Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-30
Temperance Lecture by Rev. :. II
MOffeft Of DanvllIe, Va.

THE OK AND HIS OWNER SHALL BE PUT T6
DEATH.
Rev. ]. R. Moffett, of Dauville, Va. deliver
ed temperance lecture In the U. B Chur CHI o.
this city last Thursday night. Whilst awaiting
the arrival of the speaker, several hymns were
sung by the congregation. The services were
opened with prayer by Rev. ]. T. Williams
Pastor of the M K. Church South. Then fol-
lowed the singing of hymn. after which Rev
Mr.. Williams appropriately introduced the
Rev. Mr. Mofiett. who. after stating that his
voice was impaired by speaking so frequently
lately selected as his text, Exodus, XXI
1923:
die, the OK shall be surely stoned. and his flesh
shall not be eaten, but the owner of the OK
shall be quit.
But If the OK were wont to push with his
horn in time past, and 1t has been testified to
his owner. and he hath not kept him In. but
that he hath killed q man or woman, the OK
shall be stoned, end his owner also shall be
put to DEATH"
Moses, the great law.giver, lad down the
principles that should govern, not only for his
time, but for all future time-tha. what takes
life should have Its life taken.
The object ofthe law was two. 10 do punish
the guilty. and to prevent the recurrence Of
the act. II an OK kill man Or woman he
should be stoned to death, and If he were wont
to push with his horn, and his owner knew it.
and he failed to keep him in, he also should be
put to death. That was the law as given by
Moses.
There is monster more dangerous. more
Obstructive, and more guilty than the OK. and
that is the Liquor-tra 1t runs riot over the
LAND and cores and tramples and destroys
thousands annually. 1t should be brought to
trial. You, my hearers, shall constitute the
jury, and determine if he is guilty. Look al
the railroad accidents that occur en- account o.
drunkenness on the part of the employees, and
the murders and other crimes consequent Oh
the sale of liquor. 1t destroys annually the
lives of 75 900 persons in this country and 60. :
900 in Great Britain. It not only destroys
the lives, but it M rders the souls of men.
1t Will be observed that not only the OK, but
his owner, when culpable of the neglect tc
keep him In, was put to death.
Now, who is the owner of this bloody horned
beast-the liquor traffic? You say the saloon
keepers. No, not SO, they are not the owners
they are merely the grooms and stable keep
ers-the people are the owners of this beast
Now, what are you going to do about it?
Some will say, use moral suasion. Moral
suasion is good in It's proper place, but would
you try moral suasion on an Infatuated bull
whilst rushing n1adly through your SIT Gets
goring and tramplipg to death men. women
and children? Would you speak softly and
appealingly to him not to do SO, or would YOU
knock him down or kill him If you could?
Some will say that Christ. Kind and gentle
used moral snasion. Yes. he did on the proper
occasions for 1t, but on others he used prohibi.
ton in its truest sense. Did he use moral sua
sion when he expelled the demon from tn,
boy? No, he spoke imperatively, and com
mauded him to come out and never more en-
ter into him. Did he use moral suasion on thu
money changers In the temple? No. he scourg
ed them with thong, and cast out all then
that sold and bought In the temple and over.
threw the tables OF the money-changers, ant
the seats of them that sold doves. Christ uset
prohibition as well as moral suasion.
But some cay. you should respect the per
sonal aad property rights of parties. The beas
should not be KILLED, he Is the property Of an
other. Would you stop to consider the righti
of the owner Of a mad bull that was destroy
ing the people, before you would strike him
the fatal blow? When the Ephesians were
crying-"Great is Diana of Ephesus"-d did Pau
consider the rights of Dematrius the maker Of
silver shrines, when ne preached a religion
that would destroy his business?
Some may say, II will take no part In th
matter. 1 Will let 1t alone If 1t will let M
alone" That is to say, If snake don't bit
him. he will let 1t alone-let 1t live to bite som
one else. The idea that man Is not affected
by the liq uor-traffic, unless he be Victim O
the drink-habit, is not true, for what destroy
others. as his son, or father, or brother, O
friend, necessarily affects him. But If thi
were true, his do nothing position would b.
inexcusably mean and selfish; but it Ia no
true, as the Roman poet wrote near two thou
sand years ago as follows:
Homo sum; humari nihil q me alienun, puts'
Il am a man. and deem nothing that relate
| to man foreign to me. The position of neutral
| ity Is both selfish and false and is without OK
| cuse in reason or conscience.
After finishing his lectu re, he stated that
| was proposed to have convention of the tenn
per ance people to inset in Riohn; ond next De
cember to agree upon the character of q bill t
| be brought before the Legislature, having 70
| Its object the restriction OF the liquor-traff1,
Some favored what is known as the four mi
| aw like that In Tennessee, which prohibi,
the sale of liquor within four miles of churcbe
and school houses. He said 1t was necessar
to have funds to pay the expenses for printiu
| and mailing circulars that should be distribui
| ed throughout the State that they might Sc
cure the proper represen tation and organiza
ton to effect the object In view. and appeale
to the audience to contribute. when about s.
were contributed. soma giving as much as ter
and others i've dollars. and others less amount
in proportion to their pecGniary ability. M
Moffett is publishing temperance paper emit
tied, ti-Liquor. and he expressed the HOP
that a number would subscribe tor 1t. Prit
81 per annum.