The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-19
COUGHS E1oaUENCB
And How It Afscted a Far Western
Audience.

Audience.
Chicago Times Herald: Much Is now
being written Of Mr.. Moody's ability
to sway masses, to quicken consciences
ard produce results. l do not think
that in this respect he equaled John
b. Cough. the temperance orator.
Cough. Of course, lived and worked in
different generation than Moody,
but his field was as broad and his re-
wards as great, II not greater. But
for power to make an audience forget
itself. cause men to tremble, women to
weep and towards to turn toward the
narrow path. Cough has had few
equals in modern times. They said he
was theatric, INDUCED in tricks Of ora
tory. This did not detraet from the
fact that he taught the truth-lt mat
tiers little how the truth is brought
cut so that It appears like light in the
bush.
Many and many day ago, on the
then frontier line OF the valley Of the
Minnesota, in the at that time beaqti-
full village of ManlSato, word went out
that Cough had been engaged by the
local lyceum bureau to lecture on tenn
perance.
He talked. His speech was slow at
first. gestures few and illustrations
not many. The village topers were
out in force. and some more decent
men for whom women were praying
to give over the habit Of drink. He
tod something Of his own life. Of the
misery brought by drink. Of the laws
Of self-deniaI and self-sacrifice. He
was intense at all times, and this In
teasIty bore down upon the listeners
until he had made them one with him
self. Even the small boy. inclined to
cat calls and gurgling whistles, was
silent. and there came through the sep
uIchral hall no sound but the raw cry
Of the winter wind from outside.
He made some slight commnet on the
condition Of drunkard's family-the
want which came upon them, the loss
Of self-respect He described the deg
radiation Of spirit which rested with
tn" habitual drinker, and how II that
spirit was not destroyed mere signing
Of the pledge would not redeem. He
pleaded for exercise Of will power,
more potent In affecting reform than all
the drugs and medicines In the world
This was but developing the minds Of
his hearers for a climax.
Suddenly he swung one arm high In
the air. and shouted:
"a drunkard and his fall 10 the
depths Of everlasting hell is liloe the
man who climbs to the top OF St Pc
ter's, in Rome. He Is on the very
summit Of the great dome. the blue sky
above. and the world far. far beneath.
He looks down from his perch. and
having nothing to grasp. to hold to.
grows dizzy.
Everything IL whirhng now before
him. His senses leave him. He IL
swooning. His feet slip. He IS OF Of
the dome. He Is in the air. He Is
falling
Down!
Down!
Down.
To the earth beneath and the ruin of
himself
Thus descends the drunkard-
Down! Down! Down.!
TO the fires OF hell and the ruin Of
his soul''
The whole exclamation was accom-
panied with such use Of his right arm
and body as to bring the fearful de-
scent Immediately to the eye Of the
mind.
A shudder ran over the audience. The
sobs Of women were heard. Men felt
uncomfortable. Men and women are
living to-day who st'il feel the power
OF that Illustration. uttered by lips long
since cold and given to the earth.