The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-02-10
DIR. YATES AT 1T.

DR.. YATES, of this city, writes the foi-
lowing to the Raleigh Christian AdVo-
cate, in answer to a question, and it is
full of good meat. We give it editorial
space because it belongs on this page:
QUERY: If cigarettes are doing SO
much mischief to the youth of our coun-
try, as is claimed by those who ought to
know, is it proper and right that the
church should accept money that is made
from the manufacture and sale of that
article? Some one will please answer
the question giving US the why and where
fores."-Rev. J. F. Austin in w. n. G.
Methodist
Let US assume that the use of cigarettes
is abused-that persons are often injured
by smoking too much. And that this is
the proper view, no one ear doubt. If it
is not, then we must assume its opposite,
that there is no proper use, and that
smoking or chewing of tobacco a: all is
wrong. Then, if that be true, the grow
ing of tobacco is wrong, and it's manu-
facture and sale is wrong. And, then
any money that goes into the church
treasury from this source at all is vitiated,
and ought to be refused, according to the
assumption in the paragraph at the head
of this article. Either the production
and use of a thing is morally wrong in
80 80 /: g not Tf Il &c mot hnII
wrong, then it may have a proper use
and therefore the money from it's manu-
facture and sale could not be immorally
obtained; and ergo, might be admitted
into the Lords treasury.
But, let US assume, in order to get the
force of argument, that the production,
manufacture, sale and use of tobacco,
are morally wrong. Then the paragraph
at the head of this article assumes this
p~ostulate to be true, viz: THAT the
Christian is bound to enquire, before he
uses money given for the Lords work,
whether the money so given was OBJ
tanned by methods in harmony with the
lOlUlC lCdCuluR. 1ulS DOSLu1dlC lie
either true or not true. If we assume it
to be not true, the paragraph above
quoted is a fallacy and need not be no.
ticed any further. But if we assume the
postulate to be true, then the following
absurdities are uncovered
Brother Austin goes to a member OF
his church who is a merchant, keeping q
general assortment of salable goods, and
asks for one hundred dollars to help
build a new church which is very much
needed in a certain locality. "Certainly,'
says the merchant, ''here is a check for
the money" "Stop," says Brother Aus,
tin, "please let me inquire How much
of this one hundred dollars did you make
by acting morally wrong; that is, by
selling cigarettes? "Oh," says the mer-
chant, 81 am not conscious of having
acted morally wrong, but l suppose of
the n hundred dollars, ten were made
by selling cigarettes" Then" says
Brother Austin, deduct the ten dollars
from the one hundred you offered the
Lord" VERY WELL" replies the mer
chant, "here is ninety dollars" "Stop
again." says Brother Austin, II have
known persons to injure themselves by
using laudanum how much Of this
ninety dollars did you make by selling
that drug" About, say, eight dollars"
replies the merchant. "Then deduct
that also from the ninety" says Brother
Austin. And now :" continues Brother
Anstin, "since l have begun this moral
investigation, let me inquire whether
you are certain your baking powder is
really pure, also whether there is any
thing in your flour but pure wheat, and
whether your lard has the least adultera-
ton ?"
"Oh," says the merchant, 81 had not
thought of all that, and as soon as posi-
BILE | will stop business, and wait to be-
gin merchandising again when I get to
heaven And" said he, Brother Austin,
we must stop taking up collections on
Sunday in the public congregation, for
some one who sells cigarettes might drop
a nickel in the pan, and unless we could
distinguish it from all the others it would
ruin the whole pile and make you and
partakers of other mems sins!' Yes
says Brother Austin, land l have some
young people, members of my church
who pay about twenty-five dollars quar-.
terage, and their fathers make the none
by manufacturing cigarettes, cigars and
chewing tobacco. must tell them that
we don't want their money any longer
Would Brother Austin act so? Not
much. But my purpose is not to convict
him of inconsistency. That would be nc
argument to my point. But l wish to re.
duce his postulate to an absurdity, and to
show that the same principle applies here
as we'll as in another we'll known case
that the christian is to eat what is set be.
f4-n Ill., @-ls--