Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1901-03-29

sent matters and sometimes actuall,
falsify to, secure their influence ol
vote. The person who is deceived by
these enemies to human welfare "i;
not wise." CAT the last it biteth lik,
a serpent and stingeth like an adder.
This is the final outcome. "Whc
hath woe? Who bath sorrow? Who
hath contentious? Who hath wounds
without cause? Who hath redness
of eyes?' Listen to the reply: "They
that tarry long at the wine, they
that go to seek mixed wine" The
effects justify the condemnation pro-
nounced upon the cause, aud the woe
so clearly and fearfully declared,
ought to make men stop and think
before trying to open up pitfalls in
anybody's pathway in the form of
the licensed saloon. In this sermon
| shall be very plain and also very
true. l have no apology to make to
any one living or dead for coming
before you upon this subject at a
time like this. The liquor saloon is
the continual enemy to all good
government, and yet there are many
little petty politicians in the land
today who claim to be toiling day
and night for the salvation of the
country, while using their influence
constantly to establish the liquor
saloons. These little dirty fellows,
for they are not men, should be
dropped and drowned forever among
the forgotten things of the past. The
saloon is the perpetual foe to all
decent society. II is destructive to
peace in the home, prosperity in
business, harmony in the community
and stability in the government. 1t
sacrifices brains for beer, wisdom
for wine, Immortality for liquor,
purity for debauchery, innocence
for crime aud Hesses fcr hell. The
saloon is the bert friend of vice, the
most gigantic supporter, of social
impurity, the worst enemy of right
eousness and the most unmerciful
destroyer of home and happiness. 1t
is fact that should make the re-
spectacle people of this land hang
their heads in shame that the
United States, of which so many of
us feel proud and where we boast of
our Christian civilization, should
send every year from sixty to
seventy-iive thousand souls into
eternity as the victims of the liquor
traffic. The occupation of running
whiskey den is low and degrading.
| would rather go upon my hands
and knees from door to door begging
for the crumbs that fall from the
tables of the people, than engage for
one moment in the low, dirty and
sinful business of dealing out the
deadly stuff to my fellowmen. The
selling of liquor is dishonest busi-
ness. Every man is entitled to GER
tain rights which no one can take
from him, and these rights demand
that when you take from him his
hard earned money, you shall give
him in return full and honest COM
pensation. But the man in the
liquor business takes his money and
gives him nothing IN return that can
possibly help or benefit him to any
extent. Its business that robs the
fond and devoted wife of the hus-
band on whom she leans for sup
port, and in an unmerciful man
ner snatches from the fond mothers
side her bright and only boy. And
yet you propose to re-establish liquor
saloons in Lancaster county, yes you
do, and you dare not lie to deny it,
for yocr names are here upon this
miserable roll of dishonor which
you call a petition, asking for local
option election, hoping thereby to
carry things your way that these
satanic dens of vice and wickedness
may again run in full blast to man
ufacture fuel for the eternal burn
ings. Any man that wants the
liquor saloons re-established here or
anywhere else is either an ignorant
man or a vicious one. Yes sir, he is
either ignorant of Gods law or he is
down so low in sin that he does not
care.
l. But here is fellow who bobs
up and says, "Selling liquor is a
personal matter and only concerns
the man in the business" / DENY it
and brand it as false. Why? Because
the sale of liquor is an act of public
character and therefore effects public
interest and no man can contradict
it. With respect to the liquor saloon,
the church as a whole has but one
inquiry to make, namely, does it help
or hurt the best interests of human
ity? Settle that question and the
attitude of the church is fixed and
the attitude of every consistent MEM
Der of the church is fixed also.
Wherever the saloon goes, sin and
death follow in its track. Let any
man work and vote for it who will
and if he is a member of any church
he violates every pripcir,Ia of bonor