What It Would Do | AdventAI

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Nov 8, 1883

What It Would Do.

“GIVE ME,” said one, “the money that has been spent in rum, and I will purchase every foot of land on the globe. I will clothe every man, woman, and child, in an attire that kings and queens might be proud of. I will build a school-house upon every hill-side, and in every valley over the whole earth. I will supply that school-house with a competent teacher. I will build an academy in every town, and endow it; a college in every State, and fill it with able professors. I will crown every hill with a church consecrated to the gospel of peace, and support in its pulpit an able teacher of righteousness; so that on every Sabbath morning, the chime on one hill shall answer to the chime of another around the earth’s circumference, and the voice of prayer, and the song of praise shall ascend as one universal offering to Heaven.”

This is no voice of enthusiasm, but simple utterance of what is literally true and practicable, as any one else can see who will consult facts and history.

Pass it around, then, ye lovers of temperance, and let the people see where the money goes to that might feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and give to all the nations the bread of eternal life. Pass it around, and let all see that intemperance wastes more by untold millions than ambition grasps, or avarice covets; and they that find fault with our benevolence, or our social organization, let them learn that the social disorganizations, crimes, and miseries, which intemperance produces, are a thousand-fold more expensive, and grievous to be borne.—Nat. Temp. Advocate.