The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1915-03-04
A Funeral Sermon

we copy it, 1t was published in the
Republican" by special request OF
Mrs. Liller and a number Of other
Oakland people. Read it. 1t is clas'
sic. 1t will stir your oul.-From
Clean Politics, May IS, lo13.)
The scene before us is sad beyond
all description. Il is not my busi-
ness as a minister TO apologize for the
mistakes OF the dead man who's body
lies in this casket.
"As the tree falls it must lie".
Our limitations are such, and we see
through a glass darkly, so that it is
not always possible to tell how the
tree falls.
II is customary to exalt the virtues
OF the dead, and 10 minimize their
faults, while we exalt the faults oil the
living and minimize their virtues.
God would have US do justice to both
the dead and living. We who ase
living demand justice if we are the
object OF criticism. Our demands are
not so imperative il some one else is
the object. Certainly, il the pale lips
before US could speak we could only
hear a mild demand for simple justice.
So endeavor to approach the task
before me, which is by no means
pleasant one, with sense Of justice
to hoth living and the dead. A man
who himself must stand before the
judgment bar Of God to give an
account OF the deeds done in the
body" surely cannot afford 10 do on
an occasion like this anything that
would embarass him in the great day.
This funeral talk cannot be delivered
without taking into account the living
as we'll as the dead. The dead can't
talk back, the living can, and prob
ably will, so I will say as little Of the
dead as possible, and speak directly
to and Of the living.
First, Clyde Liller, the man. 1t is
needless to say his sun has gone
down while it is yet day. When he
should have been at his best, in the
prime Of manhood's powers, the sup
porter and defender Of his family,
taking his place as citizen in great
Republic, bearing hia share Of lite's
burdens. suddenly the light went out,
ard the spirit went back to the God
who gave it,.
Clyde Liller when at himself, was a
generous, large hearted man. His
wife has said more than once TO the
speaker, that when Clyde was sober
one could not wish for a better hus'
band, a better father. But when
whiskey goes in, the man goes out.
Social life in America is such that the
man with a weakness for alcohol has
a tremendous battle to figh! and in
most instances is the loser. AT some
time in his life, / know not when,
he tasted the poison and later found
the Scripture true" At last it biteth like
a serpent and stingeth like an adeT".
The habit once contracted, its effects
felt, his will power weekend, it got
beyond his control until the finished
product, the legitimate fruit Of the
American saloon, lies a helpless, pitt
less corpse before US. A woman has
been made a widow, three children
made orphans, because the liquo:
traffic pays revenue, and some men
will sell il regardless Of the widows
cry and the orphans wall.
Some ore is saying, He ought tc
have let is alone when he saw he
could not control it." Oh yes, now
easy TO say that and how little i
means. That strong man who boasts
that he can take it CT let il alone
Usually takes it and sooner or late
becomes a hopeless wreck himself
Another says: Let whiskey alone anc
it will let you alone" This i
another assertion as false as Satal
himself. These innocent children lei
alone, but it did not let them alone
This heart broken widow let it alone
but it did not would not, lei her alone
Either directly or indirectly thi
orrible monster, the liquor traffic, ha
S satanic clutches around the ,hroa
,f every man, woman and child in ou
fair land.
want to say here that to my oel
sonal knowledge Clyde Liller di
make a struggle, and brave one,
stem the tide and free himself fror
the manacles that bound him hand an
foot. When he would 20 to work
the hon. that he was victor, on h