Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-03-13

live with no consolation, ana tney ule
with no hope. No star Of peace points
down to the manger in which they are
born, and no prayer is uttered over the
grave into which they sink. Then there
is alcoholism, its piled up demijohDs
and beer barrels and hogsheads Of fiery
death, barricade high and long as the
Alleghanies and Rockies and Sierra Ne
yadas, pouring forth day and night their
ammunition of wretchedness and woe.
When German wants to take drink,
he takes beer. When an Englishman
wants to take a drink, he takes ale.
When a Scotchman wants to take
drink, he takes whisky. But when an
American wants to take drink he takes
anything he can lay his hands on.
Foes to BE Overcome.
Plenty Of statistics TO tell how much
money is spent in this country for rum,
and how many drunkards die. But who
will give US the statistics Of how many
hearts are crushed under the heel Of this
worst demon Of the centuries! How
many hopes blasted: How many chill
dren turned out on the world accursed
with the stigma Of a 'balched ances-
try? Until the We y c. ,hs distillery
becomes the IT. me, --dies and the
smoke Of !. Il me yats becomes
the SIR . ment that ascendeth
upf 'er Alcoholism swear
/ - hand uplifted toward
h, Ell o. IN that direction it can
&c. 0 help. Int with right hand stretch
d uown toward the perdition from
which it came up-swearing that it
will not cease as long as there are any
homesteads to despoil, any magnificent
men and women to destroy, any immor-
tai souls to damn, any more nations TO
balk, any more civilizations to extin-
guish.
Then there is what in America we
call socialism, in France communism
and in Russia nihilsm, the three
names for one and the same thing, and
having but two doctrines in its creed.
First, there is no God; second, there
shall be no rights Of property. One OF
their chief journals printed this sentl-
ment: Dynamite can be made out Of
the dead bodies Of capitalists as well as
out of hogs. ." One Of the leaders Of COM
munism left inscribed On his prison
wall where he had been justly incar-
cerated, these words: "When once you
are dead, there is an end Of everything.
Therefore, ye scoundrels, grab whatever
you can-only don't let yourselves be
grabbed. Amen" There are in this
country hundreds Of thousands Of these
lazy scoundrels. Honest men deplore
it when they cannot get work, but those
of whom speak will not do work when
they can get it. tried to employ one
who asked me for money. l said,
"Down in my cellar 1 have some wood
to saw, and 1 will pay you for it. D." For
a little while heard the saw going, and
then heard it no more. l went down
stairs and found the wood, but the
workman had disappeared, taking for
company both buck and saw.
Socialism, communism and nihillsm
mean, "Too wicked to acknowledge God
and too lazy to earn a living" and
among the mightiest obstacles TO be over
come are those organized elements OF
domestic, social and political ruin.
Myriads of Battlements.
There also are the Businesses Of inf
delity and atheism and fraud and politi-
cal corruption and multiform, hydra
headed, million armed denominations all
over the land. While the mightiest
agencies for Righteousness on earth are
4 good and healthful newspapers and good
and hcalthful books and our chief de-
pendence for intelligence and Christian
achievement is upon them, what word
among the more than 100, 900 words in
our vocabulary can describe the work OF
I that archangel of mischief, corrupt
! literature? What man, attempting any
thing for God and humanity, has escaped
q stroke of its filthy wingg What good
cause has escaped its hinderment! What
other obstacle in all the land so appal-
ling? But | cannot name more than one
half the battlements, the bastions, the
I intrenchments, the redoubts, the fortifi-
cations to be stormed and overcome II this
country is ever taken for God. The sta
tistics are SO awful that if we had moth
ing but the multiplication table and the
arithmetic the attempt to evangelize
America would be an absurdity higher
than the tower Of Babel before 1t drop
ned on the plain Of Shinar. Where are
the drilled troops to march against those
Notifications as long as the continent'
Where are the batteries that can be I'M
limbered against these walls! Where
are the guns Of large enough cali6er 10
storm these gatesg Well, let us look
around and see, tho first Of all, who IS
our leader and will be our leader until
the work is done. Garibaldi, with l,OOO
Italians. could do more than another
commander with 10, 600 Italians. Gen.
aral Sherman. ON one side, and Stone
wall Jackson, on the other, each with
10 600 troops, could do more than some
other generals with 90, 600 troops. The
rough boat in which Washington crossed
the lev Delaware with few half frozen
troops was mightier than the ship OF
war that during the American Revolu-
tion came through the Narrows, gun
at each portfolio, and sank in He'll Gate.
Our leader, like most great leaders,
was born in an obscure place, and 1t
was an humble home, about five miles
from Jerusalem. Those who were out OF
doors that night said that there was
stellar commotion, and music that came
ont of the clouds, as though the front
door of heaven had been set 6n6l1 1l11|
that the camels heard "
cry. Then