The Progress., 1898-10-08

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tongue, or nothing in tho numbness Ofyour
brain, that indicates that G odsmay come to
avenge your blasphemies, or is already
avenging them? But these cases l have
noticed. believe, are only a few cases
where there are hundreds. Families keep
them quiet to avoid the horrible conspicuity.
Physicians suppress them through profess
sional confidence. 1t is Il very, very long
roll that contains the names of those who
died with blasphemes on their lips.
Still the crime rolls on, up through par
lars, up through chandeliers with lights all
ahlaze, and through pictured corridors Of
c!ub-rooms, out through busy exchanges.
where oath meets oath, and down through
all the haunts Of sin, mingling with the
rafting dice and cracking billiard-balls,
and the laughter Of her who hath forgotten
the covenant of her God; and round the
city, and round the continent, and round
the earth seething, boiling surge filings
its hot spray into the face Of a long suffer
ing God. And the ship-captain 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 late to the rail train.
| arraign profane swearing and blasphemy,
two names for the same thing, as being ono
of the gigantic crimes OF this land, and for
its extirpation it does seem as if it were
about time for God to arise.
Then look for a moment at the evil OF
drunkenness. Whether you live in Wash
ington, or New York, or Chicago, or Gin
cnnati, or Savannah, or Boston, or in any
Of the cities Of this land, count up the sa-
h,f etp Ill ~
saloons five years ago, and see they are
growing far out OF proportion to the in
crease Of the population. You people who
should be some imprudence and rashness
son some night pitched into your front
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 despoiIed
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 flames!
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 I'M
der some political PLATFORM
I indict this evil as the regieide, the
fratricide, the patricide. the matrlcide, the
innocent and delusive and mirthful names
cordial" 1t is "bitters." 1t is an "eye-
opener" 1t is an "appetizer. 1t is
'digester." 1t is an ''invigorator." It is
"setter." 1t is a "night-cap." Why
don't they put on the right labels-"Es-
sence Of Perdition," conscience Stupe.
fer" give Drachms of Heart-ache."
clears of Orphanage," "Blood Of Souls"
"Scabs of an Eternal Leprosy," venom OF
the Worm that Never Dies?" Only once in
while is there anything in the title Of liq-
uors to even hint their atrocity, as in the
case of "sour mash" That see .adver-
anyone can understand 1t. "Sour mash"
That is, it makes mans disposition sour,
and his associations sour and his prospects
sour; and then 1t Is good to mash his body,
and mash his soul, and mash his business,
and mash his family. "Sour mash!" One
honest name at last for an intoXicant! But
through lying labels Of many OF the
apothecaries' shops, good people, who are
only little under tone In health, and
wanting some IMMIGRATION, haYe unwlt-
tingly got on their tongue the fangs ofthis
cobra, that stings to death 50 large ratio
of the human race.
Others are ruined by the common and
And 1t Is a treat on their coming to town,
4 $,x,l,{ lot hah I'm aipip
and treat when the purchase Is made,
drown their troubles, submerge themselves
with this worse trouble. Oh, the world Is
battered and bruised and blasted with this
growing evil! It Is more and more en-
trenched and fortified. They have millions
of dollars subscribed to marshal and ad.
vance the alcoholic forces. Theynominate,
and elect, and govern the vast majority Of
the offlceholders ofthis country. On their
side they have enlisted the mightiest
political power Of the centuries. And be-
hind them stand all the myrmidons OF tho
neither world, Satanic, Apollyonie and
Diabolic. 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, l would utterly despair if 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 COM
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 tolerable for Sodom and Co.
morrah" than for the Chorazins and Beth
saidas Of greater light. 1t is no unusual
thing In our cities to see men in high pc.
sitions with two or three families, or re-
fined ladies willing solemnly to marry the
very swine Of society, II they be wealthy.
The Bible all aflame with denunciation
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.
Machinery organized In all the cities Of the
United States and Canada by which to put
yearly in the grinding mill OF this iniquity
thousands Of the unsuspecting OF the
country farm-houses, one procuress con-
fassinu in the con ri that aha Ind suDn1ied