The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-09-14
THE GUILTY PERSON.

said, a. z rod Bishop Myriel said to Jean
VaiJean, This soul is full OF darkness.
and sin i, committed. but the guilty per-
son is not the man who commits the sin
but he who produces the darkness" In
dealing, then, with the question Of
''criminology," the point for the hui
manitarian-for every one who loves hi.
fellow man, to consider Is. Who pro-
duces the darkness:
1t will not bc denied that strong drink
is directly responsible for much Of the
darkness which fills mems soul, and
leads to the commission of crime. The
friends and supporters Of the liquor
traffic, no less than its foes, declare that
the saloon is promotivc OF lawlessness
and vice: hat it is the common source
Of the miasmatic streams, which. aftcl
courses more or less crratic, flow into
our prisons, poOr-hOuse, and insane
asylums.
But the primary cause Of the dark
ness is .Ot the saloon. The drink seller
Is but the agent which shuts out the
light at the bidding OF u higher power.
What is this power behind the saloon:
The government, which means the peO-
pie. Who, then, is the guilty person:
The voter. The man who votes to le
galizc the liquor traffic says, in sub
stance: Let there be Darkness Can
we wonder at discOrd and confusion in
our social and political life when men
persist in thus subverting the divine
purpose:
That so many good and patriotic citi
Zens still maintain allegiance to liquor
parties is due to their failure to recOg-
niZc the moral and economic cOnse-
quenccs OF their position. We maintain
now and always that no man under
standing the significance of such action.
together with its reflex influence, would
1wiIlfully and deliberately aid in the pro-
ductiOn Of darkness rather than light
He simply does not realize what he is
doing. His own soul is still cropping
amid the black shadows of error out Of
which u fallen race is slowly struggling.
1t has teen truly said that our nation
al sin is not drunkenness but the legal
izing of drunkard makers. Until this
nation legislate from the standpoint
sary" evil, until it refrain from con-.
plicity with the Prince of Dark ness
government federal, state or municipal
rs the case may be- must be held guilt,
Of crimes committed under the infu
cnce Of mental and moral darkness en-
gendercd by state regulation of vice.
Women has reason to rejoice in on,
thing: Though a multitude of sins ha
been laid ut her door it can never b.
said that she is responsible for our ma
tional sin. We are truly glad that tn
modern Adam, when summoned bcfOr
his Creator and Judge to answer for tn
works OF the liquor traffic, can nevc
say, THE woman whom thou gavcst
he with me is the one to blame
There are many ways in which a ma
may aid in dissipatins the darknc:
which fills his neighbours soul and par:
lyzcs his instincts. but there is II
one way which would bring such Il tlou
of universal light as lcgislating I'll
whole dark business out of existanc'
And yet there are good. moral citizen
who say, las long rs it best serves tt
interests of my party. let it flourish.
~, not I'M. E,.nt bans,
We do not like to think that in the:
enlightened days there breathes a pr
Tossing Christian with "a conscience
dead as to pray on one side and vote {
the other: who is SO blind to his Ow
personal interests in this world and
the next as to build his hope upon Il
sinking sand Of party politics instc,
of upon the solid rock of right prime
pie: but il there is one for fear of loo
ing his vote arrays himself with IL
powers Of darkness. We desire to T.
mind him that If he cannot at one bio
destroy the liquor traffic. he can
least refrain from building ii up: If
cannot. by his own individual etfol
bring light. he can at least stop hclpiu
to produce darkness.
Ii all the churches and church -
cic,ics were to make Us determined
resistance t. the opening of saloons
they have to the opening of the World
fair gates on Sunday. every drinkir
place in the land would soon be close
II the Christian people OF this countl
would boycott every political par
that WAS in league with the rum pow,
~ they proposed to boycott Sund;
fair. how long would either OF the o
par,ies-tho>e great dark producers
live?
No man can be IL true disciple
Christ and 1.-The light of the world
he uphold, directly or Indirectly. Il