Blue-grass blade., 1891-12-05
A Christian against the 'sChris-
tians.'s

/ am so glad that you have be
gun the publication of the Blade
again. We Christian people need
it to stir us up to our duty. en-
close few of my thoughts which
you may publish if you think
them worthy of a place in your
paper; if not, all is WELL
Yours truly,
JESSE RUSSELL.
Who is responsible "Lord is
aIa"
Sixty thousand human beings
fill drunkard's graves every year,
in the United States. mo drunk
ard shall inherit the Kingdom of
heaven'-Jesus.
Sixty thousand souls are, by
the liquor traffic annually ushered
into eternity totally unprepared to
meet God.
Lord have mercy.
Somebody is responsible for all
this human blood. My reader is
it you? Pit the question to your
self. Answer it honestly. If you
are a voter, voting for the party
that favors licensing or permitting
the liquor traffic you are, to a
large extent responsible.
Human blood is upon your hands.
You are an open and high
handed murderer, and God will
hold you responsible.
l realize that this is grave
charge and l shudder to make it
upon my fellow citizens; especi-
ally the Christian part of them;
but it is truth and the truth must
be spoken regardless of conse-
quences. You say one who does
The drinking is responsible
Partly so; but you must remem-
Der that no young man, when he
takes his first drink, ever expects
to become a sot and fill a drunk.
ards grave. But little by little
step by step, unaware of the dan
ger he is in, inticed by the attrac
ton of the opened, licensed loon
permitted by the laws, made by th'
men elected by the voter, h.
goes down, down, down till h
reaches the gutter, and finally tn
drunkard's grave and drunkard'
hell.
Is the man who makes it re
sponsible? Partly so. But he j
only doing what the law permit
and gives him a right to DO.
Is the man who sells response
BILE? lie has paid his license, an
the law permits and protects hin
in his damnable business.
Is the officer who issues the Ii
cense responsible? He is doin
what the law Gays he shall do ur
der certain conditions.
Is the law maker responsible
He is only the agent; the reprt
sentative of the yQtexs-cogflip
out what hstevss q be thei
. will
Is the intelligent voter respor
sible? Most assuredly he is; mol
than any one else, if he votes an
casts his influence for the man {
party who favors or permits. I'll
existence Of the liquor traffic; f
by his vote he elects the man wi
makes the law that orders Il
court to issue the license tha. pc
mits the saloon-keeper TO sc
death and destruction to his fe
bowman.
Where do you stand my reade
Are you voting with the par
that fosters and protects this gigal
tic evil for its influence, or til;
has not the hack bone to come o
and openly condemn it? If so yo
are just as guilty of murder as J
who places an internal machin
loaded with dynamite upon Il
public highway and blows the II
wary traveller into countless atom
This is plain talk, but it is trut
and must be said. The curse
here; the work of destruction
going On. The liquor traffic h
throttled both the leading polite
parties,s and they dare not chez
against it, for their lives. 1t hea
up its blood money in the chur'
treasury, and says "Speak again
me if you dare, and will wit
draw my support"
Let such parties and SUI
churches perish. The sooner tn
are gone the better for the countr
The professcd Christian vot
who tits uron his own heartl
stone and says "The liquor trait
does not harm me-my boy do
not drink therefore ] shall n
raise my voice or vote against il
has not enough Christianity in b
soul to warm flea on a fros
morning. Am / my brother
Keeper!
Apply the rule "Vote as "
prav," and no Christian man CT
vote for either the Republican
Democratic parties, and be co
sistent; for both of them iost,
protect. encourage, favor, licen
and permit the liquor trait
And that too upon the lowe
principle upon which any ev
could be permitted; namely, mere
for its polluting, corrupting, u
patriotic influence in polite
What, Is if consistent Christiani
to vote for party that PERM
and encourages, licenses and pre-
tects an evil that sends sixty thou
and human beings to drunkard
graves and the drunkard's he
every year, in the United Stat
alone? That causes nine-tentl
of all the crime commited-th'
blights and blasts the brighte
intellects of the land-that d
thrones reason and makes a bru
of a man-that causes more mi
ery, shame and degradation tia
L 4