Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-07-02
.John,s Latter.

Az remember him Parson Brownie,
was great on explosives and delighted Il
Iextravagances. Whether calling hin
who deals out "blue ruin'' to his fellow
men the "butt cut of original sin,
according to Brownlov, be an extrava
gance, is open to discussion. No mat
ter. The least we Can say, in the Ian
Iguage of Scripture, is: "Cursed be b.
who putteth the cup to his neighbour
lips."
The person who does not know, what
ever his habits may be, that intemper
ance is q curse, blighting, binding
curse, cannot be found on the surface OF
Gods green earth, not excepting even
him who "puts the cup" and still he
puts. Under the circumstances, Brown.
low, we will let it stand at that "butt
cut Of original SIM"
1t is conceded point, beyond contro.
versy, that drunkenness is an existent
fact and an unholy thing; that the mad
dog OF intemperance is unkennelled from
hell and is abroad In the land, biting
right and left, front and flank, here,
there and everywhere, thousands and
thousands of our fellowmen, and the
bite is death spiritual, death mental,
death moral, death physical, and the
evidences are so palpably plain that
there is no alternative but to believe and
to admit.
1t being 80, then what is your mani
fest duty as man among men, as q
brother in the universal brotherhood of
man, possessed of kindred interests and
bound for the same eternity, with the
same long night of death lowering just
beyond the sunset hills, the cold shadows
Of which your reluctant feet may be
drawing near? Finding your brother by
the wayside, wounded, sick and sore, is
it your manifest duty to pass by on the
other side and let him die, simply be-
cause he was weak, and being weak be
came sinful? Weakness is not sinfulness;
tits but the open door whereby sinful
ness enters and defiles the man. If your
neighbours house is in flames is it your
manifest duty to stand an idle and dis
interested spectator? Ignoring the fact
that you are your brothers keeper, and
that, to great extent his interest is
your interest too, you withhold the
needed effort, and in the place of house
are blackened walls or none at all
darkness and ruins-the voice of weep
ing and the prints of little bare feet in
the cold ashes of home that has
The sad fact of inebriety is admitted,
and the lifelong ruin it has brought to
many Of the weak ones of earth. 1t is
that the fires are enkindled all
over the fair heritage of man, that
earth's vast harvest field is on fire and
the wind is high and still the question
presses home: "What can | do toward
The extinguishment of this all devastat- |
ing fire?"
How would it work to stamp out your
pwn little fire if it has started, to quench
your own little burnings by drinking
only the cool, sweet, simple and satisfy
ing beer that God brewed for Adam in |
Eden? Aud 10, you have joined the fire |
company, booked an extinguisher and
the flames are being subdued. You say:
20, that is but little spark anyhow"
True, but little sparks make great fires.
Little sips make great sorrows.
You claim that they who dance must |
pay the fiddler. You do not dance and
10 it concerns not you. Now this is
dance of death for those
Who are weak enough to clasp hands
With Folly-painted harlot-and shake
he fuddled foot in the dizzy downward |
vhirl, beating tipsy time TO a drunken
Measure.
If only the reveler made payment for
lis revelry we might look on with COM
,arative indifference and take no special
interest in the DEVILS jig, but he has
wife and child. Finish the picture your
elf. l am no artist. You need not be
paring of sombre colors. The more
Tou shade it the more it will be like a
home in ruins.
Has there been no advancement in the
,ause of home and God and native land
within the narrow scope of our little
The old car of progress has started on
Is Journey round the world and all the
powers of darkpess cannot stay it in its
course. 1t is not what might be called
| lightning train proper, but an accom-
train. 1t will accommodate
,ou, but it will not stop to accommodate
,ou. 1t moves slowly, but it moves,
md the greater the weight it carries the
aster it goes. see no just cause for
Encouragement anywhere. Progress is
fact, fixed fact, a fact born of neces-
iity, the manifestation of God in all
hings, and where He is there must be
light and life and progress. Was He not
lie first great cause of it all, and will
lie leave it to perish alone! Has God
orgotten the world and will He ever
orget! have no proof to offer that ad-
,ancement in all that is right, in all
hat is just, in all that is pure and in all
hat is holy shall have an end, but an
everlasting halt shall be called to all
moyements of the sOul.