180*) 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



447 



God's grace, I hope, raised your old friend 

 A. I. Root a little nigher and nearer to God; 

 and the same with these .i/n/z/i/children as 

 ttiey have ci)ine one by one; and just now 

 the whole neighborhood is rejoicing because 

 of still anotlier arrival. Iluber, the youngi'St 

 of the Root family, on the 20th of June, re- 

 ceived into his home a most precious gift in 

 the shape of a girl baby."' 



Now do not think me egotistical, friends, 

 or that 1 am imagining great things for the 

 Root family. As I understand our texts this 

 promise was not only to the patriarch Abram, 

 but to all who believe God and try to be as 

 obedient as Abram was. One text tells us 

 that this promise was, "because thou hast 

 obeyed my voice;" and, as I understand it, 

 every one who is as faithful and honest and 

 true as Abram shall receive a like promise 

 and get a like reward. 



While I had these things in mind, some- 

 body repeated that beautiful couplet I have 

 put at the head of this talk. The writer of 

 It was probably approachincv old age; but in 

 one sense of the word old father Time can 

 never go back. We may go back in memory 

 to childhood, and that would be the only way 

 in which we could live our lives over again. 

 As I understand it, by obeying God's com- 

 mand, and having children of our own, and 

 devoting our lives to bringing these children 

 up in the straight and narrow path, then we 

 can look into their innocent little faces and 

 get young again by watching and directing 

 their growth in all that is good and pure and 

 pleasing in God's sight. I am laughed at 

 sometimes because, when strangers come to 

 visit us, after I become a little acquainted I 

 ask if they are professing Christians; and a 

 little while after I ask if they are married 

 and have children. Now, how can one take 

 a live interest in looking after the babies and 

 the children all over the world unless they 

 really have children of their own? My 

 brother-in-law, "neighbor H." (as most of 

 you know him), wrote an article recently for 

 the Cleveland Citizen about getting married. 

 It pleased me so much that 1 want to put an 

 extract from it in here: 



Voune man, if you love her, and she will Iru.st you, 

 cet married to-day. Don't wait for her to buy a new 

 hat or fool away a lot of money on a weddintr. A home, 

 be it ever so humble, is the happiest place on earth, 

 and you two are all that is animate in the new home. 



Get married, because two can fiirht life's fierce bat- 

 tle better than either can alone. Get married, because 

 God and nature so ordained it, and the history of all 

 the aires proves that the theory is correct, and all con- 

 ditions siiow that human nature has not chantred. 



A married man can procure and hold a job better 

 than a single man can. Be temperate and economical 

 in all things; and, yountr man, as you make a pledtre 

 at the altar to cherish until death, make another pledge, 

 in the name of Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Ben 

 Franklin, Geo. Washington, and all of the old patriots 

 of 1776, that you will use your best endeavors to push 



*As Miss Katherine Eva Root is only about three 

 weeks old to-day, July 10, I caa not say very much 

 about her "accomplishments;" but as her father and 

 mother are both very nice-looking young people, as a 

 matter of course that baby is already about the hand- 

 somest one in the whole wide world. I congratulated 

 them on having named her after Miss Katherine 

 V^' right, si.ster of the Wright brothers, who is just now, 

 with those brothers, almost the center of attraction 

 to the whole world. 



that immortal principle, that all men have a sacred 

 ■ right to life and happiness, into operation in this great 

 land of ours. 



To the above I want to add a hearty amen. 

 If all the men who hold office in the United 

 States had wives and children and grand- 

 children growing up around them, I think 

 we should have a better chance to protect 

 cliildren than we have now. Consider the 

 cigarette business for an illustration. 



By the way, I was called on to address our 

 Sunday-school on the subject of cigarettes, 

 on Sunday, June 27. That Sunday was set 

 apart, as you may know, as anti-cigarette 

 Sunday by the 8000 Sunday-schools of Ohio. 

 In my talk I said there were 588 cigarette- 

 factories in the United States; and it has been 

 estimated that 1500 boys begin using cigar- 

 ettes every day in the year, notwithstanding 

 nine States have already passed stringent 

 laws in regard to selling them or giving them 

 away. A dozen more are demanding similar 

 legislation, Ohio among the number. In my 

 talk I said it seemed to me that nine out of 

 ten of our voters here in Ohio would, if they 

 had a chance, vote against the cigarette 

 traffic; and I feel sure that four out of five 

 voters, especially if they would talk over the 

 matter with their wives, would vote against 

 cigarettes. In other words, if we could have 

 "Jocal option " on cigarettes, as we have it 

 with saloons, Ohio would "go dry" with a 

 mighty rush. And then I asked how it comes 

 about that we fail again and again in keep- 

 ing these terrible things away from our 

 children. It is like the beer and liquor busi- 

 ness. The millionaire bi^ewers and cigarette 

 manufacturers have, with their money, suc- 

 ceeded in getting corrupt and bad men into 

 office. 



I closed my talk by saying, " May God help 

 us in our fight against the powers of dark- 

 ness." A young friend of mine who was 

 present, and heard my talk, wrote me a let- 

 ter a day or so afterward; and, although I 

 am not a politician, I take pleasure in pre- 

 sentinji this letter to the fathers and mothers 

 of our land. 



DIRECT LEGISLATION. 



Dear Mr. Root:~Your answer to the question as to 

 why the cigarette traffic goes on in Ohio in opposition, 

 as we believe, to the will of a large majority of the 

 voters, does not satisfy me. I believe it to be only 

 partly true, if true at all. that the money of the tobacco 

 men blocks the anti-cigarette reform in Ohio. Your 

 answer, the answer of many to this and to similar 

 great (luestions, ignores the possibility of direct law- 

 making by these same voters. In season and out of 

 season, wherever and whenever I can rightfully pro- 

 test against ignoring this magnificent fact that the 

 great liope of all reforms like this anti-cigarette law is 

 in the system of direct law-making, or direct legislation 

 by the people, I feel bound to do so. If I succeed only 

 in keeping my conscience clear, it will pay me. So I 

 do emphatically but respectfully protest against charg- 

 ing the delay or defeat of any legislative reform in this 

 republic 'at least in any State like oursi to the power 

 of the money of any corporation. I believe with all 

 my heart in majority rule by reasonable methods. 

 The initiative, the referendum, and the recall, are 

 most reasonable. Switzerland and several States of 

 our Union have demonstrated this statement beyond 

 any reasonable doubt. 



May I take a very little more of your time, Mr. Root, 

 to show the position of us who advocate direct legisla- 

 tion? You have a great opportunity to tell this great 

 open secret of political reform in all free nations. I 

 have but a little opportunity; but I must not miss what 



