Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-08-20

lector for the store. lie plays and
loses. lie plays again AMI loses. He
feels again for money in his pocket
| Now his checks pale and his hands
trcmble for his fingers have touched
the envelope which belongs to his EN-.
ploycr. He says to himself: Il must
win. will borrow 81 ana pay it back
very soon" He plays again and loses;
| again. and loses. What is the result
The next day he dare not confess, so
he doctors his accounts lie keeps
on using other peoples money until at
last one night in order to conceal his
past sins he FORCES. Then all the in
fernal regions clap their hands for joy
At last they have new victim. The
law places its heavy hand upon that
young mans shoulder. \ striped suit
and penitcntiary cell and broken
hearted mother are the results of the
sinner trying to conceal his sin behind
Il bulwark of many sins
But why invent parable TO illus
trate my thought: We can. if we
would. find conspicuous illustration
following the downward path of one
whose name might have been among
the most honored in American history.
All intelligent men. women and chill
dren III this audience have spoken the
name of Benedict Arnold with execra.
ton and contempt. Living or dead.
the sentence which this imbittered ex.
lie spoke TO the fugitive Charles Maui
rice Tallcyrand. who was asking him
| for letters of introduction to friends in
America. Is true: Il am the only man
| born III America. who fought III the
American war for liberty. who has not
a friend in all America. am Bene-
| dict Arnold. the traitor"
But today do not see alone Arnold
the traitor do not see merely the
betraycr of West Point ] see. first.
Benedict Arnold the hero of Ticonder.
oga. | see Benedict Arnold the hero
and commander Of the wonderful ex-
petition against Quebec. which in lI15
in midwinter marched through the
Maine woods | see Benedict Arnold
wounded before the walls where Wolfe
| fell and where Montcalm Oreathed his
last see Benedict Arnold of Lake
| Champaign and the conuueror at Ridge
field. Conn. see Benedict Arnold
who fought in the first battle Of Sara
toga and Benedict Arnold. the Phil
Sheridan of the second battle Of Sara
toga. who turned the ebbing tides of
defeat into the flood tides Of Il victory
| that submerged Burgoyne and his
troops even us Pharaoh and his hosts
were drowned i'm the Red sea. Then [
see this wounded hero. Benedict Ar
mold wounded the second time ut Sara
toga being appointed to the command
of the city of Philadelphia. To rest there
until his wounds healed Then l see
the arist0crhcy of the American capital
making pet. Il social lion. Of this hero
of heroes. Then | see Benedict Arnold
running into debt to pay the expenses
of his social triumphs and not knowing
how to eXtricate himself. Then l see
him led on 10y sin to conceal sin until
ut last he had to do something to save
himself from financial as we'll as social
disgrace. Then | see him. as Il last re-
sort to conceal sin. trying to barter
away the citadel of American indie
pendence. West Point. All. my friends.
when Benedict Arnold started on his
downward path of extravaganza he
never intended to he n traitor. His
attempt to betray West Point was
merely the elimination of Il long series
| of attempts tn conceal sin. Beware OF
| the first glass. the first lie. the first
taste Of the fruit Of the forbidden
tree Oh. yes. But. more than that.
beware of the Internal folly Of trying
| to conceal Sin with sin.
Rut as we push our way through the
| flower gardens and the hedges of par
| adise and see our guilty ancestors
standing before God feel that they
are not willing to leave their hiding
places Of sin even after the embowered
roofs and the curtains Of leaves have
been torn aside and the guilty pair are
compelled to confess that the fruit Of
the forbidden tree has been placed
against their lips Even now they are
UUtH Wy iiiS W CohCesii sHi Nitiilii Bill
What is the man trying TO do: Why.
he IL trying to throw all the blame of
his sin upon his wife What is the
woman trying TO doi She is no bet
ter They are both tarred with the
same black pitch of meanness. Why.
she Is trying to throw the blame of
her sin upon the serpent The man
said. The woman whom thou gavest
to me. she gave me of the tree, and |
did eat" The woman said. THE ser
pcnt bcguiled me. and l did eat" The
young Adam of the present day says.
81 believe all my evil desires were in
herited from my ancestors. and they
are 10 blame. and not myself" The
young Eve of modern times. lifting the
! glass of wine To her lips just before
! her doom. says: Il am not to blame.
Other people drink Every one of my
friends drink: therefore they set me
! an example must follow They are
! to blame not myself" The young
drunkard blamcs the saloon keeper for
selling him the whisky. The saloon
keeper justifies himself by pleading
that the voter approves of his having a
license To stand behind the bar.