Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-04-15
A Presby terian's "Sunday Politics. .
To the Editor of the Dispatch


To the Editor of the Dispatch:
Surely no thoughtful and discreet
Christian man or woman ought to be led
astray by the false premises and I'M
sound logic apparent in the article
signed "A Presbyterian" which ap-
peared in your issue of April 14th. 1t
is easy to call opposition to licensing
the sale Of intoxicating liquor by the
name of politics." and to say that the
meeting held last Sunday afternoon in
Mozart Hall was political =" meet
ing, and that the question on which the
people Of this city are to vote on the
Goth instant is "political ques-
tion," but such statements will
not deceive any reader whose in
tellect is above that Of baby or an
idiot. The question on which we are
to vote involves the deepest and most
far-reaching principles of Christianity
and morals that can move the human
soul. IL Christian ministers and Chris.
tian people, and those who sympathize
with them, may not, on Sunday, take
part in a meeting which is intended for
the purpose of aiding to release man.
kind from an efficient cause and inilu-
ence which has done more to deaden
the conscience, and debauch the soul,
and dethrone the reason, and destroy
tine health-bodily and spiritual-and
drive men away from God and Christ
and the Holy Spirit, and from holiness
and Heaven, and to lead them into
crime and ruin, and to destroy family
peace and prosperity, and to profsne
and secularize and degrade Gods holy
Sabbath-day, and to drown millions Of
human souls Ill final perdition, than all
other evils in this world united--then.
indeed, We may as well abandon ali
hope as TO the influence Of Christianity
upon this world.
This " Presbyterian's" illustrations
and arguments are specially misleading
and unfortunate. His allusion to DR..
Hoge and the Sunday-night meetings at
the Old-Market Hall was doubtless
made " for purpose" but the purpose
will fail. Senator Colquitt's powerful
arraignment Of the liquor business and
of the untold evils flowing from it was
not at all more definite and more with
ering than several passages in the SER
mons Of DR.. Hoge at the Old market
bearing on this same subject. And ]
have the best evidence for believing
that, although DR. Hoge 10y reason Of
imperative engagemcntsl may not be
able to make any addresses in Rich
mond during this canvass, yet he SYM
pathizes with the 4" no-liquor-license
movement and will vote for it at the
polls.
What does " A Presbyterian mean
by his illusions to Plymouth church
and Henry Ward Beecher? Surely he
cannot mean that the principle on which
the enormous crowd Of interested men
and women assembled Sunday after
noon at Mozart Hall to hear Christian
statesman urge the adoption Of the
most efficient means for aiding in the
suppression Of the most heartless and
gigantic moral evil of our day would
justify and require the same crowd to
90 next Sunday to the same hall to hear
Beecher deny the plenary inspiration
Of Holy Scripture; deny the doctrine
of the Trinity; deny the vicarious
atonement Of Christ our Redeemer, and
argue that man comes by evolutionary
descent from the ape and the gorilla.
Equally luckless is his allusion to
"the protest of Richie Cameron and
the Covenanters." They did precisely
what the Christian people Of Rich
mond are now doing. They protested
in the pulpit and out Of the pulpit,
in great public meetings on the Sabbath
day and on secular days, against a gi-
gantic wrong and sin which had arisen
in their land. And their efforts were
ultimately crowned with success, a.
will be the efforts Of the opponents Of
liquor.license.
Let me publicly return thanks to
Rev. DIR. 7. G. Dashiell for his brave
utterance in your issue Of the 18th.
His letter ought indeed to silence that
"Presbyterian." 1t is the voice of
manly, Christian truth. 1t is a trumpet
which "gives no uncertain sound"
We do not pretend to lecture the
sellers ofintoxicating liquors as to their
personal characters and habits. Many
of them are gentlemen Of high social
standing, and of intellectual culture.
But We do most earnestly say to them
that their business is thoroughly and
hopelessly disreputable and immoral,
unless they be druggists and sell in
toxicants simply and exclusively as
medicines. The business Of selling in
toxicating liquors has been dis
titled to its essence, and the
product has been found to be evil,
and nothing but evil. Therefore the
sooner that all men who value their
own characters and regulations and
hopes Of Heaven quit that business the
better; and the legitimate, healthful
business Of Richmond in milling and
manufacturing and selling dry goods
and groceries, and every other form Of
useful and reputable labor, instead of
being injured, will be greatly enlivened,
invigorated, and increased by the pro-
hibition Of an evil condemned by God
and man.
A PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR.