The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-21

made man upright; but they have sought
for many Devices" This wonderful adj
monition by the old philosopher-moralist.
Ecclesiastes, may well be applied to
the present-day reformers, who in seek
ing a way for the solution of certain
problems or in striving for an eradica-
ton of the existing evils, they are so
prone to overstep all limits by their
many Devices" and they would fain
overthrow the whole scheme of creation
Filled with an erroneous zeal, these
would-be reformers propose to remove
the ancient landmarks which the early
ones have set up, and to outroot the very
foundation upon which human society has
grown and f1ourished throughout the on
ward course of its progression. Taking
man as a bit of mechanism upon which
they may freely exercise their expert
mental reforms, they will simply forget
about his individuality, his natural incli-
nations, his habits, customs and propen-
stiles, even his natural demands. By
mere action OF the solons of legislature
they can with one stroke of the pen
make man straighter than God Almighty
has formed him.
Such a radical reform blunder is the
so-called prohibition wave that is now
sweeping over the states with irresisti-
BILE force, surging and seething and boil
ing over to the brim, carrying off man,
horse and dragon. The religious as well
as those who have no pretensions on re-
ligion are alike affected by the tremen-
dous onrush of this wave of dryness.
Has it ever occurred to the advocates
of the prohibition movement that the
extreme measures they endeavor to in
still cannot but have a contrary effect;
that one extreme Is sure to bring on an
other; that abstention will always Guilt
vate lust, and teetotalism in any direc-
ton will add to the excesses and degen-
eracy of the age?
But inasmuch as prohibtionists base
their motives chiefly upon the moral in
struction of Holy Writ, 1t may not be
amiss to present in brief order the reli-
gious view OF the subject.
From the point of morality and reli-
gion, inordinate drinking will cause un-
happiness. But one must not ignore the
fact that the same rule holds good with
every earthly blessing. There Is not
thing in existence but whose use and
abuse are weighed on the same scale.
Whatever Is good and beneficial in Its
due place and season, is also destructive
in its misappication. All things essen
tial to the prosperity of mankind will be-
come the means of mans undolng, If
carried to extremes and abnormality. The
same with thoughts and ideals that are
ill-used or misdirected Anarchism is only
a miscarried bit of idealsm. Passion Is
Just the characteristic trait by which
worlds are torn down, and worlds are
built up. Without the due amount Of
passion not q single enterprise would
succeed without the necessary zeal and
enthusiasm the world would soon come
to a standstill and perish of stasnation.
So the rule of government will become
misrule, and the established order will
soon be turned into chaos and confusion,
should the human power be permitted to
govern illlmitably. Though government,
you will admit is a positive necessity,
even a blessing amid human society; yet
with all this So no free American will
tolerate an excess of government, or an
over-production of law. Freedom. too, Is
a cody privilege; and yet 1t Is often
carried into RIGHTEOUSNESS. VIII you.
therefore propose to kill freedom? Home
is perchance the sweetest term in human
language; and yet, home is made the
blacklist h by the sheer misuse of its
blissful privileges In brief, everything
that exists Is a composite of the good and
bad while the whole of nature is only
"give and take" process, and whatever
is endowed with the highest quality is at
the same time possessed of lowest con-
stitutent. The philosophy of Judaism
teaches that man, the crown of creation,
even he In his own makeup. Is a COM
posite Of the most high with the most
low. woman in truth, is the better part
of man, the gentler creature of the two,
the helpful, administering angel Of man.
made to share in his joy, to soothe him
in sorrow, and to labor for his continual
uplifting and moral advancement. Yet
woman is ordinarily the more vain, and
the more frivolous creature, and when
these womanly characteristics are let
loose in unlimited measure-then God
save man! This noblest of creatures,
with all the good qualities and charms
of her gentle being, Is nevertheless the
worst enemy Of man. From the very day
in which she tempted Adam to eat of the
forbidden fruit, even to the present mo-
ment, woman above all else Is the means
of mans undoing, the cause of his dis
grace and death. Will you say, let wom-
an pass out of existence and put an end
to human suffering? Yes, there were
sects and creeds who really attempted
such method of determination. They are
extinct, while the world is alive So the
old Essences Ito which sect belonged John
the Baptist and his disciple Jesus1 they
undertook to prepare for the future
world and to ignore entirely the require
ments of earthly life; while on the other
hand the Saduccees all rioted in the pres
ent and believed not in the hereafter.
Both fell short of lifes purpose and the
sect of totalists on the one side met
with the same fate which overlook the
extremists on the other side.
OF the worlds good things money
seems to be the most desirable. And
the source of nearly all the human trou-
bles, none has yet attempted a crusade
against the evil of the filthy lucre, with
the suggestion to strike the money out
of existence. Neither the ministers of
the gospel, nor the layman, neither the
church, nor the laity would give any
heed to an unreasonable demand of this
kind. For it must be known that money
is not altogether without its uses. 1t can
do the most good, as it. can do the most
evil
Salt is said to be poison no less than
a food, and the excessive use of 1t is
likely to kill. Physicians have even
traced the sickness of the cancer and
other horrible blood diseases to excessive
salt-eating. Yet the salt is most I'm
portant element In nature, a preserver Of
health and life, and covenant ever
lasting with Cod
The fact of the matter is the more pre-
cious an object the more conspicuous its
faults. And thus the wine, in spite of
the peril attending its misuse, still Is