Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-11-30
CAsUIsTRY.
Views OF Henry Ward Beecher on
Some Knotty Points.

the Ledger.
1, Is 1t sinful to make bottles for a
whisky or brandy bother!
2 Is il si1fu to sell an instrument
innocent in itself--to a gambler, for
gambling.
8. II one takes billiard table for
debt, should he sell it for public play
ing?
These questions bring us to q very large
COMPANY of like questions which spring
up IN business life, and which are *
tremely peiplexing to the Christian Gus
| uiSt.
The root of the difficulty is created by
the ethical principle. that no man has
right TO lend his influence. directly or IN
directly. and still less derive his ad,an-
tage from the promotion of evil. But
while the general statement is true, there
are many cases in which the application
of j; is impeded.
In regard 10 crimes against life aud
pnblic veal, men hardly hesitate MS 10
duty. No one would sell pistol or
knife knowing that it would be used tor
purposes of murder, And ye, if one
keeps magazine for the sale Of FIRE
arms, and men come TO buy arms. which
more likely than not will go into brawls,
shall the merchant refuse to sell? A
temperance inan refuses To sell whisky,
but shall he refuse to sell corn TO corn
merchant En"wIng that il will go from
him TO a distlIer7 Shall merchant re
fuse to sell red flannel because it will be
used in distilling for strainers? And if
yes. shall he refuse 10 sell pals, glass
and paint tobe u ed in repairing dis
tilIcry? And If yes, should he refuse to
sell tea, coffee and flour, broadcIoth,
shoes and hats TO the disliller knowing
that these will keep him alive and enn
BILE him to carry on his business? And
if to this. one SAYS yes, then il amounts
to this: that a temperance man should
endeavOr 10 prevent dis;iing and selling
of liquor by commercial non intercourse;
and this brings to the surface tue real
question. Will moral reform be promo
ted on the whole, by coercion and by So
eial disfeIowship?
Take another instance. When the
member of Congress for Nav York. the
Hon John Morrissey, wis es to open n
gambling saloon at Saratoga, and goes
10 Mr.. A. T. Stewart for a loan, Mr..
Stewart would refuse on the ground of
its morality.
But if, instead Of loan, Hon. Mr..
Morrissey selected $4,000 worth Of carr
pets, curtains, linens. etc. should Mr..
Stewart refuse to sell them? Is man
bound to trace out the ten thousand
veins and arteries by which bad man
is socially connected with his fellows and
refuse drop of blood to any of them
lest he participate in that mans evili-
" ould that mode of actions on the whole
best promote the cause of virtue? Ii it
would, then there is no doubt Ms TO
the lines of duty. Every man must be.
come Judge of his fellow mans pur-
suits, and if lie be evil, must separate
himself from him in ali things.
But such course would make society
impossible 1t would do TO social life,
wins; the principle of authority and Sec
tarianism have done for religion, split
ting up the christian world into splinters,
and consuming the power Of religion in
qnarre!s. The genius Of the Old Tesla.
ment was to separate from evil men and
keep them aIoof. But when men had
grown morally robust q new principle
came in. and good men are TO live with
bad men TO restrain them by their ex-
ample and 10y kindness. God does not
produce evil But he lends his sun to
The coed and to the evil, and sends rain
OH tn just and on the unjust.
With such explanations. l would say,
specially:
I. If you are manufacturing bottles
for the market ut large, and n disriIler
wished lot should treat him like any
other customer on the ground that, on
the akoie, taking one case with another.
commercial non intercourse would injure
rather than promote the cause of tenn.
perance.
2. If had fast horse, | would not
sell HIM at all if / could help if-provi.
ded he was very fast. But if | wss go.
ING TO sell at auction | would not refuse
any responsible mans bid. l would if
could, sell to Mr.. Bonner. who never
bets; but if be would not buy, | would
sell 10 Mr.. Vanderbilt, even though hs
should be known to bet on horses. and
to be fond of banter;ng men who be
knows won't bet
8. | should certainly sell billiard ts-
bic to public saloon. Billiard playing
is not necessarily evil. Tho old con-
comitants of it, drinking and gambling,
should be stripped of from it 10y moral
Influence. The way 10 cure bad sa.
loon in a village is to open good one.
without any evil surroundings, and make
the young people safe there.
So long as Christian men refuse TO
take charge of amusements, and aban.
don them to selfish men, so long they
will haze incidental miscbiefs. Christi
anity ough. to cast out tho devil from
amuse ments, and restore them to their
right mind, and let them serve relis Jon
as now they Too often serve vice.
Mark Twain produces one of the most