Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-09-04

out simply roNlIn ftt the (ftttn. Il
fault that meant married life.
Incidence was a fault With many
torn lazy and tired and never gets
rested: no ambition no aspiration, a
faul' which mars the man
Gambling was another fault Some
men say that they go into The gam
bling hell because they cant contrc!
heir actions. hut fault which de
stroys the man.
Speculation closely akin to gam
hlin", was another fault Which alone
would mar a mans life.
He said that he mentioned these
faults 20 show hat a character other
wise resplendent may be married by
craze fer one of these faults.
However. The fault which bii2hts the
characters of more mon. causes more
tears and breaks more hearts than
amy OF her is the habit of strong drink
We said that his remarks may be
somewhat personal, lut they were
spoken in love. and in an effort to
help some young man to break the
habit of strong drink. The one evil
habit which most completely saps the
drink. 1t opens the door to every kind
of vice imaginable and to degradation.
Men you have honored, and who shine
as intellectual and mental giants are
| dragged down to the lowest depths of
| infamy by strong drink. 1t is the
| Mordacai in the gate.
Haman was serving under King
| Ahasuerus, and he was man of honor
and he secured the passage of an edict
, along the street everybody must bow
: down tc him. There was one man who
I had no respect for Hannah. and his
name was Mordeca. He refused to
bow to Haman Haman cared nothing
for honor SO long as Mordecai sat in
the kings gate. because it was one
man who refused to bow the knee and
worship him. hence all honors availed
nothing. The speaker said he cared
not how prosperous mans life may
be. if the Mordecai of strong drink sits
| in the gate and threatens tc tear down
and destroy. life is a failure
Who is it that is caught. as if in a
snare, by strong drink? How often
have you heard, "That man is the
best workman We have when he is
sober? What does it avail if there
is Mordecai in the gate?
How often have you heard devoted
wife say he is one of the best of hus-
bands as long as he stays away from
the saloon? He is one of the tenderest
and most loving as long as he is sober
Mordecai in the gate! What does
all the love and tenderness amount to
if the breaking hearted wife must say,
when sober! When sober!' The
one dark cloud obscuring all his better
qualities.
Robert Burns was a man of the
most vivid Imagination, man warm
hearted. excelled in humor. a man of
great tenderness, but there was the
Mordecai in the gate Ruined, de-
stroyed, and killed by Mordecai.
The speaker then asked his auditors
n fo
Allen Poe possessed one of the most
marvellous minds, and was one of
the greatest geniuses the south ever
produced, but he died at an early age
of his one fault-a Mordecai in the
gate
John L. Sullivan was for years
physical giant.~ Today he is mere
weakling or child. The change was
not brought about by age or hard work.
A Mordecai in the gate-a love for
strong drink.
He said that strong drink simply
mocks man. 1t promises that which
it can not give, and he that is deceiv-
ed by it is not wise. 1t refuses any
return except destroyed manhood.
He quoted the 29th and 3Oth verses
of the 23d chapter of Proverbs as
showing Gods curse upon those who
have the habit Of strong drink:
who hath woe? Who hath sor-
row? Who hath contentious? Who
hath babbling? Who hath wounds
without cause? Who hath redness of
eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine; they that seek mixed wine.''
He said that the need Of temper
ance was declared in Proverbs 21:17:
"He that loveth wine and oil shall