Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-02-22
Notable Words from Dr.. Lewis.

There has never been delivered in
this city a more timely and pertinent
sermon than that which fell from the
lips of Rev. DR.. Walker Lewis at the
First Methodist church recently.
During the past few weeks the
newspapers have been flied with
stories of shortage and dcfalcation
Of breaches of true and domestic
obligation, in which the offenders
have been uniformly young men
many Of them scarcely out Of boy.
hood The details of their orfcnses
often bring out the fact that though
hardly over twenty years Of age
they have run courses which shoul,
he scaudalous to three times the
number Of their mature years; they
have driitcd into crime, with THEN
first knowledge Of life. They have
felt the freedom of manhood anG
acted accordingly. They have beer
apparently ignorant of the restraining
influences Of religion and of law
Out Of this terrible condition ha,
grown loOscness Of morals, a def
ancc of trust and promise for tn,
future which must be appalling tc
the student of human life.
1t is no wonder that this condi
dition should have attracted tho
attention of DR.. Lewis, and his warn.
ing is one which should be read, no,
by the youth alone, but by parents
who have evidently been lax in duty
The evils to which DR.. Lewis alluded
as the fruitful sources of corruption
to the morals and lives of the young
men Of the country were well stated
and never better than when he de.
clarcd that
"All the prohibitory legislation on
earth, all the examples of dcpravity
that can be named, will not save yor
unless you enforce prohibition upor
yourself. Let whiskcy alone. II
dcgradcs, disgraccs, destroys. I,
soils everything it touches it brutal
Lies the blood Of man, makes hin
an enemy to himself and to the
world, danger to humanity.
eff young man wants to make /:
life here that will add to the glory o
the kingdom, he must organize him.
self Don't be clerk or employed
OF somebody else longer than i,
necessary to get start. Stand or
your own foundation in opinion, ant
i'll every thing else. Make money i
yon can make it honestly but die il
crocus sack for your dress suit
rather than make it any other way
Make money, but above all things,
make character. Honor God an,
be loyal to conscience. Take Chris
for your example and your guardian
Go through life with one hand in the
hand of mother, the other in the
hand of Christ, and though cartl
may bring you no fame, you will e,
ont Of it at the end to the white hill.
where the angels will bid you wei
come and God will honor you forever,
more"
Here in a nutshell we have tn,
remedy as well as a statement Of tht
evil. II draws attention to the fac
that the individual must be reached
and that the individual must thrl
reach himself. 1t is idle for men to
90 about seeking for dcicnscs whicI
are lllusory at best, when they avoi,
the very dcfcnscs which have been
furnished by God as the handspring
and motive of human action. Eacl
man must feel that he is responsible,
to himself and to his God for his
good conduct, and that there is fur,
nlshed to him a means higher than
those which the world can give il
he VIII but rise to conception OF
his manhood and to the plane fol
which he was intended
The development of individuality,
the building OF the moral character
the practice Of personal integrity
ana the exercise Of personal freedom
guided by strong religious instinct
VIII make our young men a genera.
ton OF giants when they shall have
reached maturity, but the Other
course, the shambling gait, the rcli.
ance upon others, the weakness and
vacillation which bcspcak want OF
moral purpose, will give rise to q
generation of sap-hcads and crimi-
nals.-Atlanta Constitution.