The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-09-17
An Infidel's View of the Davis City
Middle.

There has been quite an ado regard
Knoll, a minister of the gospel at Davis
City, for carrying concealed weapons,
after having spent much time and risk
in putting down lawlessness, such as
gambling and selling intoxicants. The
people are taking sides in the matter,
some condemning the preacher without
reserve while others still hold him in
high esteem, notwithstanding his So
called downfall.
Now, since am an infidel, that is ]
deny all the supernatural claims made
by the various religions Of the earth, it
cannot be said that what l may say in
behalf of the preacher is actuated by
any motives born of religious sympathy
with him. trust that my position will
not prejudice. Taking the very worst
view of the situation viz, that both the
preacher and liquor dealers are Grimm
ais, we are reminded of the adage, at
/
always like the rogue best that catches
the rogue that is the worst enemy to
humanity, and so | say "Good for the
preacher" But it is said the preacher
is cowardly to carry a weapon. Now
maybe he was, and maybe cowardice
forced him to do it, and that would
make it a mitigatory instead of con-
demnatory element. But who is it that
brings thisscharge? Does the accuser
wade through bloody seas to rescue
sinking humanity from the thraldom Of
the liquor power? Does he stand over
the brink of 1.-THE grave and bare his
breast and defy the shots of the enemy
of all humanity? Or is he an obstruc
Zionist whose breath is tainted with
liquor, and like the scofling Jews, ever
ready toscharge some one with breaking
the law,!even.while doing good? Now
this preacher may have broken the law
1 through fear or cowardice, but | like
him just the same. like him because
!! he is the bravest..m man in Davis City, and
the city should elect him marshal and
present him with silver plated re-
1 volver andstell him to carry it in plain
4 view and use it the best way he can to
: prevent those who thrive at the down
fall of humanity, from carrying out their
= preacher defendS himself; he is worth
saving.
4 have no patience with those sancti.
! nonious preachers who are continually
y calling on one. who hides behind the
4 clouds, to quench the liquor power
4 while they may ride to Heaven, OF
flowery beds of ease. The liquor ele
ment loves such preachers because they
don't interfere. They call them nice
: preachers and toss them their quarters
While the preacher may not have done
altogether right, he did not do anything
/ very seriously wrong. The charge
brought against him was''for doing tina
I which the very snes who brought tn,
l charge forced him to do. Again, il
measuring the enormity of law breaking
the object Of the law should be vel
l considered. Should weapons never b.
used exception self defense as tn.
l preacher intended to use his there
would be no law against carrying them
If cattle never used their horns eNcep
on the defensive farmers would not de
horn them.
! Now some ofimy readers will be sur
to ask the question, "Why do ] not ac
cept religion and help the preacher
destroy the rum power?" l trust the,
l. will be patientrin allowing me a fey
words in my own defense. Answerin,
the last first: | will unite with til.
preachers in destroying the rum power
AS to accepting religion for the purpos'
of doing it., will say that should ioil
any religion for that purpose it would
be the Mohammcdan religion. Tha
religion has always been an enemy t.
the rum power, while the Christian re
ligion, until very recently, has been it.
friend. And there is but part O
Christianity that has come out wholly
against it now. In times past, the
priests have been the worst drlnkard
on earth. The temperance movement
then is rather departure from than al
element of Christianitya heretical O
infidel movement. True there few
J. precepts in favor.of temperance in TIN
sense of moderate drinking, not abstin
ance in the Bible, but the writer's 0
the New Testament (Which was writer
about 175 years after CHRISTI would hav
Jesus to manufacture wine to be used
beverage. 1t was the best of win
! and they make Jesus to describe tina
:. kind of wine as old wine. They max,
b Jesus to instigate wine drinking at hi
!: suppers and these have been the occas