Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-20
Editors Letter Box
Line upon Line.

Line upon Line. =
Editor kennepec Journal:
once there was an old fellow in Mas
sachusetts who said, 1T don't do nobody
no good to know nothing There's
tautology for you with vengeance, but
the meaning is plain as there is no bene,
mt to be derived from ignorance. Some.
times, however, 1 think certain kinds of
knowledge is wasted, absolutely wasted
or thrown away, especially upon the
young, and, surely upon that class of
people whose consciences are SO hard
ened that counsel or warnings from pull
pit, press or story is thrown away or, as
the scripture has it, Like casting pearls
before swine From time immemorial
it has been line upon line and precept
upon precept to the young and to the old
that strong drink is raging, that how
ever, inviting, at the last, lit biteth
like a serpent and stingeth like an
adder There are some you never can
convince; they have got to learn from
long and bitter personal experience and
sometimes it seems as though some were
born to go to the bad and that all eff
forts to save them were useless. If peo-
pie are more determined to follow the
broad road to destruction instead
of listening to common sense and
reasoning, why, let them go to the
devil, if they want to; don't try
to stoy them; it is utterly useless. Well,
that is one way of looking at it; but is it
the right way? l think not. Line upon
line and precept upon precept, don't let
up. There is the pulpit to warn, the lee
ture platform to instruct, and the press
when on the right side of the drink
question, to keep the people well in
formed in regard to the benefits to be
derived from total abstinence Can a man
who has been addicted to the use of in
toxicants for many years reform? Most
certainly he can, by the help of Divine
power, if his own will is not strong
enough. | met a man recently. who,
good many years ago was an awful
drunkard, so besotted with drink that he
acknowledged frequently he was fit to
live only with swine. How is he now at
the age of s42 Sober, healthy. clean and
good to look upon. For "A years he has
used neither tobacco nor strong drink.
do, if they will only try. There is every
ncouragement from good men and wom-
en- in or out of the church, but the best
encouragement is from Christ himself
ITO him that overcometh will l grant
to sit with me in my throne even as also
l overcome and am set down on my
Fathers Throne" Rev. 3:21. God does
not promise to come down and take one
in his arms and land him or her in
Heaven without help on their part.
We have doubtless all seen people so
weak and helpless as seemingly to be de-
void of all will power; they would start
to reform, run we'll for time and then
suddenly go back to their old ruinous
habits. The trouble was, they wouldn't
help themselves, they actually expected
Christians to smooth the way for them.
kill every giant of despair. take them up
in their arms as it were, and land them
safely in Heaven.
Fortunately few are so helpless and no
matter how low down men and women
may sink there is always a chance to
be saved and when all others fail from
any cause to extend the helping hand,
the Salvation Army comes to the rescue
and leads them gently back to home and
safety.
But what is the use. say some, of being
sober, industrious and saving; l am only
a poor workman, work hard, my money
is my own and. if / go on spree once
in while, it's nobody's business. 1 want
a little fun out of life as well as the fell
low that is higher up; he belongs to
club, select it may be, where they meet
fraternally, socially, and have all the good
things that money can buy. What's
the use, you say, of being good
and sober? No use. my friend,
if you are satisfied with being al
ways at the bottom of the ladder, but,
remember this-booze has seldom lifted
one to the top of the ladder; if, by
chance turn of the wheel of fortune, one
gets there, King Alcohol will bring him
down. But l must cut my temperance
story in two and in another article give
practical illustrations of the benefit of
being sober and Industrious. Editors do
not like long-drawn out articles any
more than people like long-drawn out
speeches. With them it is condense, con-
dense and still condense, for, if not, it is
pigeon-holed or thrown into the waste
basket. Condensed milk may be just as
good as uncondensed, but the original
flavor is gone. What an editor wants is
the real meat of an article and not the
meat of a walnut either for that requires
too much picking. w. P. A.
Vienna, y. j., Jan. II, 1915