The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1888-11-02
The EgiS & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, November 2. 1Sss.
DRUM ESS
Ear va LEais ami LntlNinlnelr.
NO. ".

Ten Commandments only, but every penal siatu 0
Is prQhibitory. Who in all the world needs TO be
be convinced that they TO whom power is commit
ted ought TO forbid some things absolutely. The
only question to be discussed Is, Shall the sale OF
sprituous liquors be wholly forbidden And
the decision Of this question rests on another.
viz. Is all use of such liquors wrong? Avowing
the Christian standard OF right and wrong. and
knowing that men can not make that to be evil
which God has not pronounced TO be evil, the
martyr In the cause OF prohibition has clearly
asserted that IL Jesus Christ, who did use wine,
drank, created. and gave TO others wine that
drunkenness, then prohibition of the sale OF such
beverages is wrought Is a condemnation OF the
Lord. Every reasoning man must see the JUS
tee Of this conclusion, and IL he be Christian
will fear to be found In opposition 10 his Lord
The only escape from this conclusion is the
theory that Bible wines, such were used by
Christ and His followers, contained no trace OF
alcohol. theory that has no basis whatever
other than begging OF the question, an assertion
that alcohol is poison, aud the partial ing of II
in any form whatever, beer, wine or spirits is a
sin, and that therefore God could not have sane.
toned its use. Were all scientific men of one
mind as regards alcohol, that the liquids sanctiun-
ed BY God, and made part OF divine worship I'M
der both the Jewish and the Christian covenant,
were without this poison Is an assertion with
out warrant in Holy Scripture. Men in our
Lords day abstained from all stimulating bcver-
ages and men may do now, and by various
good Arguments urge others to do so but they
may not prohibit the use OF what God has sane
toned without passing sentence on God. Aas
some men shrink not from so doing, and say
"lfyour God have blessed what all human Tpe-
rience shows TO be an evil then He is not God
q whom we can bow" The condemners of wine
are not now heard of for the first time. They
existed In sub-apostoc times, but they were, by
the church, held to be heretics. 1t was not the
possible cause of drunkenness only that they
Condemned. Says st. Paul to st. Timothy: tine
spirit speaketh expressly that in later times
sJne shall depart from the faith, giving h0ed to
t,ducing spirits and doctrines of devils
f9d 10 marry 1r T W Tbe Tesnntn
that is supposed to Justify the attempt to pre-
vent drunkenness by, Prohibition IS precisely
that which was offered by those who forbade
to marry and commanded to abstain from meats.
Mr.. Haddock has said that most Christians"
hold the theory that Bible wines were not fer
mented. II is possible to make this shib-
boleth test of true faith. 1t Is to be hoped that
all prohibtionists would not. So doing they
would narrow down the number of Christians. To
say nothing of Roman Catholics and The churches
OF the East, at the last General Convention
and at the late Lambeth Conference the assem-
bled Bishops of the Anglican Communion
throughout the world condemned definitely the |
use of unfermented wine in Holy Communion
the unfermented Juice Of the grape is not wine |
II they erred they have done so because they |
have received the teaching of their father and all
the countless host from the daysof the apostles |
have been in error in this respect. because unerr-
ring God has. as If to mislead men, in His word !
used the same terms In speaking OF that which is a
curse and that which is blessing, making 1t i'm
possible to discern EVIL from good. May the |
seeming irreverence Of the suppositOn be par
donedi II is perfectly easy TO discern the right. |
Some things God has prohibited; they are evil |
in themselves. Many things become evil through !
abuse in their use God has commanded modera-
tion-temperance intemperance He has forbid |
den and Furnishes; The love of money is the root
of all evil. Yet God blesses with riches the hand |
of the diliRent. God has condemned lust, yet |
has sanctioned marriage. He has condemned gut-
tony, which is immoderate use of what is neces-
sary TO maintenance of life. And so he has con-
detnned the Incorporate use OF that which
cheereth the heart Of man-of that which now,
as under the Jewish law, He has connected with |
highest worship. Drunkenness He has pro-
hibited and drunkenness man should condemn
and punish as a wrong against God and against
society. The drunkard and the makers OF drunk |
ards shsuld alike be punished. In our courts II
was, q while ago, pleaded that man has right
to make himself drunk, If he does not by so do
ing, harm another; even as he has, IL was said,
the right to spend, as he may please, the money
that lie his own. This s not true 1t may be said
that mans life is his own; yet an attempt to
commit suicide is punishable and In the olden
time the accomplished act was punished by dis
grace. No man can do what IS wrong in itself
without damage to the social body of which he is
a part: Therefore society may rightly seek TO
punish the evil act. 1t may not he always pos
sible to do so, inludicous efforts may work harm,
but the right belongs to society. Therefore
society may rightly restrain what produces
drunkenness, e. e., regulate the sale OF intoxi-
eating liquors. Civ law should protect the
objects Of its care from harm while having re-
gard TO the Just rights OF all men. Deadly posons
are not sold by the druggists unfortunately;
nor should sirychnine be sold at all by the liquor
dealer. Law forbds the sale Of oleomargarne
under the name of butter. 1t might well punish |
the man who under the name OF wine sells what
Ia anything but the fermented juice of the grape |
And so of all other stimulating beverages II
ought TO punish the drunkard maker. Where
The man who makes another drunk should be
held responsible for the consequences of his act
But as well the man who drinks to drunkenness
should be punished as having done harm TO socie-
~ by placing himself in condition in which he
may do greater harm than disgrace himself and
bring shame and misery TO his friends and family.
Repeated acts ought to be followed By cum
uia,iye punishment. Laws 90 take cosnizance
OF hShi,uai drunkenness akt but Judges OF what
team the cause of the great evil-nOt the great
est-drunkenness, until the conscience OF man is
mi cd h hfEha lsRa4 md.
the rule OF experience law makers may be right
~ influenced by tho consideration OF what can
De r enforced breed, - o,,, .o,, w,,,o, =,
Inc question may sun remain why not AZ
on prorlblt the sale OF All intoxicating llquorsF
many Of them secret, that attend this mode Of
suppressing an evil that can not be hid But a
sufficient answer Is found in the application OF
the principles OF HaddocS, who lad down ms NE
Tor Prohioltion's sake-seelng that God has .iEen
his sanction to the use Of what being abused Will
cause drunkenness, to prohibit all sale of spirItu-
Gus liquors is wrong. ID.
probIhI,,on and n,.h I.icense.
prohibition paper pubIisbed in yonr last issiie.
and have given some attention to tho previous
papers Of the same series.
rs now ia NOT the probi5,ton ~ The ss,e ~ wiS
the pure juice Of the grape, whether fermentei
few wealthy neonIa 70 nnna ~, ,' in Uarfopd
comfy, and they are often in doubt wSetbHr
gar What we wanf ~ S "S 10 ,b aS soa
that au,d pbt"b moia W @ 10 .n9 sae VI
Read the no nora ast Sat , S ik ~ 10 ne, ius.
ihsfornas " ~ o., h h sur Ea'e tWo
nbapantaris,ic fyects anu" sr inaS . oIo, VI is
Baltimore wharf for pastime apparently ad.
dressed jocOse word to a man I'm the street not |
too drunk to walk He drew 81 reyolyer and shot
his face to pieces. Three men all had been
Drinking were playing cards. Two 0uarrelcd |
over some tritling matter; one drew revolver
anu shot the other dead. The third, a brother OF |
the murdered man, caught up Ratchet and split |
the head OF the murderer.
Our community has legal permission to say |
now whether that which makes men such fiends |
SNAIL DC SOLD among us or not. Shall we bubble |
and hesitate over theory OF temptation and vr-
tueE Lead us not into temptation, deliver us |
from eyil;' and for what pray, we must |
work.
TO the writer of the papers referred to, ] |
would commend the study of the last verses of |
the eighth chapter OF First Corinthians:
9TH. but take heed lest by any means this |
liberty OF yours become stumbling block 10
lhem that are weak"
18th. Wherefore, IL meat make nv brother |