The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-03-26
The Liquor Traffic as It Stands to
Gcd and Man.


past. l have made, sold and drank
the accursed soul and body destroy
er, and have seen the oppressed
and the cries of the wife and chill
dren in distress from the use of
this hellish poison. God requires
and humanity demands that we do
something.
There are none so blind as those
who will not see. This is true GER
tainly of those who are trying to
discover some charitable solution
of the question forced upon the
country by the dong of the liquor
traffic. For some cause the
churches of the land have pursued a
very strange course in regard to
this matter. She has gone bliRdly
along dallying with this business in
one way or another until in the
very bosom of the church has
grown up a fearful monster that is
now destroying the vitals of relig-
ion and carrying misery and woe to
the hearts and homes of multitudes
of Gods creatures. In some in
stances the church has borne with
the liquor dealer in the hope of res
cuing him from eternal ruin, but
too often the church has tolerated
this man and his business because
from it they derived a considerable
revenue. In this way the church
and her ministry have become par
ties to the traffic, and God will hold
them parties to it's crimes and in
EQUITIES. The time has come when
all true christians and honest men
should be aroused from their indif-
ference and tolerance of this great
evil, and cast it cut of our land.
The church can live without it, but
she will perish with it. For perish
it will and all who are joined to it.
God has pronounced terrible woe
upon every one in this business,
and we should give earnest heed to
his voice. The liquor traffic is, and
has been, in the hands of God, and
most terribly has he punished those
who are in it. In the prophecy of
Habakkuk the 2-I5 we have very
strong language upon the subject:
"Woe unto him that giVeth his
neighbor drink, that putteth the
bottle to him, and maketh him
drunken also, that thou mayst look
upon his nakedness also" Many
attempts shave been made to do
away with the literal meaning OF
words, but God has interpreted
them for centuries in blood and
woe, so that the stamp of the Eter-
nal rests upon the view we have ia
ken from this passage. God has
made this Interpretation so plain
that that he who runs may read.
By wee the prophet usually meant
some great calamity sent upon a
man or a nation, as a judgment
from God for wrong doing. This
judgment was something sent at
once upon the transgressor, and
sometimes deferred till late in life,
but under no circumstance was
the judgment of woe entirely with
held. God was always deliberate
in pronouncing q judgment and he
did not repent or change his mind
unless man forsook his evil way,
and as much as God has said, "Woe
unto him that giveth his neighber
drink it will certainly come to
pass.
Who is it that giveth his neigh
Dor, drink that puts his bottle to
him to make him drunk. am sure
that quite a number come under
this head that never thought of their
danger. The man who buys or
makes liquor or wine and gives it
to his neighbor as treat is Ger
tainly guilty of this transgression.
1t may be done through trien dship
but that is q singular species of
friendship which gives a slow but
deadly poison to fellow man. 1t
may be that young woman who has
a lover, tender and devoted. She
may hand the fatal cup with a vel
vet palm and a bewitching smile,
but she is not an innocent actor in
this tragedy, That young man
may have his first glass in this
way, but the first prepares the way
for the second, to be taken it may
be in a gilded saloon. Ged takes
notes of the one who gives this
drink to his or her neighbor and
justice demands woe upon this
drunkard maker. 1t may be that
the bottle is put to your neighbor
at social gathering, dinner or a
supper, 40 matter where or by
whom, if you have put your bottle
out for your friends, your brother
or your child, God beholds from
his throne and sorrow and woe
will wiring your soul for this wrong
doing.
The man who sells liquor of any
kind to his fellow man comes under
this woe. This is worse than Civ
ing it to him, for this was done I'M
der the guise of friendship. In this
case money is the inducement.
For silver and gold the liquor deal
er has gone into the business; for
money does he push it and for mon
ey does he make drunkards.
God has said that 'the love of
money is the root of all evil'' and it
is this love for money that has put
this man into great evil Against
the covetousness of man God has
pronounced the several judgments.
He has said the covetous man 10
an idolater, that he can not inherit
the kingdom of heaven. This is
the awful crime of the liquor deal
er. He is so covetous that he would
ruin a mans soul in order to get
money. Bowling down before the
golden idol he fails to think of the
widows tears or hear the orphans
cry, but God sees it, and he will
not forget. Go on, Mr.. Liquor
dealer,in your work. Destroy men,
women and children, take their
houses ana lands, roll in wealth
add luxury. Join some popular
church of the day, fill your pews
from Lords day to Lords day, stop