The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-29
acremtan.. Lamentations.

Allow me space, please. to prS-ant q
Few points for the consideration Z my
friend Jeremiah" and those whs sym
pathize with his Views. and then I shall
De through with his lamentations for
the present
!. In regard to the newly found
.Ting." He says at fits tight" Hum.
let us all rejoice-no need for tears
Tor the trouble with the ring" that
was lost was, 1t fitted SO very loosely
IN fact Its loosencss was the cause of
It's being lost. We hope for n better
rate Tor the new one. AS sit ITS tight"
In fact, l expect 1t does lit painfully
tight even as shoe OF the right size
does foot which is sorely afflicted with
'cornS.' but that is plainly the fault of
the afflicted foot, and in no sense the
iault OF the shoe. which is lust the right
size, II the foot were well. DO you see?
z In regard to the failure OF Chris
tians to legisate evil out OF the conmu-
ntty. Jeremiah" declares 1t Is not the
Christians duty to correct moral evil
,by resort TO law. etc. Then why do you
resort TO Jaw to restrain the moral evil
In murder? Is there no moral evil in
murder? Why resort to law TO detect
moral evil in our public institutions
What was the purpose of the recent in
vestigarion of certain institution at
stanton? Was 1t not plainly to detect
and remove moral evil? What was the
object to resoulnE to law not long
since In a sister town to send 4 certain
young man to the penitcntiary? Was II
not to remove moral evil? Why has our
Lef1isla ture so recently enacted certain
laws against various forms of mora
evil? Was 1t not that the people might
have n chance to rid themselves of va
rious forms of moral evil? Why. "Jer-
emi2h," what are you thinking about?
Your position is not only untenable, but
it is out of the question of liberation.
g. You say: Were 1t possible to cs-
tablish system of government that
would force men to quit all wrong
thing to do? Never" Then why do
we punish men at all for wrong doing ?
Why do you force the embezzler of
money to quit his wrong doing? Why
do you force the man who ISLANDERS
your character to quit slaMdering you a.?
Why do you force the man who sells
your 15-year-old son liquor. and SO
makes him drunk, to desist? Is 1t not n
moral evil? Perhaps Jeremiah" may
say: II did not mean all moral evil"
Exactly, but why discriminate? Why
force one man to stop the evil in
which he is engaged. when his neighber
Is engaged In an evil of 1iro-fold more
power for mischief and ruin, and yet
he is allowed liberty to go on and deepen
~
to force has evil upon the public? y
poor man with hungry wife and chill
dren. yields to the temptation and steals
r side OF bacon and n peck of meal. You
punish him, and that is right for the
moral evil OF stealing must be removed.
He has taken saffron his neighbour I'M
lawfully. Yes, he must be punished.
You must admit the justice of his pun
ishment. Another man. in the same
community. sells the husband and father
of al dependent family whiskey till he
not only brings them TO n suffering con-
dition, but It drives the man to such
madness OF heart and mind that he
adds to the wrong OF imposed hunger
and want, cruelty and shame, but you
say 1t Is wrong to stop the liquor-sellcr
in this terrible moral evil by force of
law. That IL It could be done, 1t should
not Why? If whiskey is such ter
ror and the mother of so many crimes.
which would. In very large measure,
disappear If the whiskey should disap-
pear, ask Jeremiah" In all good faith.
why should n Christian people refuse to
remove such gigantic moral evil by
resorting to the power of the law? Why
make such 4 wide difference between
the man who takes nj the midnight hour
from the merchant meat and meal To
feed n hungry family. and the man who
takes from dependent family by sell
ing to the head of that family whiskcy
TO his ruin, only that he may enrich his
pocket? All, the one is taking money
from those who have power, and the
other is taking 1t. and by authority of
an unholy law from the dependent wife
and children of n man who Is n slave
to his acquired appetite. That is the diff
ference. j. l.. Is.
nNV-SGSrENT0