The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1898-09-30

Almighty God and of JESUS Christ are
every day irreserently on the lips?
Profane swearing is as much forbid
den by the law as theft, or arson, or
murder, yet who executes it? Profan-
ity is worse than theft, or arson, or
murder, for these crimes are an attack
on humanity-tkat is an attack on
God.
This country is pr,-eminent for bias
phemy. A man travelling in Russia
was supposed to be clergymn. ''Why
do you take me to be a clergyman?"
said the man. "Oh," said the Rus
sian, ''all other Americans swear" The
crime is multiplying in intensity. God
very often shows what He thinks of it,
but for the most part the fatality is
hushed up. Among the Adirondacks
met the funeral procession of a man
who two days before had fallen under
a flash of lightning, while boasting, af-
ter a Sunday of work in the fields, that
he had cheated God out of one day
anyhow, and the man who worked
with him on the same Sabbath is still
living, but helpless invalid, under
the same flash.
Years ago, in a Pittsburgh prison,
two men were talking about the Bible
and Christianity, and one of them,
Thompson by name, applied to Jesus
Christ very low and villainous epi-
thet, and, as he was uttering it, he fell.
A physician was called, but no help
could be given. After a days lying
with distended pupils and palsied
tongue, he passed out of this world.
In a cemetery in Sullivan county, in
New York state, are eight headstones
in line and all alike, and these are
the facts: In 1861 diphtheria ragged in
the village, and a physician was re-
markably successful in curing his
patients. So confident did he become
that he boasted that no case of diph
liberia could stand before him, and
finally defied Almighty God to produce
case of diphtheria that he could not
cure. His youngest son soon after
took the disease and died, and one
child after another, until all the eight
had died of diphtheria. The blasphem-
er challenged Almighty God, and God
accepted the challenge. H. not think
that because God has been silent in
your case, O profane swearer! that He
is dead. Is there nothing now in the
peculiar feeling of your tongue, or
nothing in the numbness of your brain
that indicates that God may come to
avenge your blasphemies, or is already
avenging them? But these cases 1
have noticed, / believe, are only a few
xx-ha hn1
lies keep them quiet to avoid the hor-
rible conspicuity. Physicians suppress
them through professional confidence.
1t is a very, very, very long roll that
contains the names of those who died
with blasphemies on their lips.
Then look for moment at the evil
of drunkenness. Whether you live in
Washington, or New York, or Chicago,
or Cincinnati, of Savannah, or Boston,
or in any, of the cities of this land,
count up the saloons on that street as
compared with the saloons five years
ago, and see they are growing far out
of proportion of the increase of popu-
lation. You people who are so precise
and particular lest there should be
some imprudence and rashness in at
tacking the rum tra ffic will have your
son some night pitched into your front
door dead drunk, or your daughter
will come with her children. because
her husband has, by strong drink,
been turned into a demoniac. The
drink fend has despoiled whole streets
of good homes in our cities. Fathers,
brothers, sons on the funeral pyre of
strong drink! Fasten tighter the vic
timsl Stir up the flames! Pile on the
corpses! More men, women and chill
dren for the sacrificed! Let us have
whole generations on fire of evil habit;
and at the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer
let all the people fall down and wor-
ship King Alcohol, or you shall be cast
into the fiery furnace under some po-
litical platform!
| indict this evil as the 1egicide, the
fratricide, the patricide, the matricide.
the uxorcide of the century. Yet IIn-
der what innocent and delusive and
mirthful names alcoholism deceives
the people. 1t is a cordial" 1t is
''bitters.'' 1t is an 'eye-opener." 1t
is an appetizer" 1t is a "digester."
It is an ''inyigorator." 1t is a ''set-
tier" 1t is ''night-cap." Why don't
they put on the right labels Essence
of Perdition," Conscience Stupefier,"
Give 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 awhile is there anything in the
title of liquors to even hint their atroci-
ty. as in the case of "sour mash. '
That [ see advertised all over. 1t is an
honest name, and anyone can under
stand it. 'Sour mash!" That is, it
makes a mans disposition sour, and
his associations sour. and his pros
poets sour; and then it 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 apothecarles'
shops, good people, who are only lit
tie under tone in health, and wanting
some vigoration, have Gnwittingly got
on their tongue the fangs of this CO.
bra. that stings to death 50 large ra-
tio of the human race.
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
respectable; ''for such things" Christ
says, were more tolerable for Sodom
and Gomorrah'' than for the Chora-
zins and Bethsaidas of greater light.
1t is no unusual thing in our cities 10
see men in high positions with two or
three families, or refined ladies willing
soT6Innly to marry the very swine of
society, if theF are wealthy. The BIZ
BILE all afame with denunciation