Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-27

that each man Is responsible hin,
sell MIR. Bishop, and the RlbIe WON,
pc hooted ms standing In with the "a
ICONS, prostitution, gamblers and VIC
iators OF the law. Our local optior
.tienus might come under the head a
me weak-minded ones spoken OIL Mr.
Bishop as needing protection a. fh,
state; they are In the attitude OF TX
cunning; II am so weak; take II AWAY
from me, | can't keep out OF snloons
cant Keep from drinking whlalxy
give me American manhood; lei IN.
stanu with spirit ~ our fathers thai
PAID the highest tribute man ever maid
20 man; that is that he il oapable oi
taking care OF himself: let him alone
appeal TO him with your Chrlatlan AZ.
kument hsoW him the beauties ol
Nhrlstanity, but never raise tho
sword ana say you shall not drink
teach MIN the danger Of drinking Too
niueh WHISKY or the danger OF drinking
u ut all. Do not say to him Won sha
or you shall not; that is not American
manhood. 1t was not so understood
by NE fathers who founded this roy.
eminent. They believed that ench
man was king. capable of CONTROLLING
ms own actions, and doing In regard 10
tnese things whatever he thought best.
NOW we are told that this is a rellg-
lnus question; that IL Is our duty as
christians to vote for local option. II
Is true we are not told this upon the
neld OF open discussion, but Il II urged
RON the pulpit of Nhe country as IL
IL teeuy was religious question, n
question that the churches and It's
members had right to decide. They
NnVW that you love your church: they
Know you love your maker; they know
lhey nave hold upon the consciences
OF the people. THESE good men who
mink IL Is their duty 10 crush out the
Evils OF lntemperance, whether right
or wrong In so doing. who have within
tneir sacred keeping the consclences
or their flock, they urge that IL Is a re-
llgious duty for us members Of ibo
church To 20 with them in Violating
ms right of American citizenship to
eat aud drink whatever they please.
NOW gentlemen, 1t Is that power that
Is dangerous, dangerous TO every lib
erty loving citizen. Now, they say.
Dont whisky ruin our boys, don't
whisky destroy our domestic happl-
ness and array father against son nnd
son against fatherY | say that II
does not do anything of that kind Lut
the Incorporate use OF IL does l'tes
not iniidcllty array father tgainst ION
9nd son against father, doesn't INF
deity blast the moral mauhnd az
men and make them fan an oaay piev
TO vice OF all kinds? do you want 10
stop inhdollty by law? Our fathers
SAD, fear not, the truth is ulghty
and VIII prevail, fCar not the ussaults
OF the inhdel, oply do not force mon by
Jaw give truth fair field and 4 is
what we say 10 you people odAy.
Don't try to force your fellow clti-
zzens to be sober don't try to dictate TO
them what they shall drink, appeal 10
tfeir reason and in the end temper
ance VIII triumph over incompetence.
anu anu soherness over drunkenness. our
people are kings, let them alone, let
them attend to their own Affairs.
Don't ynu think that Thos. ]. Rusk
ana sam Houston had some knowledge
oil the spirit OF American liberty, when
after they had rid themselves Of the
filestly iyrany Of Mexico unl they
were contemplating forming the con.
sutu;lon OF the republic OF Texas, look
ing back over the sea OF blood spoken
Of by Mr.. Bishop and seeing the fires
OF mnrtydom lighting up the ages. they
rut what IN their constitution | hold
In my hand thu constitution II the Re-
public OF Texas, and to this 1 zee the
names OF sam Houston. Thos. J. Rusk,
Sterling c, Robertson and a host az
other patriots and statesmen OF .'exas.
What does this constitution say upon
this subject. Here II is: art. I, Sec.
]. ministers OF the gospel being by
their profession. dedicated to God and
the care or souls, ought not to 10 al
yerted from the great duties OF their
functions, therefore no minister of the
gospel or priest OF any denomination
whatever, shall be eligible to Inc { T.
fce OF the executive OF the republic.
nor TO seat In either branch VI the
congress of the same Why, as carly
as 1875 did the trainers OF the present
constitution OF the state OF Texas. feel
II necessary 10 declare that no man
shall be compelled to attend. erect on
support any place OF worship. or 10
maintain any ministry against his
consent? Simply because they knew
and dreaded the power OF the church
when 1t would enter the domain Of
politics and they framed their consti-
tuition accordingly.
Now gentlemen l want to call your
attention to this fact. take the com.
mon law OF England that has existed
for time, whereof the memory OF man
runneth not TO the contrary, a law
which Mr.. Blackstone says is the per-
fection of human reason, and nowhere
In that law can you find where the
selling of Intoxicating liquors or drink |
Ing tine same was ever made a crime.
The people of old Merry England never |
their safety and welfare re- |
quired such a law, Take the English |
statesman including THE Grand Old |
Man who Of them have advocated |
that such a thing should be made a |
crime2 Can you say that they did not |
know the evils OF intemperanae, that |
they did not see the corruprlng infu- |
ence Of this thing upon the politics Of |
Fellow citizens take the laws |
Of Moses, that code given under the su- |
pervision of God himself and whore do |
you find syllable that says wine or |
strong drink shall not be sold or drunk |
by the people of 1sreal. Gentlemen |
take the statesmen OF your own coun- |
Try, take Washington. Webster, Clay |
John Quincy Adams. Abra- |
Davis, and the whole hosts of Ameri- |
Fan statesmen and patriots, who OF |
them ever advocated such law2 lid |
they not know the evils OF drunken
ness. did they not know the corruptlnE
Influence Of intoxicating liquor upon /
elections. yea they did.
But on the other hand, the English |
people have always had their liquor
beverages, the Jews had their vines,
Christ himself drank wine for he
iaid. In speaking TO the Scribes and |
Pharlsees, John came neither eating
lor drinking, and you sayeth he nath
! devil. but the Son OF Man came both
,atlng and drinking and you say be-
lold Sluttca and wine bibber." He
ised wine as a sacramento element,
he Supper In Cana of Gallilee.
Gentlemen. the Incorporate use of
these things In everywhere spoken
lgainst, but the temperate use never
am reliably informed that church
n my neighborhood few days since.
celebrated the Lords Supper using
water Instead OF wine. Gentlemen,
here is such a thing as getting too
rood. and we have certainly reached