The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-20

4 Temperance Sermon.
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Las: Snndny morning Hc,. ". 4.
Richardson. pastor OF tho lirs, Mc,ho..i-.
Church. preached al unusually strong
ana impressive sermon on the temper
ance question. ai.d in il gave his views on
The d.Spcusa.y. As All orator, 2 logical
reasoncl aud 4 ,lccp, impressive sucal;cr,
NJ. is,ii;.r i>eu has few equals in the
sous 'ar.!...i 'pnfoi.i.ce. AMI ,no .aari-
'o. j. ,..,. i. Aai'i!e- any mil.icHl
si.Nr4 ;4 0.t ie.u~c student pn thiS
cc. a. 4.tr cungrcyation r.t-ai.t
4a,o ii.ii.,.c .lusns: attention, sm,l II ,ya-
,o.y :, ici:, that his c.cqn"n, words
wor' naN.u "a good effect
.:,or sc.d, Z tic rules ci the ilrlhD,.st
AgrcA. Mr. i.iehardSoil said lnat no
would take TWO texts. one from Tic
Bible Tlcss. >: -. ''.Ab>,ain from all
appearance oi evil, and one from the
Discipline, the rule which foriids
''drunlenncss. pr drinking spirituon,
liquors Unless in cases Of rccc+sitv."
H said ia Substance:
"l'hc lesson ;lic Apostle teaches j. t,...
abstinence not only from What j really
nyi,, tat iro,li ih;n1s which might 'iAsn
III allCa!ailre OF Evil - others. TWO
act, iili-, be ia~cn mt constitution ~
determining "nat Christian .uIy
or spHy not io lirai. liz own sririt'n
lrol, a.: i:iGrl; second, fhr epiiiti,a
iiNlt g.: infuiA 80 nt!.,i~ There arc
inanr tninpe vhich iuirhl 80 Niiiiput
iniGr.' lv ::.Ns' H. bni NY rNaissii ia niisht
hc attrlini u ntlifr-, at, II ! lavu ;iiiY ~
gar'i =. ilc .rArhng - hri-t vil!
nra,.ii,',' .f-u,i..l. 1t - often 'tid That
;Ac.. nu harm 10 ninier.ito ;!.!,,lsi:.;.,
.sic tIei. 4 Christ.an .lny indulge -
certain uatet!i w.ihnDt any dotr!Inrni -
Ills spirituality. .hr;. assumption IS .:.i-o.
jiui now a.irnt ,ha cxani!i,? nOcs not
tie iir,lcratc drinking church .,rli.rr
Ii.t Il aluinb.i!9- -nlurk ~ the way Of
others? DOES hr MOI il Ic 3o Il Mrthu
dist iolatn tho SoirInn .Ow no took III
tie altar ui his church when he promised
obeuicncc to the discipline OF tho Church.
ono rule laid down in tho discipline for
bids drunkenness or drinking spiritious
liquors unless in cases Of necessity 1t
has been said that necessity is tho mother
OF invention. and it does seem that some
Church members ara inventive geniuSea
when il comes to inventing an excuse for
drinking Now, | shall discuss the evils
of intemperance under three PROPOSE
tiOns:
II. Intemprrance is an evil financially.
It is q useless waste of money. Most of
the pauperism in this country is caused
by intemperance. 1t has reduced many
family from financial independence to
abject poverty. There are Inauy young
men who instead OF saving their money
until they accumulate capital enough to
begin business on their own account, arc
squandering the whole Of their salary in
.hs saloon.
III. Intcmpcranco is u domestic evil.
1t IS the greatest curse that has ever in
vatlec the home. When We think OF tho
ieai ::iI havoc wrought in the homo by in
semperancc 1t IL not Il wonder that the
Christian women al our country have
banded themselves together for Tho pro
lection q! their homes aEains. this ruth
less foe. But, you may ask, what can
wOinnil-tO whom tho right OF suffrage iS
denied do for tho cause OF temperance?
II had 1t in my power would give
women the right to vote on the temper
ance qu. .stion, and they would settle the
about it either. tell you what you can
do: throw the whole weight of your In
tluence on the side of temperance, teach
ing, by procoPt and example. the princi-
pies Of temperance TO the children in
your homes, in the Sunday School, in
public and graded schools, and in the
social circle, and everywhere creating
and developing such n strong and moral
sentiment against intemperance that
when prohibition does become law
thore will be enough moral force in 80
ciety to sustain and enforce the law.
That is the work which Christian women
are called upon to do In this conflict.
VII. lntemperance is an evil viewed
from a moral and religious standpoint.
No Christian can attain n high standard
OF piety who hnbitually INDUCES in
strong drink. 1t blunts mans usual
perception, weakens his moral convic-
tions, impairs bis will power, destroys all
the finer feelings aud nobler sentiments
OF his better nature, drives out Of the
heart all desire after goodness and purity,
IL v>o1c e. 4
and thirting of righteousness which is
ever the characteristic of the earnest, as
piring Christian. Besides, it DESTROYS q
mans influence for good. No one has
any confidence in the religion of drink
ing Church member. have yet to find
who knows anything about OK experimental
religion. have yet to find one temperate
drlnker who cares anything about ex-
perlmental religion. But more than that,
the example OF the temperate drlnker is
more pernicious than that of the con-
hrmed drunkard who reels along the
street and falls into the gutter. It is not
the sot, but the moderate drinker, yes,
often the temperate drinking church
member, who makes drunkards. How
many fathers have wept bitter tears over
the fall of their sons, whose ruin could
temperate drinker? The temperate
drinking protesting Christians have done
more to hinder the progress of Christi.
anity than all the opposition Of outside
enemies combined. And, therefore, it
becomes every Christian TO practice total
abstinence and take the stand OF unconi-
promising opposition to the whole liquor
traffic. believe that the one and only
remedy Is prohibition.
II have often been asked why am op.
posed to the dispensary. will state the
ground Of my opposition in u few words.
It is just this: the selling of Intoxicating
liquors rs beverage is either morally
right or morally wrong. There is no
neutral ground. If selling Intoxicating
liquors rs a beverage, whether by the
State or by individuals, Is morally
wrong, no legislative enactment can
make it right, and 1t is not question of
police regulation. but of suppression.
On the other hand. if selling intoxicating
liquors as beverage is morally right.
then any legislative enactment which dis.
eliminates againstit Is an injustice, and
it ought to be put on the same footing as
selling drugs or dry goods or groceries,
or any other commodity. l challenge
any man to sho0 me any other position
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