The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-09-04
Opposition TO sUMPTUARY
LAWS"

ttOpposition to Sumptuary LaWe' 1
have lust finished reading, and l feel
that it is my duty to write a few line
touching the great subject OF reform a
thing the American people, or at IeasU
some of them, are working for. n
author of said article touched n key
note when he said: ITO my mind the
corrunt and corrupting influence OF
alcohol has had more to do with our
financial troubles than any other n
thing. This is the great fountain from
which all other corruptions flow" l
endorse every word of the article. A
man with such a mind and heart as ne
should have given his name to n puo-
lie Gods servants should not fear to
own His cause, but do so In that way
which should do the most good. how
would it look for such a true and de-
voted servant of God as Rev. Inomas
Dixon of New York, to deliver one OF
his telling sermons behind the screen
in a theatrei It is the devils way 70
make his servants bold and aggressive
for the time he uses them In this Worlu'
and then down yonder IN Birthstone
lake station, after they cease their
baIIish work here, he will doubtless
show them their eternal destiny n
thew will learn something OF a burning
love. Does he love them noWf Inere
Is no such a thing as a political reform
IN this or n other country with the
devil running the political parties Oy
and through the influence Oh strong
drink. Voting cannot and will not
work a political reform as long as the
voting population of our various
church denominations are with the
6ovil and his hellish liquor business.
The devil claims that IS per cent. OF
the voting members of all the churches,
including preachers, are with him IN
the business of filling premature graves
bv making drunkards. Knowing as
much of the devil as / do, l am not 60
ing to endorse any statement he makes,
Int from what I do know OF the voting
population of this people, l can and DO
express the fear that there is some
trI1th in what he claims. One thing is
clear to nv mind right on this line,
which is. that there is no good In q
man connecting himself with any
of the churches simply that he may be
in what he may claim as good COM
Danv. when he is only there to serve
h devil Can q man have the religion
of the son of God when he will perjure
himself, rob and stuff the ballot box
make a false count and do any mean
thing to carry an election the devils
way7
One other thought IN this line: You
90 to church on Sunday proceeding an
election, the preacher delivers a ser
mon on brotherly love, or that thou
shalt not steal, lie or bear false witness
and he then repeats the Lords prayer
and nravs that Gods will be done on
earth as in heaven, and his deVout
members follow him in the prayer and
all close with a hearty amen. o go
TO the election on the Tuesday follow
ing and watch the voting and you Will
learn that nearly every voting man
belonging to that church voted Tor the
devils will to be done on earth as IN
hell, a v and except the old fellows
fire. Now where are We at in religionF
If that preacher and his brother voters
are right then I have read my Bible
for no good. When the son of God was
on earth on one occasion he went into
the temple and found it pretty well
crowded with bad men and He drove
them out and overthrow the tables OF
the money changers and the seats OF
them that sold dous, and he used this
language: My house shall be called,
Of all nations, the house of prayer, u
We have made it a den of thieves" He
did not a this is all right-the tares
and the wheat must grow together
until the harvest. No, indeed, for he
drove the thieves out and they got ter
ribly mad and went about to kill him.
Canary one point me to the preacher
who has made a single effort to drive
from his church money or political
thieves I hold that a man who will
steal a vote will, with a suitable oppor-
tunity, steal any other article. Will
some D. D. point me to Gods word
showing me that I do not rightly view
the teachings of Christ and God the
Fathers
Now for one sad fact: 1t there
would be no political villainy, if we
had no political thievesi in our churches
and sinners were left alone and not en-
-N-L -n-hA.n -Anrll