The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1888-11-08
A RINGING TEMPERANCE
REPORT.
Unanimously Adopted by the
Fair River Baptist AssOcia-
ton at Its Last Meeting.


two years since legal prohibition was
invoked, there is still not single
dram shop to be found within all
the territory embraced by our Assoc
citation, and if christian people will lie
true to themselves, to their children
and to thcirGod, this happy state olaf
fairs will remain unchanged. The
many gracious revivals meetings and
/ other advances in christian work evil
| dcnced by the church letters, we find
upon inquiry among pastors and lay
members to be in large measure
directly traceable to the salutary eff
fects of Prohibition and the imprOv-
ed habits of temperance among the
people. The wise Pharisee lawyer,
Gamaliel, said to his fellow council
men who proposed to prosecute the
Apostles, "If this work be of men, it
will come to naught but if it be of
God, We cannot overthrow it, lest
haply We be found to fight against
God" Judged by this rule, Prohibi
ton assurcdly has the Divine approx
al, and despite the evil prophecies of
its enemies, is taking firm hold upon
the hearts and cOnsciences of all
christian people.
The criminality of the liquor traffic
is no longer debatable ground. Even
the L. 5. Supreme Court says: 1--WE
cannot shut out of view the fact
Withn the knoWIedge Of all that the
public health, public morals and pub
lie safety may be endangered by the
general use of Intoxicating drinks
nor the fact established by the stats-
tics accessible to ereyy one, that the
idleness, disorder, pauperism and
crime existing in the country are in
some degree at least traceble to this
erH."
The Supreme Court of Iowa, speak
ing of the use of Intoxicating drinks,
says: alt is the prolific source of
crime, pauperism and insanity, and
dcteriorates mentally and physically
the human stock The admission is
now quite general that it ''desolates
the home and desccratcs the ballot"
and makes the wall of the worse than
widow and the unclad hungry child
ascend to Heaven.
What may be done to check, what
to destroy, the whisky traffic? That
is the question now asked by the
christian, the philanthropist.
First, Your committee thinks we
must ourselves abstain from the dram
drinking habit. There is no precept
like example.
Secondly, We should appeal to
science, teach the evil effects of alCo-
hol to our children. Yes, teach, teach
the children let us strive that the
next generation are not drunkardS.
Teach thcm-thcn protect them from
temptation by aholiShing the saloon
from the land. Add to this, "mOral
suaSion'' and you have all the meth
dds known to your Committee for
fighting this appalling evil.
In short, we commend dis the per
feet Temperance Creed this:
"Nirutal suasou for the man who thinks,
Moral snaSion for the man who drinks,
Legal suasion for the druukarl-lnaker,
Prison suasjon for the statutc.hreaker."
Let us adopt these methods-the
appeals to science, to reason, self
straint and law; and continue in the
van guard in the irrepreSs;blc conflict,
till our homes and all our interests are
permanently secure, The conflict
may be long and bitter, but the Ever
lasting Arm is in it and will pre-
vail.
We recommend the firm mainten-
ance of the position taken by this AS
ISOLATION on this subject three years
AGO. and would refer the members of
our churches to the following resolu-
ton adopted at the last meeting of the
Baptist State Convention:
Resolred. That it is the sense of this
convention, that it is unchristian con
duet for church member to sign a
whisky petition, vote for the legal
lied sale of intoxicants, as beverage,
or in any way give cOunternance or
encouragement to this iniquitOus
traffic and churches should enforce
discipline against members guilty Of
lending their influence to the liquor
traffic.