The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-07-08
RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS.
BY REV. J. Q. COUGH, MANNING. 5. C.
THE GROWTH OF TEMPER
ANCE SENTIMENT.

THE GROWTH OF TEMPER
ANCE SENTIMENT.
AS men of sound judgment look
out upon the situation of all things
to-day, there seems to be cause OF
dependency upon the part OF Chris
tian men as touching the one great
evil, that Of intemperance. But a
moments thought would convince
you that there is no room for gloom,
but rather rejoicing. When We look
back to the days of our forefathers
and see the temperance cause not yet
in its infancy, when q bar-room was
as honorable and as respectful in the
minds Of the great majority as the
institution Of learning, when no home
was complete without lis wine, whis-
kies, etc, when the government dis
iilleries were found at every place OF
note, or centre of trade, when 'block"
iistilleries were found throughout
the deep forest of the mountainous
part OF North Carolina. and where q
drunken man was as respectable as
many of the preachers and held as
high positions in some of our little
struggling churches. Bot see how
the tide has changed Slowly but
steadily God has been leading his
people from the dark Egyptian bond
age Of s;n,isnorance and superstition
toward the Canaan Of Christian hope.
The storm clouds OF sin, hastened and
naddened By the thunderings OF the
pit, and hera!deG by the devils an-
gels, have burst owe, our land, and
through the ritted c!onds the sun
shine q peace sna nope is flooding
this universe. Christian sentiment
has lifted 8 glorious banner and in
scribed thereon, "Dowr With the
Liquor Traffic. To-day t is such
disgrace to manufacture or sell whis-
Key thst men Of Christian character
would scorn the very idea, and still
this sentiment is growing at a rapid
rate.
There was time when the devil,
with his combined powers seeming
ly), held sway throughout the nation.
All over the country, as men saw fit
and proper, they engaged in theman-
ufacture aid sale OF strong drink, in
the country, in the town, in every vii
lage and hamlet. But the few il
whose hearts reigned the salvation of
God and the hope of a brighter day,
have stood boldly and fought nobly,
until they have driven the devil back
in his lair and hence he has sought
refuge at the hands OF the State, and
in his excited, frightened condition,
be has pleaded for help and says
don't call me s2 ugly barron, damn
ing it's millions ard crushing hearts
and homes and blighting lives, but
call me IS dispensary," respectable
barroom, whose men can receive the
same honorable influences and go to
hell just as quickly, but it would be a
respectable dispensary that did it.
BY this scheming and planning the
old devil seems to have blinded the
eyes of some otherwise good men.
He has led them to believe that the
world would at once come to an end
if men could not get whiskey, and
that the church of God could not ex-
ist in a community without an insti
tuition of The devil by its side. What
is the result? Men attend the church
once in month possibly, and in the
Institution Of the devil he is a class
leader, for be evidently leads GER
tain class with Linn, and he is seldom
ever absent when his official services
are required Bless God, the day is
coming when Christianity will be tri-
umphant When tae DEVILS agency
will be driven even from the hands of
the State. 4 man can get just as
drunk on dispensary vhiskey as on
;blind tiger" wbiskey or any other
kind.
Last year there were 10000 mur-
ders in the United States. Seven
years ago there were 1000, this, all
OF this, under the reign OF whiskey."
Is it not time for the church which
has so long been asleep to this awful
condition Of affairs to awake and put
on her strength and 60 forth to the
fight? Let us be strong IN the Lord
and in the power of his might and
go forth trusting and working We
may not live to see the time when the
liquc.' traffic is forever banished, but
we may live to sec the golden period
when We eau shout tie note OF duty
done. We can keep the camp-fres
burning on The heights for better
day.