The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-11

the ghast iiest thing on earth, the rem
naut of "A drunkard's home. The
costliest thing on earth is sin. The
most expensive of all music is the Song of
the Drunkards. 1t is the highest tariff of
nations-not a protective tariff, but tariff
of doom, a tariff of woe, a tariff of death.
This evil whets the knives of the assas-
sins, cuts the most of the wounds of the
hospital, makes necessary most of the
almshouses, causes the most of the raw
ings Of the insane asylum, and puts up
most of the iron bars of the penitentiaries.
1t has its hand to-day on the throat of the
American republic. 1T is the taskmaster
of nations, and the human race crouches
under its anathema. The Song
Of the Drunkard has for its
accompaniment the clank of chains,
the chattering teeth of poverty,
the rattle Of eXecutiOner's scaffold, the
creaking door of the deserted home, the
crash of shipwrecks and the groan of
empires. Tne two billion twenty million
dollars which rum costs this country in
year, IN the destruction of grain and SUI
gar. and the supporting of the paupers
and the invalids and the criminals which
strong drink causes is only a small part
of what is paid for this expensive Song
of the Drunkards.
Again this Song Of the Drunkards is a
multtudnous song-not a solo, not duet,
not a quartctte, not a seXtette, but mill
lions on millions are this hour singing it.
DO not think that alcoholism has this
field all 10 itself. 1t has powerful rivals
in the intoXicants of other nations; has
heesh, and arracl5, and pulque, and opium,
and quavo, and mastic, and wedro. Every
nation, barbaric as well as civilized, has
it's pet intoXicant. This Song of the
Drunkards is rendered in Chinese, Hin
doc, Arabian, Assyrian, Persian, Mexican
yea, all the languages All zones join II.
No continent would be large enough Tor
the choir gallery If all those who have
this libretto in their hands should stand
SIDE by side to chant the international
chorus. other throngs are just learning
tho eight notes OF this beautiful music
which is already mastered by the orches-
tras in fun voice under the Datons in full
swing All the musicians assembled at
Dusseldorf, or Berlin, or Boston Peace
Jubilee rendering symphonies rcquiems,
or grand marches of Mendelssohn or
Wagner or Chopin or Handel were insig
nificant in numbers as compared with the
innumerable throngs, host besides host,
gallery above gallery, who are now pour
ing fourth the Song of the Drunkards.
Years ago, standing before a bulletin
board in New York on the night of a
presidential election day as the news
came in and the choice of the American
people was finally announced, there were
people in the streets who sang registering
and frivilous songs; but in the street one
man, in deep, strong, resonant voice,
started. to the tune of "Old Hundred"
Praise God. from whom all blessings
flow,' and soon all up and down the street
the voices Joined in the Doxology. May
God speed the day when the song of res
cue and salvation shall drown with an
Overwhelming surge this mighty Song of
the Drunkards!
Again the Song of the Drunkards is a
suggestive song. You hear a nursery re-
frain, and right away you think of your
childhood home. and brothers and sisters
with whom you played, and mother, long
since gone to rest. You hear a national
air, and you think of the encampment of
1863, and the still night on the river bank,
and the camp-fires that shook their re-
Elections up and down the faces of the
regiment. You hear an old church tune.
and you are reminded of the revival
scenes amid which you were brought to
God. Nothing so brings up associations
as a song sung or played upon instrument
and the Drunkards Song is full of sug-
gestion. AS you hear it on the street quite
late some night, you begin to say to your
self, Il wonder if he has a mother? Is
his wife waiting for him? VIII his chill
dren be frightened when he enters the
front door and staggers. whooping, up the
stairs? What chance is there for that
young man, started so early on the down
grade? In what business will he succeed?
How long before that man will run
through his property? l wonder how he
got so far astray2 Can any influence be
welded to fetch him back? He must have
got into bad company, who led him off. -
So you soliloquize and guess about this
man whose voice you hear on the street
under the starlight.
Notice that the second noun of my text
is in the plural. Not "Drunkard," but
"Drunkards" 1t would be dull work to
sing that song solitary and alone. 1t is
generally a chorus. They are in groups.
on that downward way there must be
companionship. Here and there is man
so mean as always to drink alone, but
generous men, big-hearted men, drinking
at bar or in restaurant or in club house,
feel mortified to take the bever-
age unaccompanied. There must
be some one with whom to click
the rim of the glasses, some
ones health to propose, some sentiment
to toast. There must be two, and still
better if four, and still better If six, to
give zest to the Song of the Drunkards.
Those who have gone down could mention
the name of al least one who helped them
down. Generally it is some one who was
a little higher up in social life or in tinan-
cial resources. Our friend felt battered
to have an invitation from one of superior
felt like it, but when the other felt like il.
Neither wanted to seem lacking in social
ity when he was invited. So a hundred
thousand men every year are treated into
hell. Together are they manacled of evil
habit, together they travel toward their
doom, together they make merry over the
cowardice of puritanical sentiment OF
those who never indulge, together they
join their voices in the Song of the Drunk
ards. If the one proposes TO stop, the
other will not let him stop When men
are getting down themselves they do not
want their associates to turn back Those
who turn back will be the scott and carl
cature of those who keep on, and there
will he conspiracy to bring them back
to their old places and their old environ
ment, and so have them renew the
Song of the Drunkards. There was a
tragedy in New York, September, 1915. A
man of marvellous natural gifts had. af-
ter arriving from mis- home IN Eng
lang, fallen into dissipated habits
and being a fine singer as well as i'm.
personator, entertained many a ban
room group at Newburyport Boston. and
New York; but by the grace of God and
the kindness of one Joel Stratton, had
been rescued and took the platform for
tomDerance and moved vast audiences to-