The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-24
New York, FEBRUARY 8, 1891.

IReported for THE PROGRESSIVE FARNERl
NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 8, 1891.
Rev. Thomas Dixon, Jr., pastor of
the Twenty-Third Street Baptist
Church, preceded his sermon on Dead
Preachers" this morning at Associa-
ton Hall, by the following review of
Current Events:
Anthony Comstock lives a charmed
life. That he lives at all is a miracle.
He is perhaps the most thoroughly
hated man in New York. Inever heard
but one man speak kindly of him in
my life. Ihave heard score unthink-
ingly abuse him. l do not know him
personally. I only know him through
the daily record of his work given us
through the press. Scarcely a day
passes that we do not see his name. /
have heard SO many hard things said
of him, SO many bitter curses heaped
upon him. | have learned to love him.
l love him for the enemies he has
made. a nan so thoroughly hated
must be a man of uncommon charac-
ter. Such a man must have a tremen-
dOus personality. He stands for some
thing. He believes something. He
has the courage of his convictions.
Such a man is always a power.
Such a man can lever remain a mere
individvidual. He does not merely
live. He becomes an institution. He
never dies. His personality is the ex-
plosive power that sets in motion a
principle. Principle is eternal. The
movement of principle in human life
links our lives with the eternal. He
may fall tomorrow, but his work is a
part of the movement of the race. /
thank God for him.
A few years ago there was no Society
for the Suppression of Vice. COmstOck
was simply a clerk in a New York mer-
camille establishment. He looked about
him and saw his associates falling by the
wayside with life and character blasted
in the first blush of manhood. He
found the cause to be the unhindered
gambling bells of the city and floods of
vile literature issuing from thousands
of dealers who were giving their ener-
gies to polluting the life of the nation.
He had neither money nor friends, but
he loved his fellow men. He deter
mined that something must be done.
He did not wait for somebody else to do
it. He rolled up his sleeves and went
at it. He met with a storm of abuse
and persecution. But he kept at it. A
few men rallied to his support. He
kept at it. He has fought against fear
full odds. SANDER, persecution, hatred,
abuse, misrepresentation, have been
his daily meals. Crime, vice, greed,
cunning, cruelty, in league with mil
lions of money, handled with the skill
of genius and the daring of the devil,
have been the forces with which he
daily grapples. Into the dens of
thieves, gamblers, cut threats and
nameless Williams, he goes with fearless
tread, carrying his life in his hands.
They have sworn to kill him. They
have tried it more than once. They
say his face shows the terrible burrows
of the assassin's knife. But he has
lived a charmed life. God seems to
have kept it in the hollow of His hand,
as He has kept his heart in peace and
faith. With quiet courage he has
pressed on with the work.
What have been some of the results
of these fifteen yearsO of persistent effort?
In the first place, he has won the re-
spect and confidence of thousands who
at first gave him only hatred and CON
tempt. His word in the court room
has the weight of authority-the au-
thority of truth. The work has been
taken up with great success in Boston,
Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, San
Francisco and other centers. The name
and influence of the Society he founded
is being felt in England, France and
Germany, and substantial efforts have