The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-04
Mr. McCufgy Replies.

Mr.. EDITOR: You are probably tired
of this controversy on Prohibition, and
should not have said anything.more, ba.
Mr.. McLees asks that should explain q
certain remark in my former article,
which may be excused for doing.
If caught the idea in his first article,
it was to remove all law. regulating the
manufacture and sale Of spirits, and let
any and all make who felt disposed ; but
he uays, "have no retail shops anywhere"
This plan might work, for the maker
would soon get as much as he would
want, for not being allowed TO sell by
the small quantity, and no one would
want a large quantity, could do nothing
with it. The trouble of turning loose
the whiskey business might, as he says,
elbow over" but it might be compared
to inan saying, let's raise grea. cyclone,
for it will soon be calm again. Many an
unsusPecting person might be caught
and hurled into eternity and ruin before
the calm comes. How would he like for
some lawless fellow to put up still on
his spring branch, and annoy him day and
night with its consequences Think he
would soon show his Irish il he had any.
In regard to the word common, l prob.
ably should have said popular drinking
friend with friend, hail fsllows we'll met,
courting friendship and popularity. But
we are too near the same opinion for
controversy, hence 1 will make few
statements and leave the subject with
him.
He said he could take single passage
of Scripture and prove anything, and
quoted two verses of Proverbs to prove
(as far as I can see) that man may drink
at will even till he forgets his trouble,
emitting the 4th verse which reads at
is not for Kings, Oh Lemuel, it is not
for Kings to drink wine, nor for Prince
strong drink" Solomon tried what we
would call moderate drinking. See Prov.
%, N-35 inclusive, also Ecclesiastes 2,
l-l3: II said in mine heart, Go TO now,
/ will prove thee with mirth,"&c. 3verse {:
81 sought in mine heart to give myself
unto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart
with wisdom."0 The reader is asked to
read for himself and see the bitter con.
sequences of his folly. He says. "look
not on. the wine when 10 giveth its color"
A large proportion Of ancient wines were
non.alcoholic and Notwithstanding. This
wine was evidently alcoholic, and
the command was, look not on 1t.
Then what of our modern drink,
which by the confession of its ma.
kers and sellers, is drugged and
diluted with the view of creating an un.
controllable thirst for it when once
tasted7 Now, what are some Of the facts
about alcoholic liquors and their use 2
Alcohol is not product of nature, it is
produced by purely chemical process.
There is in the animal organism nothing
that requires its use to sustain it.. Man
is the only animal that uses it at all, and
the craving he has for it is not like
natural hunger or thirst, for they are
satisfied when sufficient quantity Of
food is taken. Not so the craving for
alcoholic stimulants, which increases
with use until 1t is Unsuitable. 1t has no
food properties, but Is poison, and is
injurious except 81 an antidote. 1t costs
the people Of the United States over
800, 100000. That is equal to one half
the money circulation of the country.
More than three.fourths of the paupers
are caused by strong drink. More than q
half million children suffer from the use
Of it T., parents. The individual is
better off without it, the home is, the
State 10, and surely we ought to be striy.
Ing 70 put an end to such an evil. Prov.
20-l, Solomon declares: "Wine 10 q
mocker, strong drink 10 raging: and
whoucever Is deceived thereby is not
wise." Multitudes are deceived because
they think there are great nourishing
and curative properties in alcohol.
Leibig, the great German alchemist,
says that you can balance on the point
Of pen.knife all the nourishment swal.
lowed by the mist capacious German
with his daily allowance of beer.
Alcohol deceives. Many have gone to
the drunkard's grave who thought only
to taste 1t at frs;, thinking they could
control their appetite. When to their
surprise they are hold by the relentless
grip Of the lion, 1t is too late for the
good OF the body, or the safety of the
soul, for they are destroyed. / am now
done, unless further. provoked to contro.
vetSy. I expect your many readers will
think we are both rather clumsy theolo.
gians, as this 10 my frat time to come
before the public In this manner.
JOHN g. McCURRY.
| Locking Far Ahead,