Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-10-14
Smashing the Human visage."

Smashing the Human yisage."
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 congre-
gate, the low horse jockeys and gamblers,
and the pugilists, and the pickpockets,
and the bloats regurgitated from the
depths Of the worst wards Of these cities.
They invite delegates from universal
loaferdom to come to their carnival Of
knuckles. But do not believe that the
pugilism contracted for and advertised
for next December will take place in our
neighborhood.
A STEP TOO FAR.
Evil sometimes defeats itself by going
one step too far. You may drive the
hoop of barrel down so hard that it
breaks. Twill not believe that the inter-
national prize fight will take place on
Long Island or in the state Of New York
until / see the rowdy rabble rolling
drunk off the cars at Flatbush avenue
and with faces banged and cut and bleed
ing from the imbruting scene. Against
this infraction of the laws of the state Of
New York l lift solemn protest. The
curse of Almighty God will rest upon
any community that consents to such an
outrage. Does any one think 1t cannot
be stopped, and that the constabulary
would be overborne2 Then let Governor
Flower send down there a regiment Of
state militia, and they will clean out the
nuisance in one hour.
Warned by the doom Of other cities
that have persisted for their rufianism,
or their cruelty, or their idolatry, or their
dissoluteness, let all our American cities
lead the right way. Our only dependence
Is on God and Christian influences. Poll
tics will do nothing but make things
worse. Send politics to moralize and
save city, and you send smallpox to
heal leprosy or q carcass to relieve the
air of malodor. For what politics will
do refer you to the eight weeks of stul-
LITIGATION enacted at Washington by our
American senate.
American politics will become re-
formatory power on the same day that
pandemonium becomes q church. But
there are, am glad to say, benign and
salutary and gracious influences organ
lied in all our cities which will yet take
them for God and righteousness. Let
us ply the gospel machinery to its ut
most speed and power. City evangelical
ton is the thought. Accustomed as are
religious pessimists to dwell upon statis-
tics of evil and dolorous facts, we want
some one with sancti6ed heart and good
digestion to put in long line the Stats
tics of natures transformed, and profit
eacies baked, and souls ransomed, and
cities redeemed.
Give us pictures Of churches, of
schools, Of reformatory associations. Of
asylums Of mercy. Break in upon the
"Misereres" of complaint and despond-
ency with "Te Deums' and "Jubilates Of
moral and religious victory. Show that
the day is coming when great tidal wave
of salvation will roll over all our cities.
Show how Pompeii buried will become
Pompeii resurrected. Demonstrate the
fact that there are millions of good men
and women who will give themselves no
rest day nor night until cities that are
now of the type Of the buried cities Of
Italy shall type from the New Jessl5a
salem coming down from God sEout sof;
heaven. hail the advancing morn.
I make the same proclamation today
that Gideon made to the shivering cow
ards of his army whatsoever is fear
full and afraid, let him return and depart
early from Mount Gilead." Close up the
ranks. Lift the gospel standard. For
ward into this Armageddon that Is now
opening and let the word run all along
the line: Brooklyn for God! All our
cities for God7 America for God! The
world for Godl 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 air3 Shall our
last look be upon city halls where JUS
tice reigns, OF 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 I'M
meaning genuhexions? God save the
cities! Righteousness is life; iniquity is
death. Remember picturesque, terraced,
tempted, sculptured, boastful, God de-
flying and entombed Pompcii!