Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-10-29
What Should the Christian Voter Do With
tho Saloon7

Falls, before the teachers and the
public generally of Oconee county at
Walhalla some years ago and pub
lished by request. Mr.. Hill is very
promising young man and is now at
school at Wefford College. His
argument as to what the Christian
voter should do with the whiskey
traffic and saloon is timely and wise
Emerson has said that s'every revo-
luton was first thought in one
mans mind every reform was at
one time private opinion"
God does not hold his man ac-
countable to do what is impossible,
but God does hold his man to do
what is right always at all times, and
in all places, whatever may be the
success or disappointment attending
his act.
This l take it is no less stand
ard of ethics than those present
here to-day - ministers of God
would wish to adopt. am to dis
cuss what is right and what is duty
as regards the tolerance or the abo-
lition of the American saloon.
What ought the Christian voter
to do with the saloon 2 There are
two or three propositions involved :
First, That there is such factor as
a Christian voter. Second, That
there is, to use a current phrase,
enough of him to do something de-
cisive about the saloon. Third,
That the saloon is something calling
for his attention, and Immediately
There are some preliminary ideas
which may need attention, and a
correct or essential agreement as to
the Christian standard of ethics
may be absolutely demanded.
AS one who wears the crown of
kingship taken from King George
and placed upon the heads of nearly
sixty millions of free men, I have a
duty to administer government as it
should be. The Christian voter is
citizen-king. He stands here with a
ballot--and every ballot is an
opinion-to represent the will of
God, his own conscience, and the
best veal of the men for whom
Jesus died. He owes nothing to
majorities, if majorities are wrong.
He owes nothing to public opinion,
if public opinion is corrupt. He
owes nothing to party, because it
.ay be the slicker and more grace
full Pharisee of the two. He owes
nothing to the scribes and elders
who sit in Moses seat, for IL y may
be plotting with the State the mur.
der of the "Just One." He owes
nothing to precedent, for that will
lie. He owes everything to God, and
to those for whom God has placed
him to stand. tsIf 1 could give the
casting vote," your weakened
Christian says, "if l could give the
casting vote tomorrow, 1 would
vote the rum traffic forever out of
existence" Well, are you two, are
you four, are you ten men, o, Chris
tion Will the Eternal hold you in
judgment for other than your own
ballot, your own word, your own ex-
ample You wish to wait for pub
lie opinion. Do you not know
Gods opinion2 You wish to wait
for the sentiment to come in full
tide to you; then why not unveil
Gods moon, as far as you are con-
cerned, and let the full orbal light
of Gods opinion of this great mat
ter shine upon the dark watersp
"Wait till the irons hot and then
STRIKE" some one said to the old
lion, Cromwell. "I'll strike it and
make it hot" was the terse reply.
- "O OouiS hafC Edlu We mIg0C
whip the Austrians," said a soldier
to Napoleon. "Then we'll have the
rain," said the sagacious warrior,
and he ordered cannonading for six
hours. Men tell us the rain came
and the muddy roads deleyed the
Austrians to their defeat.
cannot comprehend the charac-
ter of taat Christian conscience
which sits at the table of our cruci-
fed but risen Lord, and there
pledges in the cup of deathless recol-
lection, fidelity to Him, only to 90
out and at the next election cast q
ballot for the man who will grant a
license to poison and to damn his
brother to a drunkard's hell. Gods
word, which makes man his broth
er's keeper" which denounces the
iniquity framed by law" which allows
no shading of the expressed com
mandment, "Thou shalt not kill"
that word is against such con
science. All consideration of com.
mon morality is against it; all
equity is against it; all philanthropy,
al pj> y, and all love against it. it
is wrong, it is iphuman, it is false,
whoever owns it, or whatever ex-
tenuation or plea you urge for it.
1t is time, ther, for the Christian
voter to vote against the saloon /;