Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-06-28
A Sensible Presbytery.

UuueT tle CdpJlOn VI lIesByleEy
Favoring the Rum Sellers" the Marietta
Times makes the following assault upon
the presbytery of Westminster:
The presbytery of Westminster at it's
meeting in this town last Tuesday, took a
very unusual step for q religious body.
Some one introduced resolution com
mending Judge Livingston for his course
in trying to reduce the number Of liquor
selling places, and under the lead of DR..
Mitchell, Of Lancaster, it was defeated.
This is the first time to our knowledge,
that q religious body Of the influence aud
respectability Of the Westminster presby.
terry has made declaration, which would
give aid and comfort to the liquor traffic,
rs against the efforts of temperance peo
pie to stay the tide OF intemperance which
Is sweeping across this country, and caus-
ing more misery and distres' than any
other evil IL is cursed with.
The resolution, as We understand IL, was
n simple commendation of Judge Living
ston Tor the good work he is doing in tho
cause of temperance, and one which any.
body having the welfare Of the people
generally at heart, would have been glad
to adopt, and by their failure 10 do So, 1t
puts the presbytery in the ranks Of the
anti-temperance people,
Will the congregations, who We are sure
were misrepresented at this meeting allow
themselves to be thus classed, without a
protest? /?
1t need not be pointed out to any
reflective mind that this attack is as H.
logical as it is indecent. We aie rlgh
glad to see that at least one dellbcratly,
religious assembly has had the gOot
sense and moral courage to decline e
put itself in the position of commencing
the president judge for his atti
tude toward the liquor licenses q
expressed in his "atiidavit" system
His position in this matter is not sin
cere effort to reduce the number u
liquor selling places " at all, but simpl
piece of speciOus humbug to evade tn
responsibility which the law impose
upon his court and the church bodir
which commended it as good work
I" in the cause of temperance hav
done 30 with the inconsderate zeal with
out discretion, which very often works
good cause more harm than benefit.
The best evidence that this llms
number of liquor selling places" an
ito stay the tide of intemperance,
furnished by the fact that, after the trii
of 1t at two courts, there are just as man
taverns and beer shops as there were be
fore. A few respectable landlords hay
gone out Of business, to be succeeded b
worse men u good many others hav
sworn to what was not true, and tn
sowing of the affidavit has produced
bountiful harvest of lies; but ever
country cross roads tavern and the on
hundred and thirteen places that sOl
gin and beer in this city keep on sellin,
them.
II Judge Livingston really wants :" I
reduce the number of liquor sellip
places IT. is all in his power to do Il
He need only walk three squares frol
his Office to see, in dozen different par
OF town, three times as many place
licensed by his court, as are necessary
accommodate the public. lie may driy
ten miles out into the country on an
highway leading from the city, an
he will be confronted with Tn
same state OF facts. He has absC
lutte power to correct this condition O
things il he chooses to exercise the dis
cretion with which the law vests hin
When he will have shown dispositio
to do II, it will be time enough for tn
presbyteries and conferences and class,
TO pass their resolutions.