The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-08-17

''None of US liveth to himself"
from. 14:O.
What concerns the individual con-
Germs the community, for the COM
munity is made up of individuals.
The man who uses alcohol has no
right to claim that it is a personal
matter, for alcohol is a poisonous
drug which not only Injuries the in
dividual, but makes him danger
and a liability to his community.
Before going into our lesson let us
look at only few of the many facts
available.
In the five years since repeal,
it is estimated that $4,000, 1000, 900
has been spent for intoxicants with
a profit to the industry of $13, $780,
100000. But what has it cost the
people?
'In 1887, an entire city the size
of Detroit was manned and injured,
and an entire city the size of Omaha
was permanently injured, by the
automobile. Sixty per cent of auto
fatalities are due to alcohol (Chief
Justice of Municipal Court, Evans
ton, Ill.).
Rape has increased Is per cent
and the more atrocious forms 40
per cent in the last eight months"
(Police Commissioner, Boston,
Mass.).
Criminals are for the return of
liquor, wet propaganda to the con-
trary notwithstanding, and with the
coming of repeal will come the
greatest era of wholesale crime this
country has ever known. The Grim
inal world is tensely expectant and
is prepared to launch immediate
ly into its millennium of crime. The
return of the saloon inevitably will
bring open prostitution and gam
bling" Statement by criminal in
prison before repeal became effec-
tive).
America is on the worst gam
bling spree in its history. A gross
population, not including all rural
districts, of 100000 persons is
dallying with $4,000, 100000 in win
nings and losings, of which all but
about $1,000,000,000 passes through
the hands of the underworld, where
much of it remains" Courtney R.
Cooper.
The American Business Mems
foundation, Chicago, reports that
liquor was responsible for the rejec-
ton of more than $4,000 applications
for insurance last year, and that
as result widows and orphans will
ultimately be deprived of over
5000, 100000 of insurance, making
some of them public charges.
Three words which are altogether
appropriate for the liquor problem
will serve to summarize our lesson.
/. Devastation (Joel 1:5-7).
Drunkards are called on to awake
from their stupor and weep and the
drinkers of wine mote that!) to wall
over the loss of their drink because
of the devastation wrought by the
locusts. This plague had come be-
cause Of the sins of the people, and
may we'll serve to eXemplify the
devastation which will follow the
use of alcohol as a beverage. The
nations of our day need not think
that they will escape if they con-
tinue on their present road of reck-
less indulgence.
III. Debauchery dan. 5;1-4).
The familiar story of Belshazzar' S
feast should be made to live again
as we point out that we here "have
wildly manifested three of the
great characteristics of the day in
which we live-a coming together
of great multitudes for riotous night
of drinking, which must of course
end for many in disgusting drunk
enness; provision for acts of dark
est sensuality in the fact that all
the wives and concubines were
invited to this feast and a con-
temptuous, deliberate insulting of
the name of God" (Dr. Wilbur M.
Smith,.
III. Death wv. S, II, 1929.
Dramatically swift was God S
judgment upon Belshazzar's pre-
sumptuous sin. Magnifcently bold
and direct was the condemnation by
Daniel, the prophet of God. Re-
lentless was the immediate judg-
ment of physical death (see V. 30),
and equally sure is the ultimate
judgment when the drunken king
stands before his Maker to answer
for the deeds done in the flesh.
The fact that God does not write
in our day in flaming letters on the
saloon wall before the bleary eyes
of the drinker does not mean that
His judgment is any less certain,
nor does it make it less dreadful.