Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-03-05

Harold" which Is believed to be an
autobiography, and know what Eng
lands handsome poet was able to &C.
cOmplish for the degradation Of the
human race. Oh. men and women, be
cause sin is masked behind a beautiful
countenancc, remember 1t does not
cease to I've sin. God blasts the sin Of
n handsome Saul, and he will blast the
sins Of our modern lecherous and adul.
ferrous Lotharios as well. Pity Samuel
for clinging to the handsome Saul II
you will, but do not condemn him I'M
less you condemn all the men and wo-
men who make excuses for the modern
Don Juans because of their charm or
their beauty.
Friends Who Arc Wrong.
know 1t is hard to turn our backs
upon some friends when we know they
are doing wrong. | know that some Of
those friends WELD n powerful infiu-
ence over our lives. There is n breezi-
ness, a freshness, an originality about
some Of them that holds us to them like
magnet. We know, furthermore. that
some Of those wicked friends love us
with n devoted love. but IL we do not
break away from them I'm time their
sins will corrupt us. There is an old
proverb which SAYS. "1f a man breaches
what he does not believe after awhile
he believes what he breaches" That Is
true, but another fact is also true. If
you make bosom friend out Of ono
who is living contrary to all that you
believe to Ike right. after awhile you
will begin to sin az be sins and do as
he does. You cannot Systematically as
sociate with an evil minded person and
not in time become evil minded your
self. And the more fascinating the
friend the quicker your own spiritual
ruin
What right have you to go with
man or woman who will tell an i'm
moral story? And ! would warn my
hearers of both sexes on this subject,
for there are certain women who are
just as shameless in listening to such
stories as are some men. What right
have you to 20 with men who are loose
in their morals or with those who make
light Of the purity of the home? What
right have you to make bosom COM
panions out of those who do not honor
the house of God and all that the house
Of God stands for? What right have
you to yoke yourself in business part
nership with man whom you have to
watch every moment for fear he will
bring scandal and a disgrace on the
name of the firm? Did your Christian
father and mother ever go with such
associates as you select for your daily
companions? Would you be willing to
have your companions make the coarse
remarks before your wife or children
which they often laughingly make be-
fore you; Either you must lift your
daily companions up to your moral and
spiritual level or else they will drag
you down to theirs, and there is No ex-
ception to the rule. Have you n right
to associate with sinners and expect
to escape becoming in time companion
with them in their sins?
The Bands Of Authority.
But there was another reason why
Samuel chung to the royal apostatc.
Saul was king. He had been anoint-
ed by the order of the Lord God Al
mighty. He had been selected from
all the tribes TO rule over Israel. There
was certain sanctity about him. OF
course he had proved false to his
trust but still Saul was king. As king
the people had been taught to do him
reverence. The hardest bands to
break are the bands Of regal authority.
We are ready to send the common thief
to the penitentiary. but we hate to i'm
peach the honesty Of those who have
been placed over us in properly con-
stituted authority. And vet when the
king does wrong should he not suffer ?
When the president of the United
States or legislator or a governor or
a mayor does wrong, should he not also
suffer? And when wickedness and cor.
ruption fasten themselves upon our
political life should we not by the
grace of God cast off those sins and
also cast off those politicians who are
responsible for the moral obiQulty?
I had this truth most wonderfully
portrayed before me some time age
when I heard Samuel T. Pearson ad
dressing a great popular meeting In
Chicago Mr.. Pearson had been elect
ed few months before sheriff Of Port
land Me. Although Maine was dry
state, there We're many speak easies'
being run on the sly. The people OF
Names capital said those places coul(
not he shut up. but Mr.. Pearson said
ELECT me your sheriff and In six
weeks there will not be speak easy
in all the county" The people tool
him at his word. He shut up those
speak casies so quickly that the sa
loon keepers did not have time to shir
their beer and whisky out of town, bu
had TO empty the barrels in the gutter
and let their poisonous liquors r,lr
away into the sewers where they be
longed. Well. Of course Pearson's name
was heralded from the Atlantic to tho
Pacific and praised by all good people
He was invited to address ministers
mass meeting in Chicago, and there h,
told us how he became Prohibition
i5t and why he was so bitter agains
the other two political parties,
Sheriff Pearson's Story.
This was his story. as ! remember II
When Pearson was young man. Their
was an election going on in Portland
He stood IN line waiting to cast hi
vote for certain candidate Ahea,