The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-08-08
Preaching Prohibition.
Methodist Minister in CoIum.
bia Takes up the Work.

Columbia, August 5-The Rev.
w. K Richardson. pastor of the
Washington Street Methodist Church.
preached prohibition sermon at the
regular service tonight. He came
out against the Dispensary as we'll as
all kinds of liquor selling Fol-
lowing is synopsis of the sermon,
the text being from IL Chronicles *,
Is:
This was Gods answer to the prayer
of the King of Judah in the time Of
national peril 1t takes great crisis
to bring out the spiritual forces of
character Such crisis came to the
King of Judah. His kingdom was
about to be invaded by a vsst army
In this extremity the religious nature
of the king was fully disclosed.
Standing in the midst of his people
Jerusalem. he offered petition
which, in beauty and pathos, is un
equalled in the worlds literature 1t
was grand picture-s king praying
for his people in time when nation
al disaster seemed to be inevitable.
Gods answer to his prayer is decla.
ration that the cause of truth
and righteousness is Gods cause
No cause that is based on truth is
ever utterly defeated The principle
contained in the text that every
righteous cause is Gods battle is an
encouragement to those who are en-.
gagged in the work of moral reform
Everywhere reform is the watchword
of the day The whole world is
permeated with the spirit of reform
Throughout the length and bredth of
our own land the cry for reform is
heard. There is the evil of the liquor
traffic. The giant evil in this world
is the liquor traffic Iegalized, and
that. too,ln large measure by the
votes Of men who profess to be on
Gods side in the battle against
wrong 1t is impossible to exagger
ate the evil which result from the sale
of intoxicating liquors. From
whatever standpoint it is con
sidered, the liquor traffic. un.
der whatever legislative system it is
conducted, is the creates. curse that
has ever scourged the human race
That the liquor traffic is moral evil
is 80 obvious that | would not have
considered it necessary to discuss
this phase of the question had not
one of our political leaders few days
ago made the assertion that the "Ten
Commandments have nothing against
selling liquor, and the Bible makes
liquor selling permissible 1t is
true there is nothing in the Ten Com.
mandments against selling liquor
Neither is there anything against
drunkenness or gambling or arson.
But is drunkenness any the less sin
because it is not prescribed in the
decalogue Is gambling or arson
any the less crime because it is not
specifically condemned in the Ten
Commandments ? Selling liquor in
men to violate every one of the Ten
Commandments. As 10 the Bible
making liquor selling permissible, the
most charitable construction that can
be put upon that assertion is that it
was made by man who is profound. =.
ly ignorant Of the Scriptures The
advocates of the liquor traffic do not
scruple in their irreverence to slander
the character of our Saviour by claim
ing that his example justifies selling
and drinking intoxicating liquors.
Christ neither used nor sanctioned the
use of distilled liquor or "brandied
vines" am frequently asked why
oppose the dispensary.
l Because the dispsusary. in oharsc.
ter. 10 principle and sim is Identical
with the bar room. Change Of name
does not involve change Of character.
The restrictions thrown around the dis
peusary do not lift it abe We the level of
the bar room The dispensary, sell.
Jog. as it Goes. intoxicating liquors as
beverage, making drunkards. IS on the
same level with toe bar room. and
therefore | can 90 more eudorse the one
than the other. The grouud ds on which
| fought :he bar room are the grounds
oc which [ fight tho dispeusary.
2 The sslliDg of intoxicating
liquors as beverage is either morally
right or morally wrong, The question
admits of no alternative. There is 20
neutral ground. IF selling intoxicating
liquors as beverage is morally right,
then any Legislative enactment which
discrimin0tes against it is al injustice,
aud i. ought to be put on the same foot
log as selling drugs, or dry goods. or
groceries, or auy other line of merchan-
~ IL