The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-04-04
SERMON PREACHEDAT THE
FUNERAL OF TRUMAN ROOT.
Delivered at Friendsviile by Rev. A.
l.. Donachy of that Town.

a l.. DON2chy, upon the occasion OF the
funeral of Truman Root, who was murdered
near Friendsville Feb. 14th, is published at
the request OF the Ministerial Association of
Friendsvile-Ed. REPUBLICAN,.
My friends, it is a sad mission that
has called so many Of US to this house
! today. We are here to perform the last
service we can render to our fellowman
in this world
In this casket before US lies the NOR
tai remains of one well known to all
who are here today; one whom | count
ed amolG my friends; one who had
for lon; time felt an interest in, but
today he sleeps the ORGANIZES sleep
which knows no waking" until the Day
of Judgment. God is infinite in mercy
and we know that if this man called on
Him for mercy in the hour of his ex-
tremity that pardon was granted. Pre-
suming on Gods mercy is our only con-
ISOLATION.
Truman Root died the night of Feb
ruary 14th, 1907, aged about As years.
The portion of Scripture we select on
which to base our remarks, for this
occasion you will find in Proverbs, 23rd
chapter, beginning with the last clause
of the 9th verse and ending with the
32nd verse.
We cannot pronounce an eulogy over
the remains of our friend, but oh how
we wish we could do so. We can only
try to draw out of this sad affair (Which
has brought so much sorrow into so
many homes and lives in our little COM
munity) some lesson that mayihelp US
IN the future to more faithfully Cis-
charge our duties as citizens and Chris
tians. Nothing which Lean say here
today will add to the grief of this heart
broken widow and mother, these seven
fatherless children and these sorrowing
| sisters. So, we do not propose to mince
our words on this sad occasion.
In philosophy we reason from cause
/ to effect and from effect to cause. We
want to, if we can, find out what was
/ the cause Of all this trouble which has
so stirred the feelings of the people;
which has brought this great congrega-
! ton into this church house today;..which
| has brought to so sad and untimely an
end the life of the man who lies so silent
/ before US; why have as minister Of
the Gospel twice in less than two month s
stood beside the casket containing TIE
remains of men whom | counted as
among my friends, with whom and for
whom had often poured out my soul in
! prayer to God, when they in sorrow ard
| penltence were trying to shake off the
letters of intemperance which held
them captive.
Solomon, wisest of all philosophers,
links the strange women and wine to-
gether, as you will see in the text, as
two great evils, and they are the
greatest evils in the world today, as
they ever have been, either one of itself
capable of wrecking the lives, the hap
piness and the souls of men.
~ 'SShio W liidI tiiC MN lultI VI
hades must have exhausted the powers
of his inventive genius when he devised
the combination of the strange women
and intoxicating drinks. for they are
now as they ever have been his most
powerful agencies for the destruction of
human happiness and immortal souls.
Some Of you have said that the
strange woman was the cause of the
trouble now under consideration, but
she was only the secondary cause5 the
first or primary cause was the liquor
and the licensed saloon.
We do not intend to be personal in our
remarks, do not wish to hurt the feel
lngs of any one in this congregation
who is engaged in the liquor business.
You have all treated me with kindness,
and you have many good qualities, but
as an humble minister Of "The Gospel
of Christ | cannot be true to God and
myself if | do not condemn your bust
ness. | admit it is a legitimate bust
ness, for the laws of the State and Ma
tional government give you the right to
engage in it, but it is wrong in the
sight of God, wrong as social or eco
nomical policy. That Nation or State
is pursuing suicidal policy which gives
to one class of its citizens the right to
engage in a business which is destruc-
tive to the prosperity, the health, the
happiness, the homes and the lives of
other classes Of its citizens, and surely
the liquor business does all of these.
lived in Friendsville for period of
nearly five years, during which time we
had no licensed saloons, and our village
was nice, quiet place in which to live.
During that time there were no murders
committed in our town, we had no po-
liceman, we had no lookup. We did
not need them; but oh what change has
taken place. We now have policeman
and lookup, andwe need them both all
the time. What has made the change?
Simply this We have the licensed
saloon. We have had it for less than