Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-05

piece that gets him too late TO the rail- train.
I 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 1t 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
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 be some imprudence and rashnesS
In attacking the rum traffic will have your
son some night pitched into your front
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 fames!
Pile on the corpsesI 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 platforml -
-indict this evil as the regcide, the
fratricide, the patricide. the matricide, the
uxoricide OF the century. Yet under what
innocent and delusive and mirthful names
alcoholism deceives the peoplel 1t is
Cordial" 1t Is 'bitters." 1t is an "eye-
OPENER" 1t is an 'appetizer." 1t is
"digester." 1t is an ''invigorator." 1t is
SETTLER" 1t is 'night-cap." Why
don't they put on the right labels-"Es-
sence of Perdition," "Conscience Stupe-
fier," "Five Drachms of Heart-ache."
"Tears 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
tised all over. 1t Is an honest name, and
anyone can understand it. "Sour mash!''
That l., 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. "Sonr mashl' One
honest name Mt last for an intoxicantl But
through lying labels of many of the
apothecaries' shops, good people, who are
only u little under tone in health, and
wanting some tnvigoratiOn, have unwit-
tngly got on their tongue the fangs ofthis
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 a treat on their coming to town
and treat when the purchase is made
and treat "a he leaves town. Others, to
drown their troubles, submerge themselves
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 officeholders 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
Diabolic. 1t is beyond all human effort to
overthrow this Bastiie of decanters or
capture this Gibraltar of rum jugs. And
while approve OF all human agencies of
reform, 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 Go
morrah" than for the Chorazins and Beth
saidas of greater light. 1t is no unusual
thing in our cities to see men in high po-
sitions with two or three families, or re-
fined ladies willing solemnly to marry the
very swine of society, il they be wealthy.
The Bible all afame with denunciation
against an impure life. but many of the
American ministry uttering not one point
blank word against this iniqui;y lest some
old Iibertine 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 iniquty
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. OH for five
hundred newspapers in America to swing
open the door of this hazardous of social
corruption! Exposure must come before
eXtirpation.
While the city van carries the scum of this
sin from the prison to the police court
m orning by morning, ii Is full time. il we
do not want high American life to become
like that of the court of Louis XV., to put
millionaire Lotharios and the Pompadours
of your brown-stone palaces into n van of
popular Indignation, and drive them out Of
respectable associations. What prospect
of social publication can there he, as long
as at summer watering places 1t is usual to
see young woman of excellent rearing
stand and simper and giggle and roll up
her eyes sideways before one of those first
class satyrs of fashionable life, and on the
ballroom floor join him in the dance, the
maternal chaperon meanwhile beaming
from the window on the scene? Matches
are 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 pee
cadilloes, Gallantries, eccentriciti"s, and
are relegated to the realms of jocnlarity,
and few efforts are being made against
them. God bless the "White Cross" move
ment, as it is called-an organization max
ing mighty assault on this evil God for
ward the tract societies of the landl God
help the parents In the great work they are
doing, in trying to start their children with
pure principles! God help all Legislators
in their attempt to prohibit this crime
But Is this all? Then it is only n question
Of time when the last vestige of purity and
home will vanish out of sight. Human
arms, human pens, human voices, human
talents are not sufficient. / begin to look
up. l listen for artillery rumblng down
the sapphire boulevards of Heaven. l
watch to see IL in the .norning light there
he not the fash of descending scimitars.
Oh, for Godi Does 1t not seem time for His
appearance? Is it not time for all lands to
cry out: Let God arise, and let His en-
emies be scattered?"