The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1901-07-20

the forgeries, the sbseondlngs of the
officers of the banks. The store on
the business street swamped by the
residence on the fashionable avenue
The fathers, the husbands craft cap
sized by carrying too much domestic
sail. That is what springs the leak
in the merchants money till. That
is what cracks the pistol of the sui
cides. That is what tears down the
banks. That is what stops insurance
companies. That is what halts this
nation again and again in its tri-
umphal march Of prosperity. In the
presence Of the American people so
far as | can get their attention l
want to arraign this monster curse
Of extravaganza, and ! want you 10
pelt il with your cor and hurl at 1t
your anathema.
How many fortunes every year
wrecked on the wardrobe. Things
have got TO such a pass that when we
cry over our sins in church we wipe
the tears away with a $3.50 pocket
handkerchief, l show you a domes-
tic tragedy in five ects;
Act the frst-A home, plain aad
beautiful. Enter newly married pair.
Enter contentment. Enter as much
happiness as ever gets in Il home.
Act the second-Enter discomfort.
Enter desire for larger expenditure
Enter envy. Enter Jealousy.
Act the t~hird-Enter the queenly
dressmakcrs. Enter the French mil
liners. Enter all costly plate and all
great extravagances.
Act the fourth-riptop of society
Princes and Processes OF upper ten
dom floating in aud out. Everything
on a large and magnificent scale. En-.
ter contempt for other people.
Act the fifth and last-Enter the
assignee. Enter the sheriff. Enter
the creditors. Enter humiliation. En-
ter wrath of God. Enter the IN
tempt of society. Enter ruin and
death. Now drop the curtain. The
play is ended, and the lights are out.
l call it a tragedy. That is a mis-
homer. 1t is a farce.
Extravaganza conntS for much Of
the pauperism. Who are these peo-
Pile whom you have to help? Many
OF them are the children of parents
who bad plenty. lived in luxury, had
more than they needed, spent all they
had, spent more, too; then died and
left their families in poverty. Some
of those who call on you now for aid
had an ancestry that supped on bur-
gundy and woodcock. ] could name .
score Of men who have every luxury.
They smoke the best cigars, and they
drink the finest wines, and they have
the grandest surroundings, and when
they die their families will go on the
cold charity Of the world. Now, the
death Of such a mar 10 q grand lar
eeny. He swindles the world as he
goes into his coffin, and he deserves
TO have his bones sold to the medical
museum for anatomical specimens.
the proceeds to furnish bread for his
children,
l know IL cuts close. I did not
know but some OF you in high dud-
geon would get up and go out. You
stand 1t well! Some of you make q
great swash in life, and after awhile
you will die, and ministers will be
sent for to come and stand by your
coffin and lie ABOUT your excellences.
But they will not come. If you send
for me, l will ted you what my text
will be: HE that provideth not for
his own, and especially for those Of
his own household, is worse than an
inidel." And yet we find Christian
men, men of large means, who some
times talk eloquently about the Chris
tan church and about civilization, ex.
pending everything on themselves and
nothing on the cause Of God, aud
they crack the back Of their Palaia
Royal glove in trying to hide the
M cent they put in the Lords treas.
ury. What an spportionment! TWEEN
ty thousand dollars for ourselves and
one cent for God. An, my friends,
this extravaganza accounts for a
great deal OF what the cause of God
suffers.
And the decoration goes on, even
10 the funeral day. You know very
we'll there are men who die solvent,
hut the expenses are so great before
they get underground they are insol.
vent. There are families that go into
penury in wicked response to the de.
mands of this day. They put in cas-,
ket and tombstone that which they
ought TO put in bread. They wanted
bread; you gave them a tombstone.
And then look how the cause Of
God is impoverished. Men give &c
much sometimes for their indulgenceu
they have nothing for the cause o.
God and religion. Twenty-Five mil
lion dollars expended in this countr,
q year for religious purposes! Bn'
what are the twenty-five millions ex
pended for religion compared will
the hundred unif1ians o~1nn -.