Fergus County Democrat., 1906-02-06
"LewistOwn's Greatest Need" !"


ing a very interesting series Of sun
day evening sermons on Reform.
His sermon Sunday evening. Jan 18TH,
was "Lewistown's Greatest Need Be
low we give an extract of his sermon
Mr. Winters took as his text Luke
10:42, .One thing is needful The
Master does not condemn Martha tor
her good work but simply emulates the
'one thing needful'' for Martha, Mary
and all other people.
THAT good part which shall not be
taken away. Martha was a good
worker and was attending to her own
business, as every good man must do
if he desires success.
Marshall Field strictly adhered to
certain business principles ana be
came the first merchant prince in his
rine of goods in the world.
We have men of business capacity
in Lewistown, good buyers, good sales
men, with a purpose of success writ
ten in their business activity. But let
the idea of business success become the
consuming purpose with no higher mo-
tive in life and the harvest of the
''rich fool of scripture is the usual re-
suit.
The tendency Of prosperity, without
exalting the principles Of righteous
ness, is self-indulgence. There are
few exceptions to this rule from the
poorest to the wealthiest class of citi-
zens, save this difference, Indulgence
is more pronounced in people Of means
and more often screened from public
gaze, and in this life of hipocracy lies
Jny, fn
greatest hindrance to reform in this
community.
1t is better to throw down a dozen
poecats among a lot of lambs than one
fine looking, we'll kept dog that has
had taste of mutton. One will fright
en- and disgust, the other will wound,
mangle and kill.
The cry of many a citizen is, Rid
the town of beggars, drunken sheep
herders' and that class who have new
er known or received anything but
kicks and cuffs and harsh treatment,
many of whom are more to be pitied
than blamed. l do not recommend the
harboring of sin and crime for exam
pie but l tell you, frankly, | would
rather my boy would come in contact
with a dozen such characters Of sin
that will disgust him with such con-
dition of life than to have him fall in
the hands of an outwardly respectable
gentleman whose mind and heart and
life are stepped in the corruption and
vileness of sin brought up from the
dregs of the bottomless pit concentrat-
ed a thousand folds. 1 have learned to
love the people of Lewistown. This is
one reason | am jealous Of our welfare.
We have toiled together, counseled to-
gether, given together. l have been
treated kindly and would not say one
harsh word against any citizen, but in
| bettering our condition we must be-
gin where the tap-roOt of sin is imbed-
| ed in the foundation structure of our
society.
1t is evident from conditions that the
greater percent of gambling dens, re-
Gently closed by our county attorney,
who is worthy of commendation, and
the saloons and houses of shame have
existed and do now exist because of
the patronage of many of those who
are regarded as respectable citizens,
spending time and money in these
places of crime and vice in the midst
| of the slime and odor of hell, instead
of being at home with their families.
An officer of the law recently tod me
that the condition was alarming. One
would be surprised to learn the names
of frequent visitors to those places of
shame. l am told that a few nights
ago a certain business man on main
street turned out the lights and the
night was spent in revelry in his own
place of business. Shame on such a
condition,
a little girl of our town come home
the other day and said to her mama:
What do you think l sam --'
a certain female character. walking
along the street and when she came
in front of a certain business house.
Mr. ------. tipped his hat, smiled
and started up street with her. asking
how is your health, how are you get
| ting along, ETC. You may ask why
such a condition, and I tell you, smi-
lar minds find congenial companion
| ship.
| I said thet the greater percent exist
| because of patronage of supposed re-
spectacle citizens. That. I hope, is not
! true Yet l have reason to believe il
is true. / want to cite you to an exam
pie of the saloon business carried or
by the business mems club The books
have just been closed for one years
business and I am told by good auth
ority that eleven thousand dollar.
passed over their bar for drink las
year. Add to this the sum spent in tht
gambling den run by the same institu
tion and you have an estimate beyond
comprehension.
If I should call some of our bushes:
men common saloon keepers or bal
tenders they would feet insulted-.
would likely come home with twt
black eyes. Yet these same respectabl,
citizens, the business men, the hus
bands, the fathers and sons stood he
hnd the bar and dealt out $11 900 wortl
of hells mightiest ally in dealing deatl
and ruin to humanity. Dealt it out t
the men and on one occasion, at least
to the women as well. Shame! Sham
on the wives and mothers of our com
, munity; lowering the standard o
: womanhood. If you want to know
s what this hell conceived, finely pIanne
e rotton respectability is doing, note tn
S evidences of indulgence and debauch