Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-21
A HOT BROADSIDE.
Rev. DIR. Conrad Opens His Bat
teries on the Saloon.
A No-License Sermon DepIoring the Fact
That No Action Is Taken to Rid the
Country of an Enemy Within
The Rum Curse.

A large congregation assembled at the
Old South Church Sunday evening, tC
hear Rev. DR.. Conrads temperance dis.
course on Safeguarding Childhood -
He said, in part: We are proud Of oul
city. We weary of praising her excel
! lences. We are most wise in magnify
| ing her virtues, but the more we love
her the more vigilant should we be to
| increase her glorieS and guard her
| against whatsoever imperilS. We are
criminally negligent to ignore any perils
| which beset her children and youth.
! There are, in round numbers, 1S,50O
! children between the ages of 5 and Is.
| We are are we'll within limits when we
| place the number of children and youth
at $4,000. Who are these %, 900? They
| are the joy, the inspiration, the hope of
the homes of Worcester They represent
! parental sacrifice unmeasul ed.
| They are the Worcester of tomorrow.
They are the officials, the business and
! professional men, the heads of homes,
| the churches, the institutions, the sup
| porters of all great causes; indeed, they
are the very bone and sinew of the So
cial, political, religious and industrial
| Worcester of tomorrow. What they do
as children they are likely to- do as
adults. Their culture, training, with re-
sudtant tendency, is ineXpressibly inn
| portant
Upon whom can these children and
youth depend for protection and to
| whom can they look for counsel in the
formative period of life? They are at
an impressionable age. They are being
established in habits. In general, they
are dependent upon their seniors.
Every citizen has a duty to childhood.
A righteous example, honorable conduct
and constant vigilance is the bounden
| obligation of each. They are dependent
upon the general public sentiment They
are dependent upon social Worcester and
political Worcester for right ideals of
| life and civic duty. They are dependent
upon wise legislation which shall look
to their protection from the avaricious-
| ness of unprincipled scoundrels who
would fill their pockets at the cost of
| character Our work is one of promo
ton and protection; it is preventive and
constructive.
We must furnish the largest means for
the intellectual and moral training of
the children within our municipality.
| Neglect education and we insure the
| decadence of our cherished institutions
and the violation of our best traditions.
Are the children and youth of Wor-
cester imperiled? There are manifold
dangers which beset life IN its earlier
periods.
| Our attention, however, is addressed
tonight to one danger which towers
above all others as Mount Blanc towers
above the lesser Alpine heights. l refer
| to the licensed saloon. 1t is a continu-
Gus menace to childhood and a perpetual
peril to youth. It imperils first by he
1 redity and secondly by example and
thirdly by temptation It awakens the
slumbering appetite and unchains the
/ wild beast of passion. 1t puts the match
! to the powder flask. 1t does more, it
! engages to create appetite. 1t cultivates
every brutal instinct and propensity. 1t
| propagates every detestable vice and sti-
/ f1es every virtue.
It is the nature of the saloon to cult
vate vice and to destroy virtue 1t is
the enemy of all that ennobles and the
friend of all that imbrutes. 1t STILES
holy impulse and mocks noble resolu-
ton.
Twelve months in saloon. What is
left? Most Of you have seen the play
| Ten Nights in a Barroom." Take a
| glance al twelve months saloon pat
ronage. The first month it costs family
| luxuries. The money is no longer ex-
| pended IN beautifying the home, but in
selfish eXcesses. The second month pass
es and family comforts diminish. What
has been regarded as merely a home
| comfort is now looked upon as a lux
ury and is unpurchased. The third
month passes and self respect is thrown
down on the counter for drink. The
fourth month witnesses the loss of that
| priceless jewel, reputation. Friends re-
ceive coldly and cast side glances OF
pity. The fifth month records the awful
| sacrifice of peace of mind. Henceforth
| a fearful restleSsneSs is suffered. He
drinks to dull and blunt memory. Six
months have passed and personal honor
is the price paid for drink. The seventh
month begins and down on the counter
goes health. He must hereafter forever
contend with invading diseases. Nature
has rallied until she can do so no long.
er. Eight months in a saloon and posi-.
ton is gone Over the counter has gone
| books, pictures, the family Bible and the
wedding ring. The ninth month wit.
nesses the sacrifices of home necessities
The wife is heartbroken the children ir
rags and the dwelling is howell The
tenth month comes and goes and the
| last remnant of will power is thrown
away forever. What next? Almighty
! God. Yes, the eleventh month finds him
with faith in the eternal abandoned. He
has one thing more to lose. He has LOST
every thing on earth. He can only lose
| eternal hope. The twelfth month ac.
complishes the sacrifice, ana at the enc
of the year he has bartered away every
joy of life and every hope of happiness
| beyond. God have mercy.
The saloon is the colossal robber OF
! the ages. 1t robs childhood of strong
constitutions and ushers into the world
children with proclivities which natural.
ly lead to ruin 1t robs infancy of nour-
ishment and childhood of comfort. II
robs youth Of culture and refining in
f1uences, money, reputation, will power
refined sensibilities, mental energy, high
| ideals, and all that goes to make life
| prosperous. Its most awful depreciation
is upon character. When it takes char
acter it takes all that makes life worth
living. A year ago the judges of the
| lower and higher courts all through
America uttered one long, loud protest
against the saloon infamy, when they
gave their deliberate verdict that from
70 to 80 per cent Of the crimes committed
were due to Intoxicating drink
What are we doing to offset the inf1u.
ence of the saloon? What ought we tc
do? Our congress did most extra.
ordinary thing in passing, without a dis.
senting vote, the bill appropriatine
50OOOOO0 for the defense of our sea
coast and the preparation of our army
for possible war. When 100000 boys
year are being eternally lost through the
. liquor traffic, ought not some defense t.
be provided? Our nation is dependen
} upon clean homes. Patriotism begins al
the freside. We must protect them from
the. .ravages Of strong drink if we can.
We must utilize public sentiment by
wisely directing it upon fortressed vice
. We must create public sentiment by
education and clear portrayal Of tn,
| consequences of strong drink Ii is salt
taxes are lessened by saloon licenses