The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-09-09
WEST SCRANTON

| him the everlasting arms. But n COM
parativcly small number are safe, We
| have male population of about thirty
five millions i'm the United states. OF
this number about nine millions are
| young men between the ages OF Is and
| 30. correct statement of the per-
| centage of this vast number who are
| communicates in our churChes-of
those who are regular or irregular at
| tcndants at divine worship--and OF
those who habitually neglect worship
| altOgether--vould be appalling.
| There can be no safe popular moral
| ity without religious conviction and
| instruction. During my vacation !
spent ten days i'm Il home with young
| man who has not attended religious
| service I'm nine years. When We re-
| member there are several millions like
| him In our country, our text becomes
| painfully suggestive. The only enCour-
aging feature is that more young men
| than formerly are Interested Inv relg-
| iouS work.
SOURCE OF DEMORALIIATION
one of the most fruitful sources Of
| generalization tO our young men is
| sabbath deSecration. The spirit of our
| age is intensely worldly. II demands
sunday work and Sunday pleasure.
| Some of our great railroads make a
| greater display Of activity ON the
Lords day than any day of the week.
| Many business places are needleSSly
and wickedly open on that holy day
Then the sunday newspapers comes in
to till up the measure Of NOrldlncSS to
the fun. No young man Is safe who
r"clleSslN d"seCratcs Gods holy day.
one who was entering Il Brooklyn
church some time ago ON sunday
morning was persuaded by passing
acquaintance to go to toney Island in
stead He plunged carclessly into the
maelstrom of vice. Returning home
intoxicated, while passing from one car
to another, he fell from the train and
was drawn under the cruel wheels He
lived less than AN hour. His injuries
sobrred him. His last message to his
friends was: Tell the boys To keep
tn" sunday. If | had kept this day
holy | would not be here"
Then comes the saloon as u de-
stroNcr of youth. Recent statistics
show that there are i'm round number
two hundred and six thousand retail
liquor dealers i'm this country. They
have perhaps an average of twenty
patrons each and the majority Of these
are young men. 1t is needless to say
that it is not only unwisc. but unsafe
for any one to indulge i'm intoXicants
THE SECRET SINS.
IN" secret SINS or the young are very
great. With another We only point to
the en"rvHted intelligence. nervous dis
cas-" and impaired health of 50 !nany
young men as danger signals along
this track of vice. OF thirty-two from
New York examined some time since
for cadetShip at West Point. only nine
wer" accepted as physically sound.
TWenty-three wer" rejected on account
of constitutional weakness engendcred
through secret vice. And what OF
gambling, unclcan literature and many
other things? Young men are strong
They have made history. In every field
of noble and heroic achievement many
of the leaders have wrought with
young brains in their heads and young
blood in their veins. But that strength
will turn To weakness unless they avoid
the slime pits | have named.
1t was the opinion of Goethe that tho
destiny of amy nation at any given time
depends on the opinions of the young
men under Twenty-Five. The young men
are to shape our politics. give caste
to our education, character To our
churches, direction to our commerce
and destiny to this mighty republic
What VIII our nation bc morally q gem