The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-07
For September 9. Is THE Benefits of
l Total Abstinence Dan. Chap. l.

Total Abstinence. Dan. Chap. /.
Learning the Art of Living.
Men study how to do everything
but live. No man would enter COM
mercial venture with the same heed
lessness and lack of foresight and I'M
Outstanding with which men airily
take up the great business of life.
Plan, purpose, philosophy-mosto of us
have none. 1t really seldom occurs to
us to prepare for living as for the
most serious undertaking of our ex-
| istence. How to live serel.ely, sunni
| ly and serviceably and in the full ex-
ercise of our powers is a great prob
lem. which is none the less real be-
cause so often ignored.
Daniel and his young friends sought
excellence. They were firstclass hands
at the art of living. So they were
willing to do without some things in
order to win better. The common
| luxuries of court life wer+, less allur-
| ing to them than the power of self
restraint and efficiency. They priced
| judgment above appetite--which is
the very core of the temperance prin-
| ciple.
The Christian conception of life has
no place for tents of eaSe- 1t is not
pleasant abiding in luxurious PAL
aces. 1t is a march, a battle, war.
The virtues it demands are the fight
| ers' virtues; of these pre- otrednesS is
| one of the first.
1
said Jesus That is, gather UP your
flowing robes, fasten them into the
| belt and be ready to march or fight
or work. AS a fireman is ready with
in a few seconds at any hour OF the
night or day to mount the engine and
be off; as a bathing master watches
a beach, ready to leap into the water
the instant any one is in danger; as
newspaper correspondent is ready to
go to the end of the earth at an hour S
~ = t. L h M
self ever in state of perpetual prep
aration.
Alert lives are few. Opportunity
finds most lives unready when, he
knocks at their doors. Even in the
lesser things in the material world,
the keen, self-contained vigilant
character is the exception rather than
the rule. Few persons have them
selves well in hand. all the time, with
full control over all their powers.
Here soldiers on guard duty nave
one trying experience every day, and
possibly two or more. The first is at
guard mount, when their equipment
and dress and general fitness arc
carefully inspected; and later, as a
sentry patrols his lonely pest he is
by the officer of the day., Ind asked
for his general orders or "orders
of the day." or to have his efficiency
tested in some other manner. This
is discipline: thus military standards
are maintained. The only way to be
ready for an emergency test Is to be
ready all the time.
A Mans Rights.
The abiding principle that under
lies the temperance principle is Alb
stinence for the sake of others" II
! is based on a famous passage III
Paurs writings Strengthening out the
, feeble young Church in Young Ccrinth
? as to its Tdutysas to respect to mea q
offered to idols. The practices that
troubled the Corinthian Christians
have been outgrown, but the prin-
| ciples remain, and principle is more
important than any practice.
Clear thinking Paul perceived that
? man has rights. He was never sway
, ed away from his intellectual moor
ings by any hazy sentimentality Sc
> he planted his feet firmly on the bis
= and abiding proposition, All things
, my liberty judged by anothers con
, science?' The right of personal lib
erty,. of independent judgment, Of
: freedom of action, was unequivocaIS
, reaffirrned by this sagacious phil
= osopher.
Some men have wished that Pau
! had been discreetly silent here. Hi
utterance has interfered with their de
2 sire to impose their opinions, tastes
' and habits upon other people. Their
v nave been jealous Ir1enQS Oh temper
+ ance who would declare that drink
> ing of any alcoholic drink is a sin il
itself and they would excommunicat'
/ every church member not total alb
, stainer. But this will not do. 1t il
, counter to mankind's innate convic
2 ton of justice and counter to the plair
/ teachings of Scripture.
: The reformer, of all men, must keel
: a level head. No respectable" sa-
looms for him, and on the other hand
r no summary condemn.ng TO outer
I darkness of the man who sincerely
believes in thus fighting the devi
with fire-or to employ a more cor
rect figure in keeping the devil ou
of mischief by providing him with 9
comfortable congenial fireside seat
Liberty to follow his own leadings
must be granted to every man. In
tolerance alone is intolerable.
The Dangers of Rights.
1t would have been SO much easier
for humanity if the creator had only
made us wooden manikins. instead Of
free agents. But in that case we would
not have been men. Lacking ability
to fall, we would also have lacked the
ability to climb. So long as men weai
the crown of divine right they mus
be free to fling it in the gutter. Sc
Paul safeguarded his teaching o.
Christian liberty by declaring. "Al
things are lawful but not all things
build up" Heir to a million has q
right to spend it every penny in idle
pleasure; undeniably this is his right
but if he does he will become first 9
), spendthrift and then pauper. and
the exercise of his liberty will be his
undoing. Rights are dangerous pos
I ! sessions.
/ Man has appetites; they are thu
! mark of his manhood. But when the
appeties have the man, then he hai
2 been dethroned from his divine es
2 tate The shifty-eyed creature WHIT
j moves among men as mere peram
S bulating appetite has exercised hi
liberty only to make himself pris
oner So, evidently, mans RICH
to do as he pleases is dangerous: Il
exercised to the full he is likely t.
v please nobody but the great adversar!
;, of souls, whose happiness is men,