The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-06-02
WHERE LIES THE GUILT.

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feast to a thousand Of his lords, an
drank vine before the thousand. Be
shazzar. while be tasted the wine. com
manded to bring the gold and silve
vessels which his father, Nebuchad
nezzer, had taken out Of the tempt
which was in jerusalem; and the king
and his princes, his wives and his con
cubines, drank in them. Dan. 5:1-8
When the fumes Of the wine ha,
gone to the kings head his reason wa
beclouded, his sober judgment was de
throned and in this condition he wa
led to commit the awful sacrilege which
was interrupted by the spectral hand
writing on the wall How many
others have been led by strong drink tc
similar experienced How many a
man, when his faculties have been be-
clouded by drink SO that he could not
appreciate the true nature Of his acts,
has been led to commit some terrible
deed which has forever blighted his own
prospects and perhaps those Of others,
bringing upon himself a judgment from
which, like Belshazzar's, there was no
ESCAPED The number of such cases is
legion. Oh, that men would heed the
lesson and shun this insidious foe which
benumbs the higher faculties Of the
mind and leaves man to the control
of base passions. How can man who
has any self respect voluntarily begin
a habit that will degrade him to a posi-
ton worse than that of the beasts 1t
is idle for any person, in the face Of the
thousands Of examples all around him,
to say, when he begins, that he will
never suffer himself to reach the lowest
place If he begins Nine chances out
Of ten he will end his days wallowing in
the gutter. If one does not mean to be
all that the worst slave to drink is, one
must not take the first cup. That is
the only sure way to prevent reaping
the full fruition of the drunkard' s life.
II you are not willing to be one to reap
the scene given in the following selec-
ton, don't take the first drink:
Prisoner at the Bar, said the
Judge, have you anything to say why
the sentence OF death should not be
passed upon your" The Judge waited
in dignified silence. Not whisper was
heard anywhere and the situation be-
came painfully oppressive. Then the
prisoner was seen to move. His head
was raised, his hands clinched, while
The blood rushed to his pale, careworn
lace. Suddenly be arose to his feet and
IN low, but firm voice, said. III
nave, your honor. You have asked |
me question, and | now ask as last |
'avor on earth that you will not inter
-upt nay answer until am through. | |
stand before this bar convicted Of the |
yillful murder Of my wife. Truthful
Witnesses have testified to the fact that
was a loafer, drunkard and a wreck,
hat / returned from one Of my pro-
onged debauchees and fired the fatal
hot which killed the wife | had sworn
o love, cherish and protect. While /
rave no remembrance of committing
he fatal deed, have no right to COM
,lain nor to condemn the verdict Of the
welve good men who have acted as
ury in this case, for their verdict is in
ccordance with the evidence which ]
ave heard. But may it please the
curt, / wish to show that / am not
lone responsible for the murder Of my
rife. = This startling statement created
tremendous sensation. The Judge
saned over the desk, the lawyers
-heeled around and faced the prisoner,
ne jurors looked at each other in
Yes, | repeat it, am
OF the only one guilty Of the murder
my wife. The judge on this bench, +
he jury in the box, the lawyers within
le bar and most OF the witnesses, in
uding the pastor Of the old church,
re also guilty before Almighty God
nd will have to stand with me before
lis Judgment throne, where we shall
} righteously Judged for all our
words and deeds. If there
ad not been saloons in my town |
lould not have become drunkard,
" wife would not have been murdered |
i'd | should not be here now ready to t
, hurled into Eternity. Had it not
zen for these human traps | should I
i've been sober man, an industrious \
orkman, tender father and loving
ashland. But to-day my home is des- S
Dyed, my little children cast out into o
g world, while / am to be hanged by D