Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1894-04-10
NUMBER 9.

In article No. |, under the above
caption, | reviewed in the Tennessee
Methodist the position taken by Rev.
DR.. Black in the New Orleans Chris
tan ADVOCATE on the Mississippi liquor
licensing bill. 1t was not my purpose
then to again allude to said bill, but
to proceed to discuss other current
events of equal ehsurdity now recriv-
ing the passive assent or active en-
dolscmcnt of clergymen i'll high places.
But as one OF the Chief Rulers in our
Southern Methodist Church has come
to the aid of DR.. Black in an article
published in the New York lnprpcnd
ent, of April II. and lepubliShcd III
Tennessee Methodist OF May 5, may
as we'll review that remarkable arti-
Gle as one of the "things hard to be
understood" now, as later on. | say
remarkable article because of the fol-
lowing remarkable sentence contained
in it. The learned author, beloved
minister, and EN- nent Divine says:
"There are salient features in the er-
cellcnt measure which has just passed
both houses in the Legislature and
become part of our new CODE ltal-
les are ours. Now what is that eek
cellent measure" that has just passed
the Mississippi Legislature and be-
come part of her new code! 1t is q
lac legalising the drdm-shop' An in
stitution of which the United States
Supreme court has said that, ''By the
concurrent testimony ofevery civilized
and Christian community there is no
>f, and tn
equal to it," and that "the statistics
of every State bear out the correct
ness of that concurrent testimony"
and that without such statutory laws
as that excellent measure passed by
the Mississippi Legislature and en-
dorsed by some of her highest eccle-
slastical dignitaries, "no citizen of the
State or of the United States would
have any right to engage in it," Yes,
this excellent measure" is a law in
corpOrated into the new code of Mis-
sissippi licensing the liquor traffic, of
which the last General Conference of
the Nj. f. Church, South, held at st.
Louis, said: ave offer no comprom
Use to and seek no terms from Il sin of
this heinous quality. We are .oppOs
ed to all forms of license of this mi
guilty, whether the same be 'high' or
low 1t cannot be put so high that
the prayers OF Gods people for its
suppression will not rise above it, nor
so 'low,' though it make it's bed in
hell, that the shreks of the souls lost
through its accused agency will not
descend beneath it,
Yes, this excellent measure" is a
law engrafted into the new code of
Mississippi to raise revenue from Il
business of which the heather Queen
of Madagascar said: 81 cannot con-
sent, as your Queen, to derive any
revenue from that which destroys the
souls and bodies of my subjects" Yes,
this excellent measure" is one of
which Isaiah said, 5:23: "Woe unto
them which justify the wicked for re-
ward;" the reward being, in this in
stance according to the remarkable
article under review, $3.50 in the
county or villages, 1900 in towns of
over five hundred inhabitants and ST.
200 in cities of over two thousand in
habitants, all of which is paid into the
State treasury" And then the privi-
lege is granted to towns and cities to
take an additional reward according
to their willingness to bear Gods woes
for their iniquitOus gains. And then
in justification of No. Z of the article
under review, the writer grows en-
thusiastic and says: ''Another very
admirable provision is, that any VIC
lation of these laws racafes the license,
but not dollar paid into the treasury
for snch license shall be re-
turned. Italics partly ours.
Here the State compromises its honor
and forfeits its dignity by an effort to
increase its revenues on game OF
chance that is to turn on the results
| of fidelity to principle and law of men
who will stoOp to the low calling of
running dram shops or murder mills,
and the highest Ecclesiastics in the
State stand behind and endorse the
Legislature in its plans for purloining
the pockets of these scoundrels. Such
a measure in this enlightened age is
less excusable than was the conduct OF
Achan when he hid away the BdbytO-
nish garment, the t,cO hundred shekets O
silver, and the redge Of gold, for which
he was stoned to death by his coun-
trymen and his blood money burned
with fire. 1t is less excusable than
was the conduct of Saul when his ava
rice and reckless disobedience drew