Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-04-30


tn" terror of the peaceful seamen
when the dreaded black flag was run
up. lie described with faithful real
ism the crowding on of the canvas and
the pursuit 10y the r:ikish craft of the
cutthroats. DRAWN. nearer and nearer
TO its prey, as the lcaping tiger comes
nearer AMI nearer 10 Il clumsy. lum-
bering buffalo. Then the Whit of
smoke. then the murslercrs clambcring
over the gunwalcs of the doomed ship,
then the wounded and dying men be-
ing pitched ovcrboarl: then with the
dramatic effect of contrast Father Tay-
lor described how these cutthroats hes
itatel before striking down the last of
those on the ;mcrcllantnlan - the cap
tains helpless wife and his innocent.
weeping child. What did the piratical
leader thendo:" said Father Taylor. lie
ordered grog To he served. Even those
murdcrers of men had a heart until a
gill Of rum and molasses apiece took 1t
away. No sooner was the rum swal-
lowed than this mother and her child
We're struck down by the men. whose
inflamcd hearts and brains were with
out mercy All. yes; the dr,inkard's
sins are scarlet. They are sins which
make men capable of fiendish work,
even 10 the death of a helpless mother
and her innocent babe.
Drink Destroys Spiritual Life.
Some people will tell you that men
drink 10 drown their sorrows. I tell
you that when men drink they stain
their souls. No sooner is the drunk
ards poisonous draft taken into the
blood than the man seems to he pos
sessed with rabies and must go forth
to scatter death wherever he can. The
human being inoculated with the poi
son Of intoxIcants seems To he endowed
with the power 10 destroy spiritual and
often physical life. as was the inocu-
lated rabbit of Australia to destroy the
physical life of beast. bird and man.
Many years ago an Australian colonist
WAS homesick for the sight of the Eng
lish rabbit He had one of his friends
ship him IL couple as pets to his faroff
southern home Those rabbits escaped
from their master and began To breed.
Their progeny increased until they
We're almost as countless as the sands
of the sea. The Australian rabbit
plague destroyed the crops. They be-
came as great curse as is the seven
teen year locust TO the American farm
err. They We're numbered by the mil
lion. The Australian parliament WAS
Ian i.tnraI
ward of Sl0O.u00 was offered for any
man who could devise practical plan
TO extcrminatc them. Wire fences were
built across that island continent. The
rabbits were hunted with guns and
dogs and entrapped everywhere. hut
still their numbers grew At length as
last resort. some rabbits were caught
and inoculated with the fatal serum of
hydroplIobia. Then a greater danger
than before menaccd these southern
c0loniStS. These mad rabbits not only
bit other rabbits. but they hit dogs and
sheep and cattle. and even hit men and
women and children. So when the
drunkar,l's blood is once inoculatcd
with the poison II seems Ia create in
its victim Il mad passion To destroy life
IL seems Ia make Il man absolutely in
different how lie might crush out the
heart of his wife. his child or his
friend. \ man drinks To drown sor-
row: oh. no. He drinks 10 crafty his
Unsuitable craving reckless of the con
sequences. though they may involve his
becoming recreant 10 his duty 10 the
helpless woman AMI the innocent chill
dren who are dependent on his cxer-
tons AMI have the strongest of all
claims Oh his loyalty. his truth ana his
honor.
Reddest of All Sins.
The drunkard's sins. without doubt
must be clasScd anon. the retldcst of
all scarlet sins Now comes the prac-
teal question. Will God cleanse the
drunkard's sins: When we say he is
4 loathsome. hcartless. good for moth
ing drunkard do we mean. There is
no hope for the drunkard:" Some of
us have such n lack of faith that we
do mean I is; but God never meant
nor said il. Purge me with hyssop
and | shall he clean: wash me. and
| shall he whittier than SNOW is ii-
rect refutation of the charge that
Christ will not forgive the drunkarl 5
sins. Oh. man. though by drunken
ness you have sold your home under
the sheriif's hammer. though you have
wrecked your business and had Your
eyes horror struck with the kalcido-
scope of delirium tremcns. yet there is
even pardon and peace for you. There
is the same message of salvation AMI
rescue for you that there was for
Francis Murphy. or Cough. or Captain
Barbour. or as there is for the scores
and hundreds upon hundreds of re-
formed drunkarls who every night
are found tcstifying To the glorious
rescuing power of the gospel of Jesus
Christ Though your drunkard's sins
be as scarlet. they shall be ms white
rs snow; though they be rcd like Grim
son. they shall be as WOOL
An Appeal to Young Men.
Young man. you who today are hay
ing your lifc's blood squeezed out of
You 10y the upper and the neither mill
stones of drunkard's sins. will you