Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-06-04
Preparation Evening.

Be it remembered that heretofore to wit -
on Wednesday evening the 22d day of May,
1872, at 6 o'clock, between forty and fifty of
the good and law abiding citizens of the city Of
Staunton and county of Augusta, were denied
the privilege OF pursuing their lawful and
peacefully business of drunkard- making, solely
because those in power had conceived the mon
strous idea and had decreed accordingly, that
the dear and good people of this dear old Com
monwealth should have clear heads and honest
hearts to enable them rightly to exercise the
right of suffrage Now, we most respectfully
submit it to the good citizens of Augusta coun-
ty, for their earnest and candid consideration,
useful business, should be interrupted thus in
their lawful pursuits2 Why is it that of all
the useful and orderly business branches car
ried on in your county, this one alone should
be singled out and made gazing stock?
What right has any man or set of men to
infringe upon the rights of free-agents?
What right have they to say that the Sow
ereigns in whom all power Is vested shall be
more cool-headed and more honest-hearted on
election days than on any other days.
If the liquor traffic is good and useful bus
iness, deserving the support and confidence of
all good citizens, land our laws as they moto er-
ist, declare it to be such) then we unhesitating-
ly pronounce this action on the part of the
law-making power, high-handed outrage, not
only upon the acknowledged rights of the sell
| Ter but of those of the consumer also. But if
it is an evil and sinful business, then we unhes-
itatingly say to those who were instrumental
In having these establishments closed, well
done, good aud faithful servants so far
you have done we'll, but do not stop here
you have not done your whole duty as repre-
sentatives of Virginia best interests. In your
wisdom you have declared that the evening be-
fore election days should be times for SOLDERING
off, preparation seasons for the important du-
ties of the following day.
Has it ever been suggested to you that Sat
urday evenings would be good and appropri-
| ate preparation seasons for the solemn and i'm
portant duties and privileges of the Holy Sab
bath day-that He who has declared that no
drunkard shall inherit the kingdom" requires
cool heads and honest hearts of those engaged
in His worship. Aye, more, has it ever been
suggested to you that every day and every hour
of our lives IS preparation season for the
most solemn election ever to be held; that
man requires cool head and honest heart at
all times to enable him to prepare for that final
election, when the Judge of election will not
be frail, sinful and erriug man, but the Omnip-
otent Jehovah Himself-fearful in Wisdom
and Power, who has declared-"Wo unto him
''that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest
"thy bottle to him and makest him drunken
'also.
Thou art filed with shame for glory-drink
"thou also-the cup of the Lords right hand
"shall be turned unto thee and shameful spew-
ing shall be on thy glory.
We repeat it,, as far as you have gone, well
done Let your next step be to wipe the
odious, iniquitous License Law from the Sta
tute Books, and the mothers wives daughters
and sisters of thousands of tempted and sore
ly tried unfortunates from every quarter of our
Alcohol ridden land will rise up and call you
blessed.
Thinking men of Augusta eaunty, throw
aside your preiudices for one moment and give
this subject serious, candid thought: there
must be something radically wrong in this traf-
ic, else those engaged in it would not be thus
dealt with. Do not attempt to beat around
the bush-but come up fairly and squarely to
the issue. Are you, too, to be muzzled by that
bug-hear, 1.-THE bottle in the closet, which has
muzzled so many who should speak out in un-
mistakable language upon this subject.
| Are you doing your whole duty in this mat
ter? Have you any power hitherto left unex-
ercised, which might be spent in lessening the
amount of evil resulting from intemperance
Does your patronage of the sveH kept bar or
the large liquor store, help to confer respecta-
bility and permanence upon those institutions
| Will you not minister an efficient yet inotfen-
sive remonstrance against the practice of drink
ing by always refusing the draught proffered
by the hand of friendship.
| And to you, fellow-laborers in the Vineyard
of our common Lord and Master, we would
say. Remember you are the representatives Of
the religion of Jesus Christ that the world
forms its ideas of what are the proprieties Of
life, pretty much by what it sees you do and
hears you say. Some even among the pro-
fessed followers of our blessed Savior, quote
the miracle at Cana in justification of their
drinking practices. AS if the pure and holy
Jesus upon that memorable occasion could
think of no better way to manifest his glory,
than by creating that by the use of which
thousands of those be came to save from all
kind of sin, should be consigned to everlasting
perdition. The very thought is blasphemy.--
So, my brothers, let it be distinctly understood,
that if protesting Christians will drink the
drunkard's S drink they must do so in the name
of Bacchus or some other heather God, but
not in the name of Jesus.
"No. Al"