West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-12-06


that was too eonsumately preeiously In
tense, but tina, it was all bosh jus, the same.
and ] failed TO see any glory in IL; that by
making Tip TO Washington City any one
could shake hands with the President of the
creates, nation on the globe Qf he wasn't
busy bat that their wouldn't be any glory
worth speaking Of in that even. lie was
properly shocked, and taking his cane on,
of his mouth. he gasped, ''Yew Amewicans
ah SO queer Don't yew recognize any
superior at all % looked down at the
little ornamental penholdcr. and in voice
that bfooked no contradiction. replied.
"We recognize no superior bat God alone.
lie is our only sovereign. and in His case,
the Scat OF Government being SO dis
iani, We insist upon the most liberal Home
Rule" lie poked his eye-glass into his
eye, surveyed me moment and remarked
swee,iy "Ah weally, pom honah !
Where's me note book l must make
note of that" Your sister immediately fell
down in severe fit of laughter.
As was employed as stenographer IN the
Office Of a barrisler, who was also official
court stenogtapher, had an opportunity
which improved, 10 become familiar with
the workings of Canadian courts. There
the lawyers, or hauisiers and solicitors as
they are called, wear wigs and gowns, as
you know, and there is nothing they re-
semble so much as a Whatcom Senior a
week before commencement. The Judge,
as he sits on his high perch. reminds me Of
OF Poe's raven, who "Perchcd and sat and
nothing more" The prisoner sits alone in
the felon's box instead Of among his
lawyers q, he does here. Il would be
good plan TO follow here and so enable one
to distinguish the prisoner from his lawyers.
The witness is perched up in high box
overlooking and facing the entire court
room; n position which is not conducive to
good memory. | saw one witness hesitate
when suddenly asked his name. Otherwise
the court scenes are the same as here where
lawyers and judges wear civilized garb and
abuse each other roundly and don't pretend
to be digni6ed.
The one blot ON that beautiful town is the
saloon. The town has population of
about 5000 and has in the neighborhood OF
IS saloons. Every saloon there is compelled
to have hotel or at least certain number
of rooms in connection, but in many of
these the saloon is the business and the
hotel necessary adjunct. The churches
aad young peoples societies do a remarka-
bly, good work among the class that frequents
these places, but there are hundreds of
young men from "Down East" who lef,
Christian homes and came West TO seek
fortune, and are rapidly drifting into the
broad path which leadeth on to destruction.
There was Good Templar Lodge there
for while, but it spiked It's guns, dew the
flag Of truce and went down before the
enemy.
There must be time when the vista Of
the future, with all its possibilities of glory
and of shame first opens to the vision Of
youth. Then he Is summoned to make his
| choice between honor and dshonor be-
tween purity and pronigacy; between
moral life and moral death; as he doubts or
struggles between the heayenward or hell
ward course, as he struggles 20 rise or con-
sents TO fall, is there in all the universe of
God spectacle Of higher cxultation or of
deeper pathos ? There IS The golden OPP
/ poriunity of the temperance worker But
do we, as an organization, often grasp it2
AS he wayers, what IS there to incline him
to the fight9 as he walks down the
streets OF almost any city in Christian
America, the giuering lights, warmth and
music of these gAded dens Of dshonor invite
him TO enter, while on some back street,
Good remplar Hall, dark and forbidding,
open once week, represents our Influence.
As a defensive army we do good work
we perform that part of our ritual which
says, 'to keep others from falling" but in
how many cases do we ''reclaim the fallen ?"
We should not be content with simply fight
ing on the defensive, wc should be an in
yading army as we'll. We have a more
troublesome enemy 10 contend with than
any force across the sea, and sad, but true,
we must fight it it without our countrys aid.
though it has done more to iarnish the
Stars and Stripes, get our liberty pole off
its perpendicularity, and put sal, on the
glorious tail Of the American eagle than all
other foes combined. But / think had
better get off and wait ill catch ND with
myself am not scheduled fer a temperance
lecture al this date or al this place, am TO
deliver that at a reunion Of the Eagles
next year crave your leniency for the
error, and from now on will stick to the
text as close as pitch plaster to cedar
plank
One word more--perhaps a word and
half ia this connection. While 7 was pre.
pairing this immortal paper heard a learned
lawyer remark that there was but ono thing
gfander and nobler than the principles Of
The Prohibition Party, and that was the
Golden Rule, and that in this age Of the
/ world, ono was about as practicable as the
other, that after the milenium they might
I both work. The idea occurred To- me that
I Il We all did ouf foil duty as Good
Tcmplars we might hurry up that old
millennium Bit Hence, my laiitudinosiig.
] viii now resume and continue on.
One Of the most exciting experiences
bad vas visit to the Ymir gold mine and
stamping mills rode five miles 40 the
mountain 20 The mine on a ullanous
/ quadruped who insisted on planting his
I forward feet fcmly and dancing Highland
I Fling with his bird ones aud So succeeded
] in pushioo himself aiono Affr. a., t,,. "a