The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-18
PUTTING NEW WINE INTO OLD
BOTTLES,

No man putteth a piece of new cloth into
an old garment; for that which is put In
10 nil II up taketh from the garment, and
the rest is made worse. Neither do men
put new wine into old bottles: else the
bottles break, and the wine runneth out,
and the bottles perish; but they put new
wine into new bottles, and both are pre-
served.-Matt. tx, 1917.
To understand this figure we must re-
member that the bottles used by the
clients generally and by the Hebrews in
common with other peoples, were made of
the skins of animals. The first explicit
reference to bottles of skin in Scripture oc-
ours in Joshua tx, 4. where it is said the
GideOnites took "old sacks upon their asses.
and wine-bottles old and rent and bound
up" The effect of putting new wine into
old bottles would probably be that if the
bottles were tightly corked the fermenta-
tion of the new wine would cause them to
burst
The figure was intended to illustrate the
necessity of observing the proprieties of
time and place. and the danger of violating
the laws of nature. Something of the same
idea appears in the words of Solomon that
ITO everything there is a season, and a
time to every purpose under the heaven;
a time to be born. and a time to die; a
time to plant and a time to pluck up that
which is planted; a time to kill and time
to heal; time to break down and a time
to build up" etc. The preacher who wrote
Vanity Of vanities, all is vanity" also
enforced the idea that 1t is the part of wis
dom to observe the eternal fitness of
things.
Our distinguished fellow-countryman. Mr.
William ]. Bryan, is just now furnishing
a notable example of violating the fitness
of things and putting new wine into old
bottles. Having returned from a stay of
probably found some new avenue of
thought, he seems to be imbued with the
idea of injecting confidence into the Demo-
cratic party. Perhaps during his stay
abroad he dwelt with some remorse on the
two constituencies campaigns he made in
favor of a dishonest dollar, or perhaps he
| became convinced that If the party is ever
to succeed it must be vaccinated with a
new kind of virus Even Dowie. Elijah II.
| finds ii necessary to change his methods
occasionally. Whatever his motive may be.
Mr.. Bryan has evidently determined to
adopt a new line of treatment-the con-
| science cure. BY some sort of hypcdermic
| injection or moral enema he proposes Ia
| fill the party so full of conscience that all
low desires and base motives will be ex-
PEELED from sheer lack of room.
The change of treatment probably comes
too late and is likely to do the patient more
harm than good. 1t is like putting new
wine into old bottles. or doing the right
| thing at the wrong time. The old leather
bottle which Mr.. Bryan proposes TO al
with conscience is like those which the
| Gideonites took upon their asses-"old and
/ rent and bound up 1t cannot stand the
strain of the fermentation that would fol
low being filed with the new wine of q
moral energy which it has never known be-
fore Rent and strained by numerous de-
feats, torn by fractional dissensions and
patched with recent attempts at reorgani
zation it is in no condition for rash expert
menting This is no time for change Of
diet, and especially for the adoption OF
one to which the patient has not been &C
| customed The old leather bottle SHOULD
be filled with something soothing-oil, but
termilk. or something of that kind. But no
with conscience, lest the bottle break anC
the contents as we'll as the bottle be lost