The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-25
Not Too insignificant.
WORLDS GREAT EVIL.
Rev. Dr. Hughes Vigorous Sermon on the
Harm Done by strong Drink.

Rev DR.. Hughes vigorous Sermon on the
Harm Done by Strong Drink.
The auditorium Of the Jackson Street
BAPTIST church was completely filled
last evening" when Rev. d. c. Hughes,
the pastor preached an eloquent and
forcble sermon on Temperance" DR..
Hughes chose as his text, Exodus, XXil,
g. saying. "If fire break out and catch
in thorns so that the stacks of corn, or
the standing corn or the field be con-
sumed Herewith, he that kindled the
fire shall surely make restitution" Dur
ing his remarks the pastor said:
"The fire Of intemperance is kindled
by so many hands that it is hard to To-
cate 1t. our duty tonight will be to
show how 1t destroys homes and lives.
will call your attention to a few facts
about the destructive power of intern
perance and the evils, through drunk
eness, that society, the nation and the
world at large suffers. Why is it that
such an evil should be licensed? Why
Is 1t that 1t should be allowed? A vic
tim Of delirium tremens is type of he'll
on earth. 1t is by the quantity Of alco-
hOl taken that the system Is poisoned,
be freely sold and a government or city
allowed to grant license for its sale?
Everybody knows it Is poisonous, and
! say, as AZ lover OF my country and its
people. that 1t Is an outrage upon So
ciety for men to sell such poisonous
beverages.
Man is not a mere animal organiZa-
ton or n brute. This body OF ours Is
but a convenient machine which God
has given US. But there Is still some
thing which remains. Man may be a
consumptlve and yot be a good Chris
tian. Even that dread disease leaves
the mind of man untouched, and he
may enjoy communion with his God.
Alcohol effects the mind and makes
II defective. 1t Is the devfs potion. It
ruins mind. soul and spirit, and cuts
off all communication between Its vie
tim and heaven, for a drunkard has no
use for anything but that which Is
beastly. our lawyers make a plea for
their client to have license, the recom-
pensc being their fee. A man or wo-
man has a right, as things are now, to
20 into a saloon and drink until they
are drunk, and no policeman has right
to invade the sanctity of that hell.
We know that not only alcohol poisons
the physical system, but also the mind.
There is nothing that the drunkard can
boast of that is good, for he curses
everything that he touches. Just think
OF the misery and sorrow that II drunk
ard can produce In his home. Take, for
instance, the West Side of the city.
where earnings are small yet men who
do not drink, nearly all own their own
homes. That which poisons the indl-
vldual or affects the family also pols-
ons society and degrades it. There Is
not a member of society whose infu-
ences are bad but Injuries those with
whom he comes in contact. The same
with the good side. Every good word
that Is spoken goes vibrating and
reaches to heaven. and the bad goes
down to hell. And so this power that
we call alcohol, and which we take into
the system, blasts and curses every
thing that 1t touches. 1t Is caused by
unholy appetite, and we must remedy
1t. The appetite was formed by oppor-
tunity, and we should take the oppor-
tunity away"
DR. Hughes then read a paper which