The Topeka state journal., 1914-02-14

stainer is the only one who can say
OF a surety. II can let 1t alone" He
might reasonably add. Il can drink.
since drinking requires no skill or
force Of character: but he has never
tried, 80 he must be content to de-
clare. Il can let It alone"
ity, and yet with wise urgency. the wis
dom OF sogning total abstinence
pledge should be kept ever before
young people. No man can know how
many persons have been withheld from
the liquor habit by the ono sure course
Of refusing to take the first drink. The
fact that one has signed pledge II In
itself forever q sufficient excuse for
declining all invitations to drink. The
temperance pledge n as, efficAcious
against drunkenness a. the new form
Of innoculation il against typhoid fever.
Every friend Of righteousness owes
It to the cause Of Righteousness to
stand up and be counted
A pledge against the use Of strong
drink IL also, incidentally, q pledge
against incurring certain other grave
dangers which commonly como only
to those who drink. Many q girl
would have preserved her chastity II
she had never put a glass OF liquor to
her lips; and tens OF thousands Of
young men would never have become
thieves and gamblers and prodigals
had they refused the first taste OF
liquor. -
Strong drink Is the worlds great
weakener.
| Other pledges than that of total
abstinence may we'll be taken by the
foes OF AQuOr. Thus here II one that
seems to be called for In these times
when = summons to dne up Is sound
ing throughout the land. offer the
form of words tentatively: the idea Il
| the thing:
'.As a matter OF conscience, pur-
pose to stand by all Men. Movements,
and Newspapers that stand against
the liquor traffic"
| One reason why believe In chil-
dren signing the temperance pledge
is that know by experience that 1t h
held sacred. As a child signed q
| pledge in Sunday school When i
was ten years old met with q eeri-
Gus accident. being battered and gored
by an infuriated bull. lay for hours
IN a field before was found Then
was carried home to die. The black-
ness Of the long night was closing
about me. Only the faces pressed
close to mine were recognizable. Yet
when brandy was offered me by the
doctor refused It. because of that
pledge In the hour when all the con-
Germs OF hfe were growing dim. the
grip Of that vow in all the years since
through the varied experiences OF
newspaper wor kand the vicissitudes
of foreign traveHthat pledge has
! held fast. Personally, I am glad that
thus early in life the question of totaI
abstinence was decided for mo as g
finaltty.
If It is right for q child to accept
the life vows Of religion. it cannot b<
less right to make a permanent pledge
concerning the use Of intoxicants.
police courts. by drunkards, with win,
enervated by alcohol. are one thing
and the Christian temperance vows
made by boys and girls. men and WON.
en-. In the clear light Of reason and res.
olutton, are another. For God eives
power for the performance Of pledee,
made in His name.
The pledged abstainer IL relieved
from the necessity of making a new de
cislon every time he IL invited to drink
The promotion Of pledge siRninf
eliminates possible material for the sa
loon. The boy Or girl who, with intel
ugence and purpose. covenants to b,
total abstainer. is no longer a pos
sible recruit for the army Of drinkers
which must every generation be re-
newed. Thus. the surest way to re
rid OF the liquor traffic IL to gtarve
out.
, He who purposes in his heart to h
. good soldier Of social service natur
! ally pledges with his hand to give nd
, countenance to strong drink which i
the arch-enemy of the common wei
, fare.
II you want to succeed in ANYTHING
let all liquor alone. II you want YOU
friends to succeed. help them to lie
. 1t alone.-Professor X. p. Harrington
,i SEVEN SENTENCE SERMONS.
A being SO profoundly felt must in
: evftably be.-Horace Bushnell.
= .
, Solitude is as needful for the imaei
. nation as society II wholesome for ia
character.-Lowell.
y
J. Thrice blest is he to whom IL given
l The instinct that can tell
. That God Is on the field. when he
2 Is most invisible.-Anon.