Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-10-20
ton with which He whelmed their intquitous

| tlOn with which He Whelmed their 1n1qultouS
| predecessors.
| It was only a few summers ago that Brook
| iyn and New York felt an earthquake thrOb
| that sent the people affrighted into the
| streets and that suggested that there are forces
| of nature now suppressed or held in check,
which easier than a child in a nursery
| knocks down a row of block houses could
PROSTATE city or engulf continent deeper
| than Pompeii was enguIfed. Our hope is in
| the mercy of the Lord continued to our
American cities.
1t amazes me that this city. which has the
| quietest Sabbaths on the continent and the
| best order ard the highest tone of morals of
| any city that l know OF, is now having
| brought into as near neighborhood as Coney
| Island carnivals of pugilism as debasing as
| any of the gladiatorial interests of Pompeii.
| What a precious crew that Coney Island Ath-
| letic Club is. under whose auspices these
orgies are enacted! What degradation to
| the adjective "athletic," which ordinarily
| suggests health and muscle developed for
| useful purpose? Instead of calling it an
| a thletic club they might better style it THE
| Ruff1an Club For Smashing the Human
Visage."
Vile men are turning that Coney Island,
| which is one of the finest watering places on
| all the Atlantic coast, into place for the
| offscouring of the earth to congregate the
| low horse jockeys and gamblers. and the
| pugilists and the pickpockets, and the bloats
| regurgitated from the depths of the worst
| wards of thes cities. They invite delegates
| from universal loaferdom to come to their
carnival of knuckles. But | do not believe
| that the pugilism contracted for ard adver-
| tised for next December will take place in
| our neighborhood.
Evil sometimes defeats itself by going one
step too far. You may drive the hoop of a
barrel down so hard that it breaks. l will
not believe that the international prize fight
| will take place on Long Island or in the State
of New York until l see the rowdy rabble
rC3ling drunk off the cars at Flatbush avenue
and with faces banged and cut and bleeding
from the imbruting scene. Against this in
fraction of the laws of the State of New York
lift solemn protest The curse of Almighty
God will rest upon any community that con-
sents to such an outrage. Does any ono
thir k it cannot be stopped, and that the con-
stabulary would be overborne? Then let
Governor Flower send down there regiment
of State militia, and they will clean out tho
nuisance in one hour.
Warned by the doom of other cities that
have perished for their ruff ansm, or their
cruelty, or their idolatry, or their dissolute-
ness, let all our American cities lead the right
way. Our only dependence is On God and
Christrian influences. Politics will do moth
ing but make things worse. Send politics to
mOraltze and save city, and you send
smallpox to heal leprosy carcass to re-
lieve the air of malodor. For what politics
will do refer you to the eight weeks of
qualification enacted at Washington by our
American senate.
American politics will become a reforma-
tory power on the same day that p3ndemoni-
um becomes a church. But there are, L am
glad to say, benign and salutary and gra-
cious influences organized in all cities
which will yet take them God and right
eousness. Let US r'y the gospel machinery
to its utmost speed and power. City evan
gelization is the thought. Accustomed rs
are religious pessimlsts to dwell upon statis-
ties Of evil and dolorous facts, we want somo
one with sanctifed heart and good digestion
to put in long line the statistics of natures
transformed, and proEiigacies baked, and
souls ranSOmed, and cities redeemed.
Give US pictures of churches, of schools,
of retOrmatOry associations, of asylums of
mercy. Break in upon the 'Msereres" of
complaint and dependency with ''Te
Deums'' and 'Jubilates of moral and re-
ligious victory" Show that the day is COM
ing when great tidal wave of salvation will
roll over all our cities. Show how POmpeii
buried will become :'ompeii resurrected.
Demonstrate the fact that there are millions
of good men AMI women who wilt give
themselves no rest day nor night until cities
that are now of the type of the buried cities
of Italy shall take type from tho New
Jerusalem coming down from Goi ont of
heaven. [ hal the advancing morn.
make the same proclamation to-day that
Gideon made to the shiverng towards of his
army. ''Whosoever is fearful AMI afraid. let
him return and depart early from Mount
Gilead." Close up the ranks. Lift the gos-
pei standard. Forward into this Armaged
don that is now opening and let the word
run all along the line Brooklyn for God
All our cities for God! America for God
The world for God The most Of us here
gathered, though born in the country, will
die in town.
Shall our last walk be through streets
where sobriety and good order dominate, or
grogshops stencil the air? Shall our last
look be upon city halls where justice reigns,
or demagogues plot for the stuffing of ballot
boxes? Shall we sit for the last time in some
church where God is wOrshiped with the
contrite heart or where cold Journalism goes
through unmeaning genufleXions? God save
the cities Righteousness is life iniquity is
DEATH Remember picturesque, terraced,
templel sculptured, boasttul, God defying
and entombed Pompeiil