The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-09-10
A COUNTRYMAN ON SALOONS.

Mr.. EDITOR IL believe all good
people are interested in the great tenn
perance move which ls agitatlng the
country at this time. Never before in
its history has such a move been made.
never before have the people been 80
deeply in earnest: surely 1t is high
time for them to awake to sense OF
their duty and put forth every effort to
down this monster evil. Especially
should we, the people of Halifax coun-
ty, be interested in the fight now being
waged in Scotland Neck.
Is there a father or mother in the
county SO blind and Indifferent to the
welfare of their boys as to want open
saloons to lure them to ruin and to fix
on them the drink curse and send them
to the drunkard's hell? Is there any
thing worse in this world than to be
drunkard's wife? The saloon has no
respect tor your boys and girls; what
it wants is money, regardless of your
bitter tears and heart breaks. Then
why not join~hearts aud hands to wipe
out this terrible death-trap that can
coun: it's victims by the million?
There are many who oppose prohibl-
ton because they have not given the
subject sober, intelligent and serious
thought Some people are Indifferent
t. everything that is good, and think
it manly to get drunk. They say,"I
found it here and when 1 go I want
to leave it here"
What can we expect OF selfishaess
and ignorance? Some claim that their
..hts are being assailed, etc, but
these fimsy nothings are not worthy
OF notice. But there ls another class
of people / do not understand. How
is it that preachers OF the gospel and
church mem bers. can take their stand
with the saloon? Every intelligent
telng knows that the saloon is an evil,
great evil, the very worst of all the
evils that curse our land. Now if we
take our Bibles and turn to Rom. IL 8
We fnd these words: "Abhor that
which is evil and cleave to that which
is good )" and then to Isaiah S 30:
"Woe unto them that call evil good
aud good evil, that put darkness for
ligh: and light for darkness, that put
bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter"
Drunkenness is denounced twenty
two times in the Bib'e and eight times
Il speaks of the drunkard's final pun
ish,nent, besides many times referring
to him and associating him with all
| that Is bad and unclesn. Yet there
are men who claim to he the followers
OF the meek and lowly Jesus, and others
that claim to preach the gospel of
peace and good will to men, who are
either directly or indirectly fighting
the temperance cause. wonder how
they pray, "Deliver US from evil and
lead US not into temptation" won
der if they are sincere when they pray,
''Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven" I wonder
if they are growing in grace" May
be they have "fallen from grace" OF
never had the genuine article.
Consistency, thou art jewell"
1 believe that the 18th day of Sep
TENDER Is going to be the best day that
Scotland Neck has ever had. Good
men and women have said that the
saloons must 60, and they are going,
and why not? What good have they
ever done? Follow their trail back
through the centuries, what an appall-
ing scene! Desolation and ruin, mis-.
cry and woe, darkness, sin and death
mark the bloody path until "heIl has
been enlarged without measure" Tor the
reception of the great multitude of Its
victims.
But thank God there is light ahead
ne end is almost in sight. This awful
path is narrowing up. Civilization ie
awaking TO the tact that it cannot take
another upward step until the great
curse Is removed. The church of God
is on the march. Every Christian in
town or country is praying deliver us
from temptation. A great tidal wave
Is rolling this way and soon every
saloon will be swept from every town
In all this land and peace and happi.
ness and prosperity will mark this as
the grandest OF all the centuries.
! COUNTRYMAN.