The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-29

THE III LIEBER COMPANY.
"a West Washington Street.
THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE
REV. r.. v. HUNTER X STIR
RING AND ELOQUENT ADDRESS.
Discourse Full OF sound ArEumen
on a Problem That Many Are
Trying to Solve.

Rev. r. V. Hunter, pastor of the Seventh
Presbyterian Church, delivered a sermon
yesterday afternoon at the hall of the Muir
n Temperance League to the members
and their friends. The speakers remarks
were listened TO with much attention as
he spoke OF the ruin wrought by intemper-
ance. DIR. Hunter said in part:
Gospel temperance stands for charity
OF the broadcast type. The essence Of the
straint. manhood. character. Love would
inspire manhood to rise into the region OF
the godhood. 1t would take the bruised.
bleeding and debauched and nurse them
into health. beauty and purity. Charity is
the life saver who runs out into the cur
rent OF sin and 'rescues the perishing.' We
cannot but have charity for men of the
type OF Luther Benson. A man of genius.
rare eloquence and possessed with a kindly
heart. he was bound by an ungovernable
appetite which stunted the beautiful in his
soul and crippled mis- usefulness in the
world. Had his Will equaled his genius
his life would have been a different story.
"One day a mar with white hair. broad
forehead, but with bleared eyes and trem-
bling limbs arose in a temperance meet
ing and said; Once preached in some Of
the leading pulpits Of Philadelphia, New
York and Boston, but strong drink was
my enemy. L read law and soon had a fair
practice, but my appetite grew and drink
ruined my practice. To-day L am a preach
er without a pulpit. a lawyer without a
client, a husband without a home. Drink
has ruined me- The heart that does not
go out In sympathy with that man is hard
indeed. i plead for charity toward the
saloon keeper to-day. Environment and
education has much TO do with our con-
victions and character. Many of our Ger
man friends have been educated to believe
that beer drinking Is as harmless as tea
drinking and that the moral right to sell
beer is not different from dealing in gro
ceries and dry goods. Many of us know
better. Our education and our observation
have taught us better. We know that the
SALON fG school Of evil that drinking
leads Americans usually 10 drunkenness.
and that drunkenness is subversive of man.
hood. good citizenship and morality. Many
of these saloon keepers are entitled to our
sympathy and pity. Our duty is TO per-
suade and educate them. They are men
with souls. The Master loved men but
hated sin. We cannot improve upon Him.
"I plead for more charity among temper
ance workers for other temperance work.
ers, who are as sincere as we are but who
cannot consent to our methods. The weak
ness of temperance to-day is its divided
forces and the Incorporate attitude of
many OF its advocates The laws for the
Hebrews were not as drastic as the prin-
ciples announced by Jesus Christ. Only
the Hebrew who committed the overt act
was guilty OF adultery. Christ said that to
look upon a woman with an evil eye is
adultery. Jesus commanded the disciples
not TO interfere with one who was work.
ing cures. but not particularly authorized
by Him. The w. G.. Il. ~. people are work.
ing along one line. the third party Prohi-
bitionists are working along another line,
the Anti-Saloon League has its peculiar
work. gospel temperance would lay hold of
the poor unfortunate who has lost his
equilibrium and has fallen before the COM
mon enemy. These various temperance
forces should work together as so many
regiments under one division commander.
II plead, also, for common sense in our
sympathy. Too often charity becomes
maudlin sentimentalism. When the drink
ing man Is petted and caressed, when he
Is made to think he is a hero and more
sinned against than SHINING. then the
, matter is being OverdOne. Preachers. priests
and women who carry flowers TO condemned
criminals. and overdo the charity act and
substitute gush for reasonable sympathy,
ought 10 be restrained. The family of the
drunkard. upon the whole. has not had its
share of Christian sympathy. My SYM
pathies 90 out TO the heart-brOken wife
and TO the handicapped children more than
TO the selfish man. who drinks up his and
their earnings and who comes home with
fettSd breath. unsteady step and with a
curse for those whom he has sworn to
support and cherish. Angels pity them;
we ought 10 help them. The greatest vic
tory for temperance and the dTinker's fam
lily that has been achieved for many moons
s. the recent decision OF the Supreme Court
of Indiana making the saloonkeeper liable
on his bond for the support OF the mans
family made drunk by him and who may
that crime. The good Lord help Us TO love
all men into temperate habits and Chris
tan Ways"