The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1893-10-31

IL seems to us that the excommu-
nication OF dispensers by the
churches smacks OF intolerance.
We cannot believe that the sale of
whissey either as a medicine or as
a beverage is In itself a sin. We
cannot understand how 1t can be
claimed that the mere sale OF an
intoxicating beverage is per Sc n
violation of any moral or religious
law, whether the sale is made by n
private or official saloonkeeper.
While it must he admitted that
saloon keepers are in many, il not
most cases, men who for the sake
o! profit abuse the pri vileges of
their trade, who for instance are
INSCRIPTIONS and careless in selling
liquors to %drunkards or minors. we
can conceive Of those who strive
TO supply a strictly legitimate de-
mand for the goods they handle
and who assidously refrain from
taking advantage of the weakness
ses of their fellows. Therefore it
is not reasonable to condemn them
FOR the fact Of engaging in the
trade, even if we admit that its
tendencies are demOralizing. IL a
church numbers in its membership
n nH rk nnT,nr uhn &, H. N
his business disregards all caution
and endeavors simply 10 sell as
much whiskey rs possible without
questioning how or to whom, then
he is proper object for discipline.
On the other hand there NAV, be
men in the saloon business (excep-
tons no doubt) who would no
sooner sell a flask of rye with the
expectation that the purchaser
would get drunk than would a re.
spectacle druggist. We know Of
no church which habitually ex-
communicates or Furnishes in any
way a member who INDUCES in in
t~oXicaNng drinks so lohg as he
does not become drunken or de-
PRAYED rs a result. In other words
the churches do not go so far as TO
say that it is q sin worthy of OK
communication for Elder X to take
his little toddy. In the same way
we cannot condemn humble Mr..
Y from whom the elder has pro-
cured ii. So far as we know, there
is nothing in Gods revealed law
stamps disapproval on the
consumption Of liquors and in the
absence Of such a ban humanity
has no right to impute moral de-
praVity TO their sale. Furthermore,
have such confidencein the dos-
ing of mankind, as to feel assured
It'll not dependent on n leg
Slative or artificial restraint to
lnally- fDiRner anlnpetitc or other
tendency to degraded induigances.
acknowledging that the whiskey
problem'is a grave one, we are
nevertheless firm in the conviction
That it may be solved without re-
sort to acurtailment of the liberties
which are naturally Inherent to
nell. The sale OfliquOrs demands no
more police regulation than does
he sale of any other commodity
however necessary il may be to
punish the act Of getting drunk
when 1T interfcres with the rights
md happiness of society.
What is needed for the liquor
business is to elivate it. Let So
fr0wn upon the man who
Keeps II low resort and let the
churches show to him the same Sc.
as they do to the habitual
opcr. But there are such things
IS dispensers and barkeepers too
Who are a heartily opposed to the ,
Lbuse of WHISTLES as are the /
'~reaeA"rs themselves.
Unless the act of takihs.a drink
s sufficient to exclude one from
he Kingdom Of Heaven we can
see that its sale is suffi cicnt to
'onsign II TO pcrdition.
While we look upon the States
Engaging in the liquor business as
name and folly, it does not seem
light on that account to say that
he dispensers should be placed
without the pale of salvation.
While the so called Reformers in