American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1867-01-09
Selert Mistellaup.
The Whiskey Trade.
BY JANE @. swIssnELM.


While in Butler we heard the Rev.
Mr. Dick, of K,ttanning, preach SER
mon which was running commentary
on the visit of our Saviour to the country
of the Gadarencs. The speaker said no.
thing about " Prohibition" or whiskey,
ana vet it occurred to us that his discourse
was the best argument in favor Of pro-
hioitory law, that it has been our good
fortune to hear. lie argued that, at that
period of the worlds history, evil spirits
aid actually take possession of human
bodies; and he drew the principal proof
from the declaration of the inspired wrl-
tcrs, who say that Christ healed all
manner of diseases, and those who were
possessed with devils, and those who
were lunatic." So that possession of dew
lis was not either diseases, or lunancy, as
many argue, but something distinct from
'poth. But the prohibition part of the
discourse was in explanation of the de-
sire of the legion to % into the swine,
and the consent of the Saviour.
The devils intended to drown the
swine, and Known that if the Saviour
gave them leave to do so, the men of that
country would raise great hue and cry
.s+bout the dest, ucticn of property and
that this interference with their cash re-
,ceipts would make the people wholly
ayerse to hearing him. The result show
ed hoy sell they knew the human heart,
sor although these men saw the poor dc,
moniac Sitting ''clothed and IN his right
mind" through the healing pOwor of Je
sus, yet they prayed him to "depart out
of their coast" To them, swine was of
anore Importance than men and money
of greater consideration than the mission
of reconciliation. They would rather
have the devils with the swine, than the
Saviour without them.
But why did the Saviour permit the
devils to wax tl.is destruction !?
The country of the Gaearcnes belong>
ed to the Jews; it was contrary to the di.
vine law to raise swine there. The owns
ers of these animals had not Just title
to their property. They might have been
,Gentiles, butthe Supreme Being had for.
hidden the raising of swine in that coun>
try. 1t was therefore an unlawful oecu-
patton and the Saviour permitted its
destruction to testify His disapprobaticn
of that business.
The speaker made most eloquent ap>
plicatiOD of the principle in general
Wh4rever the commands of the Saw
iour come ip competition with the world
ly interest, the,nen of the world are ev>
er ready to disobey them. The mass of
mankind to-day prefer their swine to the
Saviour, their property interests to the
redemption of their souls so it had ever
been. Whenever obedience to the di-
vine Law appeared to imply some loss of
worldly goods, mep were ready to beg
the Saviour to "depart out of their
coasts. :"
It was altogether the most forcible and
right,mipded discourse we have listened
10 for years; and the arguments we had
heard used by two Democratic lawyers 10
the previous week came back to our men,
ory with peculiar force. The new Liq
uor Law interiered with property, and SO
was unconstitutional and anti>d emocratic
1t must be repealed because Legislators
mad no business to interfere with mans
business, ,and destroy the value Of his prop
,erty. Property, property, was the bur-
den of their song. and when we inquired
how the law dared tosinterfere with a
mans property in counterfeit money and
the machinery for making it, they turn,
ed corner and came round to where
they started, repeating parrot like, the
cry of property, property There sat
one of them listening to that same SER
mon, aud as We looked at him, we saw he
$50,