Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1898-10-27


the covenant of her God; and round the
city, and round the continent, and round
the earth Q seething, boiling surge filings
its hot spray into the face OF a long suffer-
ing God. And the ship-captafn curses his
crew, and the master builder his men. and
the hack-driver his horse; and the traveller
the stone that bruises his foot, or the mud
that soils his shoes, or the defective time.
piecethat gets him too lateto the rail train.
l arraign profane swearing and blasphemy,
two names for the same thing, as being one
of the gigantic crimes OF this land and for
its extirpation 1t does seem as il it were
about time for God to arise.
Then look for moment at the evil of
drunkenness. Whether you live in Wash
ington, or New York. or Chicago, or Gin
cinnati, or Savannah, or Boston, or in any
OF the cities Of this land, count up the sa-
looms on that street as compared with the
saloons five years ago. and see they are
growing far out Of proportion to the in
crease OF the population. You people who
are so precise and particular lest there
should BIZ some imprudence and rashness
in attacking the rum traffic will have your
door dead drunk, or your daughter will
come home with her children because her
husband has, by strong drink. been turned
into demoniac. The drink has despoiled
whole streets of good homes in all our
cities. Fathers, brothers,. sons on the
funeral pyre OF strong drink! Fasten
tighter the victims! Stir up the flamesl
Pile on the corpses! More men, women and
children for the sacrifice! Let US have
whole generations on fire Of evil habit, and
at the sound Of the cornet, flute, harp, sack.
but, psaltery, and dulcimer let all the peo.
pie fall down and worship King Alcohol, or
you shall be cast into the fiery furnace un.
der some political platform! -S~
I indict this evil as the regicide, the
fratricide. the patricide. the matrIcide, the
uxoricide Of the century. Yet under what
innocent and delusive and mirthful names
alcoholism deceives the people! 1t is a
cordial" 1t is ''bitters.'' II is an ''eye-
opener" It is an appetizer" 1t is O
"digester." 1t is an ''invigorator." 1t is
settler" It is a 'night-cap." Why
don't they put on the right labels-"Es-
sence Of Perdition." Conscience stupe-
"Tears Of Orphanage," "Blood of Souls"
"Scabs Of an Eternal Leprosy," Venom Of
the Worm that Never Dies2" Only once in
while is there anything in tho title OF liq-
uors to even hint their atrocity, as in the
case of 'sour mash" That l see adver-
anyone can understand 1t. "Sour mash!"
That iu, it makes mans disposition sour,
and his associations sour and his prospects
sour; and then it is good to mash his body,
and mash his soul, and mash his business,
and mash his family. "sour mashp' One
through lying labels of many OF the
apothecaries' shops, good people, who are
only a little under tone in health and
wanting some invigoration, have unwit-
tingly got on their tongue the fangs of this
cobra, that stings to death so large a ratio
OF the human race.
Others are ruined by the common and
all-destructive habit Of treating customers.
And it is treat on their coming to town.
and treat while the bargaining progresses,
and treat when the purchase is made,
and treat as he leaves town. Others, to
with this worse trouble. Oh the world Is
battered and bruised and blasted with this
growing evil! 1t Is more and more en-
trenched and fortified. They have millions
Of dollars subscribed to marshal and ad-
vance the alcoholic forces. They nominate,
and elect, and govern the vast majority Of
the oficeholders of this country. On their
side they have enlisted the mightiest
political power Of the centuries. And be.
hind them stand all the myrmidons of the
neither world, Satanic. Apollyonic and
It Is beyond all human effort to
overthrow this Bastile Of decanters or
capture this Gibraltar of rum jugs. And
while approve Of all human agencies OF
reform, I would utterly despair II we had
nothing else. But what cheers me is that
our best troops are yet to come. Our chief
artillery Is in reserve. Our greatest CON-
mander has not yet fully taken the field.
II all He'll is on their side, all Heaven Is on
our side. Now "Let God arise, and let
His enemies be scattered"
Then look at the impurities OF these
great cities. Ever and anon there are In
the newspapers explosions of social life
that make the story OF Sodom quite re-
spectacle; "for such things" Christ says,
were more tolerabie for Sodom and Co.
than for the Chorazins and Beth
saidas OF greater light. 1t is no unusual
thing in our cities to see men In high DO
sitions with two or three families, or re-
lined ladies willing solemnly to marry the
very swine Of society, II they be wealthy.
against an impure life. but many OF the
American ministry uttering not one point
blank word against this iniquity lest some
old libertine throw up his church pew.
organized In all the cities OF the
United States and Canada by which to put
thousands OF the unsuspecting Of the
country farm-houses. one procuress con-
Tossing in the court that she had supplied
the internal market with one hundred and
fifty victims In six months. Obi for five
hundred newspapers In America to swing
,orruptionl Exposure must come before
While the city van carries the scum OF this
sin from the prison to the police court
morning by morning, 1t Is full time, If we
10 not want high American life to become
ike that Of the court OF Louis XY., to put
Lotharios and the Pompadours
of your brown-stone palaces into a van of
popular indignation, and drive them out Of
associations. What prospect
of social publication can there be, as long
IS at summer watering places 1t is usual to
see young woman Of excellent rearing
stand and simper and giggle and roll up
ler eyes sideways before one Of those flrst-
,lass satyrs Of fashionable life, and on the
ballroom floor join him In the dance, the
maternal chaperon meanwhile beaming |
rom the window on the scene? Matches |
ire made in Heaven, they say. Not such |
matches; for the birthstone Indicates the |
opposite region.
The evil is overshadowing all our cities.
BY some these immoralties are called pec-
gallantries, eocentrlcities, and
ire relegated to the realms of jocularity,
md / few efforts are being made against
hem. God bless the "White Gross" move-
nent, as 1t is called-an organization max
ng mighty assault on this evil God for
ward the tract societies Of the landl God
lelp the parents In the great work they are
loing, in trying to start their children with
,ure principlesl God help all legislators
d their attompt tn Drohfhjt fhia crfmat