The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-08-23

to be anticipated. And every scnsibl,
man VINO advocates the traffic in any
form must contemplate that as a result i
not the end sought. And dispcnsary
Whlskey makes men drunk and misera
Die ana ragged and naked Just as well
anu quickly as any other sort of liquor
NoDodY denies that there is u pr0pcl
use or liquor. 1t is right to use it foI
medicinal, chemical and mechanical pur.
poses and it is right to sell it for these
purposes. That is not the question,
NOR IS the question before us the use of
vines at our tables in moderation and
inc sale OF it for such purposes Much
Is made or the fact that Christ made
WINE tOr people to drink on one occa.
sion. But when a man, because Jesus
made light and harmless wine for pco
pie TO drink at q marriage, infcrs that
| therefore we are right in selling for q
profit mean whiskey for people to drink
to the ruin Of their bodies and the dam.
nation of their souls, he had better 90 to
school to learn Il little logic, or little
| common sense.
! repeat with renewed emphasis that
the sale OF whiskey as a beverage is an
immoral act and l declare that he is
either religious ignoramus or relig-
ious impostcr who tries to bolster up
cover up the shame and guilt Of it under
the sacred name Of Christ.
When man tells me that the whiskcy
traftlc is necessary evil" can have
some patience with him. But when u
man OF influence tries to protect this
monster evil from attack by hoisting
over 1T the pure banner Of Christ, it is
time for all who love the Bible and the
SAVIOR Of men to lift up their voices in
indignant protest against such a dcsccra-
rion Of things sacred and divine.
The Senator, it seems, is expecting an
apology from me. am sorry to disap-
point him. But, unfortunately, he dis.
appointed me first when he made the
false charge about an unholy alliance
between the preachers and bar-kccpcrs
we had right to expect that, as soon
as his attention was called to the inius.
tlce or the language, he would be manly
enough to withdraw it instead, he has
dcllantly rcassertcd it. He has very
sanguinc temperament if he expects an
apology from me, under these circum-
stances.
Who started this unpleasant affair {?
80 far as / know, there was not a
preacher in South Carolina who had ut.
tered one public word in criticism Of
him, or contemplated doing 80, until he
gratuitously flung wanton insult in
their faces. Did he think they lacked
the manhood to resent it? Senator Till
man knows that tho great majority of
the preachers are standing where they
always stood. They have always been
for prohibition and against the whiskcy
traffic; and they are not deluded into
believing that it is no longer the whis
key traffic because it has been christened
a "DispcnsarY" by its proud "god.
fof TIn l, 4 "a n
ancc," in its common, popular and pro.
per meaning, implies compact and he
knows that no such relationship now
exists or ever has existed between
preachers and "bar-keepcrs."
Again, the Senator declares that some
of the p1 PREACHERS arc trying to take charge
Of the politics Of South Carolina 1t is
not my business to speak for the preach
crs Of South Carolina as body. But l
know the Christian ministers Of the
State far better than Mr.. Tillman does,
and l say that this charge also is abso.
lutcly false. There is no truth in it, In
their ministerial capacity, they are hay
ing nothing to do with politics except in
so far rs politics overlap the sphere of
morals and religion. If a preacher can
not preach morality and religion, what
can he preach Perhaps tho Senator
would not gricvc if they should quit al
together. At any rate, it would be to
the advantage OF his whisi<cy traffic.
lie thinks ought to produce certificates
in proof of certain things said. | will,
the day after he produces certificates of
proof that some preachers are making
an effort to take charge Of the politics
Of the State-giving the names Of the
preachers so doing, with the proof Of the
charge. Abundant proof Of what | said
is to be found in the speeches which he
has made in this campaign. 1t is true
that assertions Of his respect for preach
ers are sandwichcd in between the most
cOntcmptuOus expressions concerning
them, in which he pretty nearly cxhausts
his copious vocabulary in this line. But
it is q matter Of no Importance. Who
cares whether he feels contempt for the
preachers or not ? Certainly not the
preachers. If he respects them, very
well. If he docs not respect them,
equally well.
But would like for the people to give
a moments attention to the Senator 8
remark that "prohibition is no longer a
moral question: If this foolish remark
means anything, it means that it was
once u moral question, but has ceased
to be so. When did this question lose
it's moral character, and why ? / sup.
pose his idea is that it was Il moral Qucs-
ton before it began to be discussed
upon the hustings. Before that, it was
u question of right and wrong; now it
is not question Of right and wrong.
Great is politics The moment moral
question is brought into the arena of
politics, it loses its moral quality and
moral bearings. 1t is my deliberate
opinion that man who can seriously
set forth a proposition like that, would
well, hesitate to draw the inevitable
conclusion. Common sense teaches that
if it was question Of right and wrong
seven or ten years ago, it is q question
Of right and wrong to day.
g. 8. GARDNER.
Richmond, Va, Aug. #, 1900
--l5eAtrice Harradcn. L. IL aaid