that tho working
classes have spent for rum during the last
thirty years, and / will build for every
workingman a house, and lay out for him
a garden and clothe his sons in broadcloth
aud his daughters in silks, and stand at
his front door prancing span Of sorrcls or
bays. and secure him a policy Of life insur-