The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-09-08
A PUNISHMENT FOR GORGING
OURSELVES WITH PLEASURE

Editor Dawson News: THE peo-
pie sat down to eat and drink, and
rose up to play'-Moses. Blessed
is the man that keepeth the Sabbath
| from polluting it," Thus saith the
Lord Keep ye judgment and do JUS
| tice''-Isaiah. My friend D. w. Ham
mack's article on the situation and
the remedy therefor is good, every
line true, just as every line of the
texts quoted is as true now as when
uttered. We have INDUCED in need
less self-indulgence at the expense
of the most important thing-that
of observing the law of God-tO fol-
low Him. AS He rested one day in
seven so We should rest one day in
, seven, and teach men of Him as well
as learn of Him ourselves. But as
when the Israelites lusted for flesh
and Ioathed the mama (they were
given enough to gorge themselves)
so we, coming from the bitter expe-
rience of four years of war, through
reconstruction, into the best age of
America S life, have forgotten the
Giver, and gorged ourselves with the
sensual things of this age, not even
rendering to God His rightfuI share
of our time, and the poor man, emu
lating his weather. brother, has eat
en- all of his bread and mOrtgaged
his future for the sake of the lust of
pleasure. And God, to sober US, has
allowed this mild punishment of
stagnant markets to come upon us,
if so be we will repent before the
.f
with which our brethren across the
Atlantic are afflicted should come
upon US. In a small city of our state
some weeks since a man of wide
observation pointed out to me a man
who owned three motor cars and
whose home was mOrtgaged for $780,
00O-part purchase money and part
mprOyements-and who knew farm
ing but preferred living in a rented
house in the town rather than on his
farm. A young man was in my office
some days since and said You
ought to get you a roadster, and old
man J. could afford to have a tour
ing car and chauffeur" To which
the reply was made that Debt pay
ing came first with me, and that
while J. could afford all that he
claimed he had lived to be a man
with grandchildren and preferred
riding in his buggy, knowing his
horse, or TO go in his children's cars,
knowing who was steering"
Paying this years debts, and for
necessities, is not what is hurting,
but paying Cor things not needed
and giving up non-essentials, where
we feel they are almost necessities,
is what is hurting. and then failing
to do justice to God or coming men
and women by allowing and teach
ing by example the useIessness of
working before enjoying, by allowing
the young to dope on liquids and rest
in idleness when twG-thirds of the
boys should be in the refOTmatOry at
Milledgeyille because their fathers
allow them to grow up in idIeness
rather than go with them to the
fields. For proof Of this go to any
village any day IN the week, see the
idle men and boys around the stores,
hear the cry of hard times, low price
of cotton, etc; go to the larger towns
and note the absence of fathers at
services and the throng of
the young of both sexes at dope
fountains on the Sabbath. Then, let
ting repentance begin at home, re-
form yourself, for Paul says: IF
a man doth not control his own
house how can he care for the house
of Od?''-the world outside his
home ANDREW P. RTVES.
Cathbert, Ga, Sept. z, 1914.