Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LIQUOR EVIL. Is Prohibition the Proper Remedy? The Use of Strong Drink Soberly Considered (Vom a Scriptural * Standpoint?The Moral Itesponsl billtlee of Manhood ami Woman? hood. AO the Editor of The Dally Item: Truly there I? a r.ght and wrons aide to the prohibition question, and It Is a good thing to be able to know, rather than to think wo know, thai we are on the right side. Now 1 would like te know by what authority your Smithvllle correspondent cabs Intoxicating liquors "accursed stuff." The scriptures teach that Ood ga'O intoxicating liquor as a blessing, utd In them Is found a promise to his * people to bless their wine. This prom? ise has been abundantly fulfllle?. How Iben can Christians call It so sursed? And why does he call so devoutly on all Christians to pray to the Ood of heaven, without ceasing, for His help to remove tha* which He r^has seen fit to bestow upon mankind aa a blessing, then Ignore the wisdom of Ood end the eloquence of His wotd and wish for the wisdom and elo? quence of a heathen philosopher that he might go forth and plead with the people te do a thing which does no: agree with the teachings of the Bl ble? Suppose that It la the whlskej that drags men and boys down to perdition; how does It distinguish between the men and boys and >V women and girls, snd why does II drag the one down and leave tho oth? er. Let the friends of a respectable young men of a good family find him helplessly drunk on the street, they would take him up and take care of him. the liquor and the liquor dealer would be blamed more than he and ft be never did so any more some people would look upon him as being quite a hero. If his sister were to be found In such a condition It would bring overwhelming shame upon her? self and her whoie family. She wMl not Indulge her appetite for Intoxicat? ing liquors no matter how much she may like the taste of them. The working man may leave his pgfgts in the morning, wall and alle to do his work, and be brought back In the evening helpless with drink and l e will be put to bed, coffee niaie 1 > kill the effect of the liquor and every? thing done that can be to relieve him. /and this or the like of this may be re? peated time and again until there Is no coffee to make, no bed to put him in and no h<>.ne to carry him to, and he will not be blamed so much. It Is the liquor or the liquor dealer that does It. But Just let this same mun i go out to his work In the morning, and leave his wife well and able to attend to ell her household duties and return In the evening to find his house In disorder, his meal unpre? pared, his children neglected and his wife bnoonaclous with drink, what i would be the consequence? Don't tell me that In every case It Is be? cause she can't get the liquor or don't like the taste of It that she does not get drunk. She don't dare to do It. If aer husband would allow It she would not bring upon herself such overwhelming ruin. If the poor, '?weak-minded" women can escape the grasp of the "accursed stuff" by the exercise of will power and self control. *nhy can't the men and boys escape by the same means? Ood does not require Impossibilities of men. and that St. Paul wrote, "be not drunk with wine." Is sufficient proof -that it is a matter of a man's own choice, whether he Is a drunkard or not. And that those who teach total abstlueoce piece together the words of Scripture to make such sayings a* "Touch not. tests not. handle not, the accursed stuff" or "the unclean thing." Is proof that there is nothing in the Scriptures to support their doctrine. Like those doctrines of the vJews about the washing of pots and cups and eating with unwashen hands It is a doctrine of men. Prohibition look* much like rejecting the com? mandment of Ood, to punish the drunkard, that we may keep this eommandment of men. Unclean and accursed are words often found In the Scriptures, but not once Is either one used there with the least refer? ence to wine or strong drink. "Touch not. tsste not, handle not" is from the sscond chapter of the epistle to the Colosstan*. Instead of teaching to? tal abstinence this chapter teaches how. through the sustaining power of Christ, we may overcome the flesh, snd be free from such ordinances a?. "Touch not. taste not. handle not." It also warns us to beware of the doc? trines of men Those Interested should rsad and see what Is said In It about drink. The Israelites were required to give wine with nearly all their of ferlngs, and the strong wine was pour 1 to the Lord In the Holy Pi n , every morning and evening. Would an unclean thing have been pound there aa an emblem of the blood that must be poured out for the r? n.is i .n Of sins? St Matthew, St. Mark and St. Luke all tell us that when JggfH took the cup he gave thanks. For tvhst i thing accursed? Ho also I?I the di*< I plea that he would drink no nn.r. >t the fruit of the vine until he drank It new with them In the kingdom of Clod. Shall we find any thing unclean or accursed or any? thing that may be compared to a thing unclean or accursed In that |>lace where "anything that defileth" or "worketh abomination," "shall In no wise enter?" In the law given to Moses God commanded that the pa? rents of a stubborn and rebellious son, who wouM not obey their voice, but was a glutton and a drunkard, bring him out to the elders of his city, testi? fy against him and have him put to ? death, and said "so shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shnll hear end fear." The wicked man who should secretly bless himself saying, "1 shall have peace though I walk In the imaginations of mine heart, to add drunkenness to thirst," is denounced and condemned to the most dreadful punishment. By this we see that God ascribes drunk? enness to stubbornness, rebellious? ness, disobedience and wicked Imagi? nations of the heart. The Prophet Isaiah soys, "Woe unto them that rise up ear'y In the morning that they may follow stong drink; that con? tinue until night, till wine Inflame them!" St. Paul forbids us to keep company with one who is called a brother If he Is a drunkard, and In his epistle to the Galatlans he says drunkenness Is a lust, a work of the flesh, and declares those guilty of it shall not Inherit the Kingdom of God. Would a wise and Just God thus de? nounce and condemn his creatures If they were Innocent victims of drink. St. James says that, "every man Is tempted, when he la drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." It Is cer? tain that If men did not like the taste and effect of liquor the most subtle dealer could make but few drunk? ards. They do not spend their money so freely for what they do not want, and the "poor drunkard" knows that he never felt the Impulse of an "ac? cursed craving" until after he had many times broken God's command by over-Indulging ,a natural appetite. Those who accuse others of making them drink confess that they have broken three of God's commands, by being drunk, keeping bad company and yielding to the enticement of sin? ners. Those who claim that In some cases drunkards are thf victims of physicians' prescriptions should re? member that the Scripture says, "Wine la a mocker, strong drink Is raging: and whoseover is deceived thereby is not wise." They are de-1 Ci ived not because of the power of the wine or strong drink, but because of their own foolishness, and Christ mentioned foolishness, as one of the things that come out of the heart and defile the man. At the same time he said. "There is ; nothing frorr, without a man, that entering Into him can defile him." The doctor snows well enough how to prescribe liquor without harming his patients, if his instructions are carulully obeyed, and he Is Imme? diately Informed If any symptoms of Intoxication appear, but those who hink that all that Is necessary Is to t ke enough, ake it often enough and that they may keep on taking it un? til they feel Ike quitting, are very upt to find themselves obeying the impulse of tie drunkard's craving. Instead of teaching total abstinence we should teach temperance, obedi? ence, self-coni.rol and that manhood or womanhood which dares at all times to do right. Even if the pro? hibition law couW be effectually en? forced It would benefit the morals of the dr inkard no more than locks and keys benefit the morals of thieves It Is the demand of the drunkards for liquor that keeps Christian men out of the business, and it Is left al? most entirely In the hands of a class of men who do not care for the evils of excessive drinking, and among them must be some of the most sel? fish, greedy and unscrupulous men that ever lived. Dr. James Atkins told In The Children's Visitor several years ago of one liquor dealer who, In an address to his association, de? clared that the business depended largely on creating appetite for drink, and that the open field for creating this aupetite was among the boys. Is it any wonder If the curse of God should follow and overtake men who will, for the sake of money, make drunkards of their neighbors' sons while they are yet boys? God does not forget or overlook them, and they shall In no wise escape punishment. Certainly they should be put out of the liquor business, end the most ef? fectual way to do so Is to put a stop to ho much drunkenness by punishing those who indulge In It, and making them feel the shame of their crime. The liquor deal th of all men are In ? position to know, and one of them told the truth for once, when he said that their business depended largely In creating appetite for drink. If I law were about to be made w hich they i>? lieved WOUM prevent men from creating appetite their addresses to their association would sound much like the address of Demetrius the Kpbesian silversmith to his associa? tion, gad thry might try with the help of the drunkards and olllc-seekinu politicians to ril e an uprour that would last several years. We read of no executions under the law which required parents who could not bring up their children temperate, sober and obedient, to bring them out and have them put to death, and I suppose such occur? rences were very rare, if they ever happened at all, but no doubt, the law served a good purpose by pre venting parents from being negligent. They were not anxious to excuse themselves by saying "I can't." Common sense ought to teach that the drunkards are what the light of the Elide shows them to be, selfish criminals, instead of unfortunate vic? tims of drink, and that it is upon themselves and not the liquor, they bring the curse. When they appear before the great Judge who knows the secrets of all hearts, such excuses as, "The accursed stuff which thou gavest us deceived me," or "The dram8eller beguiled me, and I did drink," will not save them from the inevitable punishment that awaits them. There is nothing like punish? ing the drunkards that will also pun? ish the wicked dealer and the care? less parent with so little harm or In? justice to any one else, therefore by all means tot us punish the drunkard so shall we put much evil away from among us, and even the Ignorant and youthful "shall hear and fear." As to the sin of putting the bottle to the neighbor's mouth about which the Smithvllle correspondent asked some time ago, If he will read care? fully he will see that what is said in the Scripture about It has no special reference to either the liquor dealer or the drunkard, but to anyone who will make his neighbor drunk that he may take some undue advantage of the drunken condition, and the words used apply to any case, either literal? ly or In a figurative sense, for those who will allow themselves to be made drunk permit faults of mind and character to be exposed of which they should be ashamed. From what Is said in the same chapter about transgressing by wine, covetousness, building towns with blood and estab? lishing cities by -iniquity, we know that the prophet had in mind offen? ders against society in general as well as offenders against individuals. In fact, the whole chaptt r seems to apply to certain poli? ticians of tne present day who worship the things of this world instead of their Creator, especially, those who seek by means of the bot? tle to take advantage of ignorance and vice and thus assume a power at the ballot box similar to that of the president in congress or the gov? ernor in the legislature. They are the greatest insult t?v democracy that I can think of. How democrats can tolerate them for a moment I don't know, but I do know that it was done right here in this county at the pri? mary election last year. I heard a farmer say that when he went to the election he was met by a stranger who took him aside and Offered to give him a drink of liquor. This being de? clined, he offered to help him fix his ticket. To this the farmer did not object until the man with the bottle stroked his pencil through the name of one of two candidates for a cer? tain county office. He thought that was the right name to stroke, but the voter didn't think so, and that ticket had to be thrown away, and the same name was stroked on the second tick? et by "mistake." He "forgot" and stroked it again on the third ticket. By this time the voter decided he didn't want to put a "fixed" ticket in the box, and insisted on voting with? out help. If he had taken a drink from that bottle he might not have been able to see which name was stroked with the pencil. However, the candidate for whom he voted was beaten by a small majority. Now did the bottle man succeed in making up this majority by "fixing" tickets and buying votes with a drink of liquor and thus decide himself who should have the office, or did he influence more than enough and thereby si? lence the voice of the majority? Was he there for some selfish purpose of his own, defaming the name of a good man, or was the candidate the real bottle man? Just think what a difference It would make if he suc? ceeded in "fixing" and buying only five votes at three places, three at five and one or two at a few other places. I have been told that the friends of both canditates might have had a bottle, but I don't know. I hope not. Just suppose they did, then what was the election? Merely a bottle contest in which the man with the better filled or more skillful? ly manipulated bottle was the winner. A drunk man should never be allow? ed to vote, and such things as "fix? ing" tickets and selling or buying votes for a drink of liquor or any? thing else Is a shame on our civiliza? tion. 0 if government is a democracy, therefore, if a majority of the citi? zens of the county who have a legal right to vote, want to try what vir ture there is In a prohibition law. they should have It. and all Demo? crats should make It their business to see that no man with his bottle cheat them out of It, and change the gov? ernment Into what, I suppose, might be called g bottleocracy. BOBBR, Buinter, S. C, It. F. D. No. 4, Aug. 3, 1909. HAT BURNS ON GIRL'S HEAP. Fire on Peach Basket Cause? General Disorganization of Tilings in At? lanta Depot. Atlanta, Aug. 3.?A fire upon the roof garden of a pretty girl's hat at the union station this afternoon call? ed out tow fire companies, a hose car a score of willing amateur firemen, delayed a fast train and destroyed about $30 worth of finery upon the peach basket aforesaid. The young woman, enroute to New York, rushed into the station for a bite to eat. In paying her check she swung the confection too close to a cigar lighter. In an instant the or? chard which adorned it was a mass of very smelly flames. A dark skin? ned waiter turned in a fire alarm and every available male guest tried to rescue the affair, thereby convincing the wearer, who knew naught of the I conflagration that she had blundered Into an insane asylum. The train was held a few minutes until the victim recovered from an at? tack of near hysterics, when she gra? ciously permitted it to proceed, giv? ing vent to'a few personal opinions of cigar lighters in general and this one in particular. TO HELP WEAK SCHOOLS., $20,000 Has Been Appropriated by The Legislature. CHunrcbia, Aug. 4.?Within the past two weeks the State superintendent of education, Mr. Swearingen, has re? ceived applications from weak schools for aid to the amount of about $2,0J^0. The legislature appro? priated *thl8 year $20,000 to aid the weak schools of the State.. Only $7, 000 of this amount has been taken up this year as the appropriation was not available until late in the school year, however, the remaining $13,000 will be distributed during the coming fall. At a recent conference of the county superintendents held In Spar tanburg a resolution was passed urg? ing the legislature to increase this amount. A similar resolution was passed at a meeting of the school trustees of Spartanburg County held several days ago. An Appeal for the Y. M. C. A. Mr. Editor: Please allow me space in your col? umns to express my appreciation of the articles which have already been written concerning the Y. M. C. A. 1 heartily agree with all of them, but feel that enough has not been said. Sumter has always been called the game cock city, and why? Because every good request that has been made of her, not only in her sport? ing and commercial life, but for the moral and spiritual uplift she has al? ways been ready to lend a helping hand. The writer has been a resident of this city going on two years, and while a young man he can truth? fully say with pleasure, that the mor? al and spiritual life of the young men of this city is far above the average. What the business people of this world are calling for today are young men of good moral character, men whose influence Is for good, which means success. The call Is now for a Y. M. C. A. for Sumter, and we believe the good business men, Christian fathers and mothers will not leave a stone unturned until Sumter has one of the best Y. M. C. A.'s In South Carolina. The time Is near at hand when probably the dispensary will be done away with, and as we read in Satur? day's Item that the clubs would then grow, we say that if the Christian men and women of this city will co? operate in this great, and good move? ment of the Y. M. C. A. and throw good influence around our hpys that we should, that instead of tnlse clubs increasing they will diminish. Fath? ers and mothers, preachers and lay? men, this is a grand step which the young men of your city are taking. Come out tonight and help us in this good work. Come and help ui make the attractions of a Y. M. C. A. great? er than the clubs can possibly make their attractions, and if we do this God's smiles will be upon us and we will be the means of saving many a young maji?probably your boy. We can overcome evil with good, so let us have the Opera House full tonight, and let all take an active part. W. D. S. Through Attorney H. P. Burbage. J. Fred Lanham, first baseman and catcher for the Spartanburg team has instituted suit in the Common Pleas Court in Spartanburg for $1,000 against the Greenville Electric Rail? way Company. He alleges that he was thrown from a street car In that city July 6 and that he suffered in? juries from which he will not perma? nently recover. I know a man who says, "Thought, persisted in, Will bring you success? thought alone!" But he is still sell? ing a patent w indow-fasterner as a side line. In view of tho tariff proceedings, why not write it "Senate?" CONFEREES CONFER AGAIN. Hide and Leather Question Causes Hitch In Tariff Legislation. Washington, August 2.?Tariff leg? islation has been delayed again by the hide and leather question, and as a result the conferees were again called together today. The session was for^the purpose of enticing into the open a certain "ebony-hued person" reported by Western senators to be lurking in the "wood pile." These senators said the leather schedule, as arranged by the con? ferees with the approval of the presi? dent, was unfair to the States inter? ested in protected hides. It was agreed today they must be conciliated if the conference report "Is to be adopted. Soon after the senate met today the senate leader and his assistants learn? ed of the charge that there was a "joker" in the compromised hide and leather schedule. The difficulty appeared to be a lack of understanding between the con? ferees, the president and the Western senators concerning the condition un? der which the latter consented to hides being placed on the free list. The Westerners said they had been led to believe all boots and shoes of leather were to be dutiable at 10 per cent and all harness at 20 per cent. When the conference report was issued it appeared the redactions applied only to articles manufactured in chief part of the class of hides which were to be made free of duty. Finding the Westerners not amen? able to argument, some of the senate leaders, dissatisfied members, hurried to the Wh^te House. There all were informed that the president had not been fooled. He was reported to have told his callers that he fully under? stood the character of the compro mise. It was declared by the conferees, in defence of their action, that the course pursued was necessary from B parliamentary standpoint. To have reduced all boots and shoes, they said, would have compelled the re submission of the question to the house. Senator Aldrich, as soon as'he re? turned from the White House to the Capitol, called the conferees together and a number of Western senators were given an audience before the committee. Senators Brown and Borah both had letters from the president bear? ing upon the alleged "joker," which wee read to the conferees. The pres? ident asserted that the leather and hide schedule, as adopted, was just as'he had undei stood it. He said that l.'is understanding was that the re? duction on leather goods should be made on those manufactures of hith? erto dutiable hides, and should not include manufactures of hitherto free hides. It was practially conceded that in order to insure the passage of the conference report, the low rates on boots and shoes and harness would have to be applied to calf skin pro? ducts as well as to leather from a class of hides that are now duitiable, but made free by the conference re? port. ? No programme has been reached positively as to the course of proce? dure to be followed in accomplishing this result. - Congress will have to send out a bookcase with the Congressional Rec? ord this year. Twenty-one counties in South Car? olina now realize the situation of the other twenty-one. Chicago has some street-cars that are forty-five feet long and very heavy. Their size is perhaps designed not necessarily to give more accamo dations to passengers, but to success? fully combat the heavy automobiles. Georgia passes a law making it a misdemeanor to speak ill of a wo? man, and then passes another law prohibiting trading stamps. Consis? tency is only a Barrious gem in Georgia. Everybody Will Wear Specs Some Day. Present statistics show that there is a wonderful increase in the number of people who depend on glasses for gcod vision, 'fake enlightened Bos? ton, "The Hub." for instance. There are more people wearing specs there than in any other city of its size. Where learning and progress are. you Will find the most people wearing glasses. Are you going to stay behind till you have to have them and then maybe fhnd you have waited too long, that some small trouble has grown on till glasses won't remedy it? IF YOU DON'T NEED 'EM WE TELL YOU. W. A. Thompson, (1 S. Main Street ? Suinter, s. C. CASTOR IA For Infants and Children. The Kind You Have Always Bought Bears the Signature of $2.75 ?TO ? C. And Return. $4.05 -TO? 3 S, hi /Ml Return (For Myrtle Beach.) ?VIA Atlantic Coast line Tickets for sale for all trains each Saturday and for Sunday forenoon, trains commencing' Saturday, May-29th and continu? ing to Saturday, Sept. 4th, 1909,, limited to return Monday follow? ing date of sale. An excellent opportunity to> visit the famous Seashore Resorts of South Carolina at a minimum cost. For information, call on Ticket Agent, or write. W. J. CRAI6, T. C. WHITE, Pas. Traf. Mgr. Sen, Pas. Agft WILMIN6T0N, H. K _ DO YOU WANT A PIANO for your own pleasure to pass the leisure hour In sweetest hai'inony, to calm your ruffled soul, and soften your duties when tired and lonely? DO YOU WANT A PIANO to hand down to your little grand daughter as a priceless souvenir?a Piano that will stand a storm of usage muT still live. Then buy a Steiff, a long lived, sweet toned Stieff. A thing of beauty and a joy for? ever. Chas. M. Stieff Manufacturer of Artistic Stieff, Shaw and Stieff Self-Player Pianos. Southern Warerooan 5 West Trade St. OHA It LOTTE, - - N. C. C. 11. Yilmoth, Manager. (Mention this paper.) PATENTS PROCURED AND DEFENDED.s/ndn>od*M drawing or photo, for expert search and free report I Free advice, how to obtain patents, trade marks, | Copyright?, etc, |N ALL COUNTRIES. Business direct uitk Washington saivs //W,| money and often the patent. Patent and Infringement Practice Exclusively. Write or come to us at 623 Ninth Btrwt, opp. United States Patent Office | WASHINGTON, D. C. 8c 60 YEARS* EXPERIENCE Patents I RADE Irl AHRS Designs Copyrights Ac. ArtTone ponding a sketch und description niry quickly ascertain our opinion free whether au invention is probably patentable. Communica? tions strict lyconUilcntlal. HloDDOOK on Patent* sent free. Ol.lost agency for securing patents. Patents taken through Munn St Co. receive/ rpccial notice, without charce. 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