Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-09-30

| ihut, SAY the auNoCdttS VI ilSVHsS,
the law is good enough, but Ii can.
not be enforced. Morally consid-
cred, Is that any reason why we
should cease to do right, to vote
right, to ever bear testimony for the
right. and to ever set our faces as
flint against the wrong? Does not
all history, both sacred and profane,
go TO prove that bad men have ever
arrayed themselves against good
/ laws, and in favor of bad ones?
God, through Moses, gave law to the
Jewish nation, and in that law he
said: "rhou shalt have no other
| gods before ine." Here was pro-
hibitory law. The children OF Is
rael, after their settlement in the
promised land fell into idolatry, and
had many other gods before him, so
that there was left Of all the tribes
tof Israel but seven thousand who
had not bowed the knee TO Baal.
| Asa matter of course the law could
not be enforced. Now, according to
the views of some of our modern
politicians, God should have COM
promised the matter by repeating
the commandment and enacting In
4 its stead 'judicious, well-framed,
practical license law" giving every
Jew who would pay so much money
into the treasury of the Lord the
right to set up an idol In any town
or hamlet In Palestine; and, for the
further suppression of idolatry, pro-
viding that these temples he Kept
open might and day" that the peo-
pie he not hindered In their devo-
tions nor abridged In the exercise OF
their largest liberties. But, instead
of doing all this, the Lord COM
manded his servants to 70 out
through all the land, to lift up their
voices like trumpet, TO cry aloud
and spare not, to show Israel her sin
and His people their transgresslon.
| When Luther attacked the doc
trines and practices of the Romish
church one Of his strongest points
was made against the selling OF In
. dulgenc~s, for then all Europe,
through Its priests, was selling the
right to do wrong. We, as Protest
ants, believe that Luther was right
and the Romish church wrong.
Then how can we, as Christians,
vote that our state may do what we
condemn others for doing: for j as
aume that no christian man, In the
} light of the nineteenth century, will
for a moment attempt to maintain
that dramdrinking and drunkenness
are not crime. But, reiterate the
advocates OF free whisky, the pres
ent law cannot be enforced, therefore
we favor its repeal. This cringing,
cowardly wall we hear uttered by
men who, if their own or their
neiglbor's horse Was stolen, would
arm and ride night and day through
storm and frost that the thief might
be- arrested and brought to justice,
and the law enforced; and yet these
men know that In our very midst
there H. an enemy whose vocation IL
to fit the thief for his calling and the
murderer for hia deeds OF blood.
Nay, more-a thief who perhaps has
invaded his own home circle and
stole away the bloom from the
cheek Of once happy mother aud
laid his fendisl grasp on the young
manhood of his once pramising boy,
and ~ yet this father has never lifted
a finger to cxpei the intruder or en-
force the law, but has stood idly by,
and, like the men whom Moses sent
To spy out the promised land, have
cried, "The people be too strong
that dwell In she land; the cities are
walled and very great. and. more
J over, we raw the children OF Anak
there. The Amaiekites dwell In the
land of the south; the Hittites ana
Jebusiies and tie Amorites dwell In
the mountains, aud the Canaanites
: dwell by the sea aui by the coasts OF
Jordan, and we were la our own
sight as grasshoppers; and 80 we
i wrre In their sight" But Caleb and
Joshua brought in minority report
aud said, 1--WE are fully able to go
/ up and posses. the goodly land" F."
But the majority report prevailed.
I The consequence Wa. that Israel Was
turned back aud wandered for forty
yenrs, until the 'Hr,4,ssseT of that ma
j iiou Of towards fell In the viii
4 derness.
4 Christian men, let us see to 1t that
we be not turned hack from the dis
charge of duty by the lash OF party
Idrill or the taunts and jeers ol
wicked men, Let us show to ff