The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-04-25
THE EXCISE BOARDS REJo1NDER.

|
Miller and Eckloff" the duty OF respond
ing to the letter Of Rev. DR.. Campbell,
publishe in TIE TINES OF the 21st in
| slant.
The Rev. DR.. processes to come from
behind the ramparts, yet holds the
| cloth" before him as n shield through
out his ingenious and skillful letter.
1t is only because of the persistent ef-
fort of the Dr. to lead us into direct vio-
lat.on of our oath of Office: the gross in
situations which, if justified by our con-
duct, should work a forfeiture to our
heretofore fairly respectable posi-
tons; the unfair statement as to our
official acts which cause us to take the
DR.. at his word and shut our eyes to the
cloth and reply to "Mr. Campbell" and
not the Pastor of tho First Presbyte-
rian Church"
He intimates an apprehension of
violent, personal, unequalled onslaught.
The most careful or the most cursory
examination of the statement of the
Excise Board will demonstrate the fact
that Mr.. Campbell is lacking in candor,
or that grim humor moved him to an
assertion absolutely unjustihed by the
words, context or the spirit of that
sta tement.
In the sermon on our Morals we under.
stood that such wanton charges were
against us as impelled US in defense of
our fair name, to show the public what
were our duties and how we have exer-
cised them, and to refute the i'll con-
sidered sensational statements as to the
extent of our possibility.
In the good old-time Saxon way we
met the issue and went to tho country
Mr.. Campbell either does not know
Ivh oio1 Il
used the term for an expected contro-
versial advantage. He manufactures
epithet0 from such words as REV" re
spected," and esteemed" which
neither in their common acccptation
nor in their connection will be taken as
such by any one having affair concep-
ton of the English language.
He intimates that our purpose in pub.
fishing our statement was TO prepare
tho public for the enormity we contcm-
plate. We repel the insinuation as I'M
worthy and as lacking either in ordin-
airy decency or in protested brotherly
love.
Whilst Mr.. Campbell charges us with
special pleading he falls into the fatal
error, as cOntroversialist. of pleading
"by way Of confession and avoidance"
lie 'confesses" that he formally OPP ned
with prayer place where liquors were
sold, and would 'avoid" the logical Sc
quence of his sanction of the sale OF
liquors by pleading the "baby act," 'He
didn't know it was loaded" He would
cloud tho controversy for a debater's
advantage, by ignoring the plain, palp-
able distinction that exists between his
fol mally, as minister, dedicat ting q
place where all mer know liquors were
sold, and whGrc liquors were, to say the
least, freely drank in his presence. and
thereby sanctioning such traffic, from
the laudablc. Christ-like work of turn
ing men from their evil ways
Tho members of the Excise Board
cannot permit Mr.. Campbell to put in
varying from those they entertain. If
Mr.. Campbell can relieve suffering
humanity or reclaim a wandering sheep,
by knccling amongst the bottles and
barrels in saloon, they would applaud
him in such devoted ministerial efforts
TO be perfectly frank, however, as they
have not hoard of such work being done
by him, they have supposed that he had
delegated that branch of Christian work
to the Salvation Army.
No consideration appears to have been
given by Mr.. Campbell to the fact that
very large number of petitions are
presented to the board. No mention is
made OF those the board disapproved
No credit is given to tho board for
the laborious searching examinations
they mado in discharging their diff
cult and thanklesS duties; and from that
large number of applications, but two
cases are cited as arousing the choler of
Mr.. Campbell
AS those cases are so Professionally held
up as evidences OF the .'mistakes of the
Board" plain statement is given why
the majority OF the Board in one case,
and an undivided Board in tho other
approved those applications. First
comes Hotel Brunswick. The Board
understands that Mr.. Campbell dra fled
tho petition, which was signed not By
resident owners, as the law specifies,
but by 1870 gentlemen residing in various
parts of the oity.' Had Mr. Campbell
signed the petition or shown his hand.
he would not appear in the politicians
role, of making balls for the boys to
fire."
Nov mark how plain tale shall put
you down." That petition referred to
the Hotel as a Saloon. A number Of
signers testified before the Board that
when they signed it they were under the
impression that a common dram shop
was to be opened next to the postottice,
but that they did not oppose tho open
ing of Hotel at that place. And some
Of tho gentlemen who obtained sigma
lures to that petition were candid
enough to say that a number Of tho
signcrs were not informed that hotel
was so to be opened up.
How could judicial body" permit
such petition to outweigh the direct
and positive evidence which brought tho
applicant within the law. Hotel Bruins
wick has not been opened for this reve-
nue. year. On Monday next the Board
resumes the consideration of applca-
tons for license. Now, IL Mr.. Camp