Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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> TALMAGE SERMON By Rev. FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE. D.D., Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby* teria.u Church, Chicago ro^\ mnop V Angeles. Cal., Jau. 10. In this sernkJp tlu nation's In setting sin. easy divora*, and ihi' ineon^ruous eoiiflii’t of stiil(‘ laws un tlu* subject are ansnariii^ly characterized. Tlio preacher indi jtes tin* only way out of Ih’t*. ininoral tangle which is wrecking the hoi ,e aind (h'secratint; the marriage altar. The text is Mark x, JJ, ,, \\bat ther»*foic i.od liiiili joiiK'd together let not ;e";' a put asuiuler.” As Ufa* civil war was the mort.al clash between two conflicting ideas, so to day we tind conflicting ideas in mortal combat over the marriage altar. The one is the Christ idea, which declares that marriage* is not a confederation that can be broken at will, but an in dissoluble union. This idea asserts that after marriage the twain in every sense ■becomes one. The second idea declares that easy divorce is not a crime, but often, for the social good, a necessity. It says that when a man and a woman are unequally yoked together it is bet ter that they be separated by law, even If the cause for separation be not so serious as Unit recognized in the Hible, and, more, that they may, if they wish, contract new marriages. But. though James Itryce in bis “AmericanCommonwealth”affirms that the family as a unit is “the one funda mental and permanent problem of hu man life and society,” yet everywhere, , by reading the signs of the times, we mu see that by easy divorce the sanc tity of the home is imperiled. Every where tlu* danger signals are being lift ed, to prove that marriage is becoming more and more a mere temporary con venience. Carroll l). Wright in ids la bor statistics declares that in the year 188U there were 30,072 divorces in the date of Illinois alone and that there wa* one divorce to every fifteen mar riages. He went on to show that from 1807 to 18SG there were 328.710 divorces in the United States and that each year the proportion of divorces to tlu* num ber of inhabitants in the United States was on the increase, just as the indi vidual wealth of the Americans per capita increases year by year. Surely iraeh an evil record as that ought to bring a blush of shame to the cheeks ^ of American manhood and womanhood and might he regarded as a national disgrace even by tlu* Inhabitants of the French capital. It would have been a blot on the historical pages of licen tious Rome. So awful is the spread of this divorce evil and so blunted are bo- ^coming tlu* once keen edges of public j sentiment upon this question that Mor- i gan Dix, who In no sense can be called j a sensationalist, uttered last Thunks- ; giving day this scathing Invective ! against wholesale licensed libertinism, i now being practiced through the wide | open doors of the legal courts of our land: “Tlu* divorce evil is terrible. It is an evil we must try to uproot. Once upon a time if we ever mentioned the fact that a person had been divorced we spoke of il under our breath, as a subject not proper for conversation. We then regarded divorce ns something closely related to disgrace, and that not long ago either.” Now rapid degen eracy of social sentiment upon this evil has taken place. We look upon easy divorce as respectable. We even honor some of those who have thus criminally broken their nuptial vows, when, in stead, we should hold them in everlast ing disrepute. A Cull For Cnited Action. Against the further spread and for the extermination of this divorce evil the Catholic church Is already up in arms. Against it the Presbyterian church, with its general assembly com mittee working in unison with the sis ter churches, is struggling night and day. Against it only a few weeks ago all the Rhode Island ministers handed themselves together to give religious combat. Thus, as the public leaders of many denominations are lighting this undermining and would he destroyer of the home, it is not inappropriate for me to speak a few words in reference to those legal and domestic causes which might hereafter make “easy di vorce” an impossibility. First, nothing can be accomplished in a material way unless there is national legislation or at least concerted action among the different state legislatures upon this subject. There must be all over the land harmonious and united legal action against the divorce evil. It should he made impossible for a man to get a divorce in one state <hlcli ho could not obtain on the same ;round In any one of the 3,000 divorce M>arts of the United States. All those courts ought to he in agreement as to what causes Justify and what do not Justify the dissolution of a marriage. We recognize the necessity of the criminal courts of the United States working In harmony. Why should we not recognize the necessity of concert ed action by divorce courts? Some years ago In Chicago a man killed his wife and burned her body In the vat of a sausage factory. Supposing after that crime he could have stepped across the state line and in Indiana defied the legal authorities of Illinois. What would have been the result? Suppos ing that a notable murderer could have walked a free man In Philadelphia aft er he had poisoned his 'child wife in New York city. Why, murder and out lawry would be everywhere In the United States running rampant. To day your life would not he worth the value of a pin only us you were able to protect It with your own arm and defy vour would he murderer behind the barricaded walls of your own home No. no! The only safety of life de pends upon this fact: If you commit a murder in one state and then run away another state governor will recognize your extradition papers and allow you to be forcibly returned to the place where you committed tin* crime. Divorce 1,hwn $Iiou1<1 lie I’uJform. We recognize the necessity of con certed action between states on the murder question. We recognize also the necessity of concerted action be tween different nations and widely separated authorities in eases of theft us well as murder. A few years ago all that a cashier had to do after wrecking a hunk was to cross the Cana dian line and he was safe. Ontario and Quebec and Montreal were "cities of refuge,” crowded with fugitives from American justice. Hundreds of defaulters from Chicago and New York and San Francisco and other cities were living there, gloating over their crimes. But now men guilty of finan cial crimes legally have no escape. A criminal in thq United States is a crim inal in England, a criminal in Canada is a criminal in France. To suppress forgery and theft there must he con certed action between nations as well as states. Why, in the same way. should there not he concerted action between states in reference to the di vorce law? Rut though concerted and harmonious action by the different state courts should he regarded as a necessity yet we find the actual condi tions just the reverse. To Illustrate how a man can defy the divorce courts of one state by living in another state, a prominent member of the Presby terian general assembly committee told me that a short time ago a man died in the United States and left three legal widows. He left three widows, and he was not a believer in Brigham Young either! How was that? A few years ago this man went to a western state and there settled and married. After awhile he became tired of his wife and decided lie would marry an other woman. So this man left the state where he was then living and went into another state, got a divorce and there remarried. Of course the state of his former residence did iiot recognize the second marriage. Time passed on, and this husband tired of his second wife. He moved to another state, got a divorce and mar ried a third wife. The marital disease with him by this time was becoming chronic. But now neither the first nor the second state where he used to live recognized ids third marriage as legal. Time passed, and this husband of many wives died. What was the re sult? Each of his former marital com panions inherited the property of the dead man which then existed in her own state! By law that man in throe different states left three different wives, each a legal wife in tier own state, but illegal in the other two slates. Such is an instance of the ridiculous and infinite absurdities ex isting between the conflicting divorce courts yf our land. But there must be a legal change. The divorce question will never he dealt with as it should be so long sis ii married woman living in New York city can go and spend a few weeks in a western state and then take train and go hack to her old home another man’s wife. Concerted legal action must he established between the states. It is you, Christian people, to whom Hod assigns the duty of arousing public sentiment against this evil and compelling our national and state legis lators to take such action as will result in making the marriage altar some thing more than a mere mockery. Flood of National liifniay, A second breakwater to dam back this submerging flood of national in famy: It is for tho gospel ministers to protest against it by practice as well as by preaching. The pulpit cannot speak loudly and with the voice of a true leader unless at the same time it refuses to become a party to the na tional crime of easy divorce. What do l mean by this statement? That the minister himself shall not lx* a blatant and ii brutal divorcee? Oh, no. No self respecting Christian church would al low her minister to continue preaching in her pulpit after a divorce escapade. Paul writes. “A bishop must he blame less, the husband of one wife." No minister’s life can lie blameless when lie turns his hack upon his first wife for un unjust, cause. But 1 do mean this: A minister should not officiate at the second marriage of a divorcee un less he himself knows positively that the divorced man was not culpable In the snapping of the marital bonds. By such a ministerial course public sentl- ment would he aroused against this na tional evil, and aroused quickly and permanently. 1 have taken only lately this stand in reference to tlu* clergyman’s responsi bility. Like hundreds and thousands of other ministers I have heretofore said to myself: “I am not in any way compelled to look into the personal char acters of tlwse whom 1 unite in mar riage. When I used to live In New York state 1 had to ask the contracting parties a long list of questions and make a report to the county officials in reference to the same. But in the state of Illinois the clerk of the county court does that. He asks the questions. lie gives the license. Ho Is responsible for the marriage, and not I.” But a short time ago. when talking to n brother minister upon the subject, he said: “You are wrong. You cannot shirk your responsibility In that way.” Then 1 commenced to look at this re spoi.slhlllty in another way. I said to myself: "Yes, I mu wrong. That coun ty clerk cannot tell me what I ought to do. The paper he sends to me Is only a license, a governmental privilege, per mitting me to marry the parties if I wish. I am not compelled so to do. For Instance: The saloon keeper gets a «lty license and has the privilege of selling me a glass of whisky. But be cause it is lawful for me to buy whisky from him that is no reason why l should drink it. Because the sporting element of San Francisco gets a city license for holding a prize fight that i> no reason why I am compelled to go and witness two pugilists batter each | other's face into pulp. Because Chi cage gives a license to gamblers to open a race track that is no reason why 5 should go and patronize the bookmak ers. Because tin* county clerk tells me that I can remarry a libertine, who has been sinfully divorced, that is no rea I son why l should tarnish the good ; name of my church by placing such a black record upon tin* session hooks. 1 No. no. my brother ministers, we cannot thus shirk our responsibilities. You and I are responsible before God when vve become officiating parties in the mar riages of divorced persons. A religious marriage means infinitely more than a mere civil contract. If not, why do nearly all people desire to he married by a clergy man instead of by a police justice or a county judge? Responsibilitr of Minintern. We are responsible as ministers. A legal divorce, in ninety-nine cases out )f a hundred, is not sufficient ground ! for a church divorce. We must remem- ! her that the minister before the world 1 stands as the representative of the church. Why, legal divorces are often obtained on the flimsiest excuses. Bishop Fallows, iu a scathing attack upon this marital evil, quotes some of the most absurd and trivial causes on account of which men and women have been divorced. One woman got a legal divorce because her husband enlisted in the United States navy: another be cause her husband smoked and gave her headaches; another because her husband called her sister a thief; an other because her husband did not like her front hair and cut part of it off. One husband secured a divorce be cause his wife refused to sew on his buttons; another because he told his wife he had found another woman whom he could love better. Think of any minister being guilty of such a heinous sin as to marry such divorcees to other marital partners. It is high time for us ministers to hand together and rouse public seutimeut upon this question. By our actions as well as by our preaching we must protest against this national crime. We must do this because a church marriage be fore God and man means that the church gives its sanction to the union and regards it as sacred and indissolu ble. Another breakwater which may help to rescue this country from the divorce evil, as the Holland dikes have made a rescued ocean bed the home for the Dutch queen’s subjects, is for parents to train up their children to regard a marital engagement as almost as sa cred as tlu* marriage itself. Daughters .? id sons should think deeply and long »>fore they plight troth to any one. It l*. to touch them that one of the most heinous of sins is to trifle with the human heart. It is to teach them that every young woman is compromised for life who has been guilty of engag ing herself to different young men “just for fun.” Such actions on the part of any young lady are less the sign of mental and physical grace and social popularity than of a depraved female heart. Yet almost everywhere we see the future tare harvest, which shall yet be gathered in the divorce courts, now being planted in the poisonous seeds of engagements hastily made and Just as hastily broken. A Hint to Furentti. I once heard of a young lady who used to boast that she was engaged to three different young men at the same time. She laid in her possession three different engagement rings. After awhile she dismissed all three suitors and married a fourth. Do you won der that after such perfidies her mar ried life was unhappy? Untrue to her fiance, of course she was untrue to her husband. A divorce scandal a few years later was the result. Her father, a noble Christian man of the west, as a result felt himself disgraced and re signed Ins pulpit, for he was a minis ter. His life was to some extent wreck ed, as well as hers. You say such a course as that is an extreme case? Of course. But all evils should not he despised because they are not mon strous evils. The little, seemingly harmless flirtations during summer va cations or at a church picnic or in the street car or concert hull are all divorce seed plantings. You cannot trifle with human affections in youth without he lug in danger, as un iconoclast, of smashing the marriage shrine when you are middle aged. Let parents be careful with whom their children asso ciate. Let them beware of what they are allowed to say to others and what others are allowed to say to them, it is all well enough to talk about the vaunted freedom of the American boy and girl: hut, for my own part, espe- ! dally in reference to the promiscuous association of young people and the careless promises they are allowed to make, I think tlicy have altogether too much freedom. Another divorce preventive: Finan cial expenses iu the great majority of homes should he curtailed and greatly diminished. The income should uot be made to meet the outgo. The outgo should he contracted until there Is a 1 sufficient margin left for unexpected expenses, such as sickness or loss of work or financial reverses. The prov erb says. "When poverty comes in at Hip door love flies out of the window.” That Is not true when nil members are j systematically trying to do their best. | But when husband and wife go upon ; the supposition that marriages are' made in heaven and then, with blinded i eyes, run needlessly into debt there is nearly always marital friction. The wife blames the husband, the husband the wife. Perpetual friction, then, on account of the money question Ignites the divorce fires. Then the family altar goes up in a Satanic blaze. Another divorce preventive: The pu | rification of the American press, both iu hook form and in periodical and In | the morning newspaper. The pestifer ous trash which every day and every i week and every month, like a winter | blizzard, is (lung into our faces by the ' snowstorm of the printing press is ; enough to destroy the healthy heart j throbs of any young person who is al ; lowed to read it. I am. of course, not ; speaking against good publications. | hut bad publications. Go to almost | any bookstand that you see and open 1 some of tlie hooks at random and read. There we tind the authors make their heroes out of bad men and their hero ines out of had women, with here and there a redeeming white spot to off set these black characters. Broken mar riage vows. “Childe Harold” indecen cies, deceitful wives* deceiving men— these move as an ever changing kalei doscope before the fascinated eyes of tlu* young readers. There the hoy and the girl learn to call crime respectable ami a man’s dishonor a “free lance of gold.” A bad book worms its way into the moral vitals and fatally poisons the heart. The way for good people to keep ptire and to prepare themselves for a Christian marriage, which will never he broken this side or on the other side of the grave, is for them to live with good people. They must work to make men good. They must positively refuse to associate with the had. whether that had is found in fiction or in real life. When the newspapers of the United States made heroes out of tlu* Chicago bandits, they placed a premium on crime. When a had hook eulogizes and glorifies the broken mar riage ring, it is only gilding the open door of the divorce court, which is tlu* guillotine of marital love. When Divorce I* But some oue asks me. in closing: “Are divorces always wrong? Should n husband and wife he compelled to live together under all conditions?" Oh, no. The violation of the marriage vow Justifies divorce. Christ's own words imply that. There are other conditions which justify separation, even when there has been no violation of that vow. It would >e a grievous Injustice to enforce coni nt compan ionship when one of thl turtles to a marriage has contracted habits which render the continued relation an intol erable misery to the other. 1 have known such eases and have rejoiced that the law permits the Innocent party to he relieved of the burden and af fords protection from molestation. It is not for me to say when a stage has been reached which demands the in tervention of the law, hut I do contend that it is a menace to the morals of the people when a contract so solemn and sacred as that of marriage can be broken on pretexts so frivolous as those* now recognized in many states. 1 pro test also against tlu* diversity of tlu* divorce laws of the different states, which tends to confusion and uncer tainty in the relation so vital as this to the morality and stability of society. My belief In reference to divorce can be summed up in the words of Sir Walter Scott in the case of Eeand ver sus Evans, “Though in particular cases the repugnance of the law to dissolve the obligations of matrimonial cohabi tation may operate with great severity upon individuals, yet it must lie care fully remembered that the general hap piness of tlu* married life is secured by ii* indissolubility.” My belief is summed up in the thought that the more people realize when they marry that they must marry for life the more future generations will be careful how they marry and the more the sanctity of the home will he preserved. There fore, my friends, suffer almost every Injustice for your children’s sake, for the community’s sake, for God’s sake, rather than break the nuptial bonds. In tlds discussion 1 have presented, for tho most part, only the temporal side of the divorce question. If I had spoken from the spiritual side the re sult would have been self evident. Gos pel love never gave birth to legal hate. May the Christ who uttered the pro test of the text against promiscuous divorce bless the earnest words of one whom God has greatly blessed with u happy home. [Copyright, 1904, by Louis Klopsch.] KJieumatism It Treacherous and Delay May Prove Fatal. GET IT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM NOW. Will do the work quickly, effectively and without any injury to the digestive organs. In fact, it will leave you in much better condition every way, for it cleanses the blood of poisonous lactic and uric acids that cause rheumatism, kidney troubles, in digestion, boils, chronic constipation and catarrh, and the germs that leave one an easy prey to malaria and contagious blood poison. It is not only the greatest blood purifier, but hundreds of relieved sufferers testify that it does one thing that no other remedy does— CURES RHEUMATISM. "GETS AT THE JOINTS FROM THE INSIDE." AT ALL DRUGGISTS. ffiHGESTION “I was troubled with stom ach trouble. Thedford’s Blaclr- Drair-ht did mo more good In one weelc than all the doc tor’s medicine I took in a year.”—MRS. SARAH E. SHIRPIELD, Ellettsville, Ind. Thedford's Black Draught quickly invigorates the ac tion of the stomach and cures even chronic cases of indigestion. If you will take a small dose of Thed- fprd's Black Draught occa sionally you will keep your stomach and liver in per fect condition. THEDFORD’5 BLAMIM More sickness is caused by constipation than by any other disease. Thedford’s Black-Draught not only re lieves constipation butcures diarrhoea and dysentery and keeps the bowels regular. All druggist* sell 25-cent packages. ‘‘Thedford’s Black- Draught is the best medi cine to regulate the bowels I have ever used."— MRS. A. M. GRANT, Sneads Ferry, N. C. COrtSTiBffKff Dr. S. H. Griffith, PHYSICIAN-SURGEON--OCULIST. Former pupil of the celebra ted Oculist, Dr. Julian J. Chisolm, of Baltimore. Has also taken special post-grad uate course in the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital of Baltimore. Classes Fitted Accurately and Scientifically. 8&*Office in Cherokee Drug Co. B’ld’g. Tax Notice. December 31st is the last day taxes are 1 payable without penalty. During Janu ary the penalty is 1 per cent.; during Febiuary the penalty is 2 per cent.; dur ing March (to 15th, last day) the penalty is 5 per cent. This schedule prescribed by law. W. Harry Gooding, County Treasurer. FOR . BUILDERS’ SUPPLIES LUMBER, SHINGLES, LATHS, DOORS, SASH, BLINDS, FLOORING, SIDING, CEILING, ALSO A FINE LINE OF Paints and Oils 50<: to |1.30 per gal. 22J£ L. BAKER Tax Returns for 1904. Found M Cura for InUlgeHtioii. 1 use GhsmberUin’s Stoinsch and Liver Tablets lor imltgesti in and find that 'hev suit my case better than • any dyspepsia remedy that I have ever tried, and I have uscjJ many dill- -rent remedies. I am nearly fi'ty one years of age and have suffered a ! great deal from indigestion. I can | eat almost anything I want to now — Gko. W. Emery, Rick Mills, Ala For sale by Cherokee Drug Co., Gaff j oey, 8 C , and L D. Allison, Cow- pens, 8. 0. Italian Finance If inister Luzzatti j stated in Parliament the policy of the ^ new Ministry. wjPr v • jjp ir t>' <: j M Just One .Minute. One Minute Cough Cure gives re lief in one minute, because it kills the microbe which tickles the mucous membrane, causing the cough, and at the same time clears the phlegm, draws out the inflammation and heals and soothes the affected par's One Minute Cough Cure strengthens the lungs, wards off pneumonia and is a harmless and never falling cure In all curable cases of Coughs, Colds and Croup. One Mlrute Cough Cure is pleasant to take, harmless and good alike for yonng and old. 8o!d by Cherokee Drug Co. IT MEANS SOMETHING when you speak of being up-to-date. It means that you will find Our Photographs “present time” pic tures iu every way. They have that soft finish and delicate tone which tells of the touch of the ar tistic and the fidelity to the nature and de tails which the cam era alone will not give. Each sitter is carefully posed. None of the beauties of face or figure are I lost. JUNE H. CARR 625 Limestone St. 'Phone 176. Residence 171 LTor Generally speaking, a woman is sel dom silent. A Lifts at Stake. If you but knew the splendid merit of Foley’s Honey and Tar you would never be without it. A dose or two will prevent an attack of pneumonia or la grippe. It may save your life. Cherokee Drag Co. Building and Plastering Lime Coal, and Plaster Hair. Plaster Puns Bblngles, Portland Cement. Dynamite, Blasting Powder, Fuse and Dynamite Cans, call on Limestone Springs Lime Works CARROLL & CO., Lessees. Tslepbone [! Office of County Auditor, 1 Cherokee County. / Notice is hereby given that this office will be open from January 1st, 1904, to February 20th, 1904, for the purpose of receiving returns of property for taxa tion. I will be at the following places at the times hereinafter mentioned for receiving returns : At Draytonville, Monday, Jan. nth. At Wilkinsville, Tuesday, Jan. 12th. At Sarratt’s Store, Wednesday, Jan 13th. At Asbury, Thursday, Jan. 14th. At Ravenna, (Brown's Store), Friday, Jan. 15th. At Webster, (M. M. Tate’s), Saturday, Jan. 16th. At Thickety, (Smith’s Store), Monday, Jan.18th. At White Plains, (M. C. Lipscomb's), Tuesday, Jan. 19th. At Macedonia, (School House), Wed nesday, Jan, 20th. At Butler, Thursday, Jap. 21st. At Ezell, Friday, Jan. 22d. At Maud, (Linder’s Store), Saturday, Jan. 23d. At Cherokee Falls, Monday, Jan. 25th. At Kings Creek, Tuesday, Jan. 26th. At Antioch, (Church),Wednesday, Jan. 27th. At Blacksburg, Thursday and Friday, Jan. 28th and 29th. At Buffalo, (School House), Saturday, ‘Jan. 30th. At Allens, Monday, Feb. 1st. At Grassy Pond, Tuesday, Feb. 2nd. During my absence at the above places the office will be kept open by G. W. Speer. The books will close on Febru ary 20th and if anyone fails to make re turn by this date the law requires me to add a pena ty of 50 per cent, to the re turn ot 1903. All persons are required to state in what school district they live. If tiny don’t know the district then they will lie required to give the names of their school trustees. All persons having property in Districts Nos. 9 and 10 will state how much and make separate returns therefor. All persons are required to make out and return a statement of all personal pioperly, money, credits, investments in bonds, joint stock companies, notes, mortgages, etc., in your possession or under your control as husband, guardian, agent, attorney, executor, or administra tor on the first day of January, 1004, and fix a value thereto. Anyone who has sold or bought real estate since they made their last return must make return of same, stating who to and how much, and if they bought, how much and who from. All buildings erected during the year must he returned and the value. All returns made before anyone except me must be sworn to. All jicrsons liable to the income tax are required to make return of same. PULL TAX.—All persons between the ages of 21 and 60 years, except those in capable of making a living, are liable for |Kill tax. Confederate soldiers are ex- empi at 50 years. W. D. Camp, iw till 2-20, 04 Auditor. Kodol Dysf iepsia Cure Digests wti iat you eat* FOLEYSHONEfHCAR ftrcJklldrmmt —/•»