Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-04-03

\ .NS~ Sh"A PSioieiou. Odu sue
prosperity stand? Nay, such pros
perity will perish as did the cities O
Sodom and Gouorrah. Let whoeye
may please withdraw his financis
aid, but let us stand for local optioI
which is right in the sight of Go,
and He will carry US through.
Chesterfield" you say, "Let liauo
be sold, and let the drinkers pay th
revenue" | would ask, what shoul,
be the purpose of raising revenue
If you allow me / would answer
that it should be to maintai ou
government, which was instituted fo
the betterment of our country. How
can We better our country by licens
ing an evil to raise revenue? Don
let our counties permit that which
our King of Kings and Lord of Lord
will not approve.
"Wine Is q m0cker, strong drink i
raging; and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise" Proverbs 90: l
Your writer wishes to echo Will
loud applause the sentiments EN-
bodied in the Northumberland moth
er's letter in reply to s'Io' in the las
issue of the Progress add the CITIZEN
Mothers, sisters, wives and daugh
ters. and even sweethearts, you may
do q great work for the cause oi
local option, which is q part of God,
cause, if You'll use the sweet influenc.
that your Heavenly Father has en-
dowed you with.
Some people say, "Wbat would
become of the State of Virginia il
we take away the revenue paid b,
the saloons?" 1t might be true thai
for while, at least, our State and
county treasures would be more
empty than they are now, but
if our government be rightly man,
aged the time would soon come
when our treasures would be fuller
than they are now. Take cogni.
zance of the noble r'otto, "Where
there's q will there's a way.'
Work with q will to d. what is right
and the Lord will e,entually bring
the way.
lie the revenue sissS by intem.
perance is the means by which we
are to advance our couuties and State,
then we pray, God save the Common
wealth.
As we know, local option election
has been ordered for Stonewall dis
trict, to be held on Thursday, April
16, 1908, at Newland; and one to be
held for Marshall district on We'd
nesday, April 90, 1908, at Warsaw.
We know but very little about the
prospects for strong fight by the
"wets" in Marshall district, but we
do know that the SWEETS" in Stone
wall district are doing and will do all
in their power to defeat local option.
We have friends on both the s'dry''
and "wet" sides, and we hope that no
one. whether they have an interest in
q bar-room, have friends who are In
terested In one, or whether they
drink or not, will Judge us to
be their enemy, or having the
slightest desire or intention of doing
them any injustice or an injury.
We only mean to work against the
saloon and by so doing to be helpful
to our community, our country and
every body in general; and in particu-
lar to do the will of God. When
We realize that the SWEETS" are equip
ping their forces for the battle, then
those of US who have declared our
selves on the "dry" side should not
only recognize our rights and privi-
leges to gather our forces together,
but we should feel it an indispensa-
BILE duty that we owe to our country,
to humanity, and to our God, to lay
aside a part of our domestic affairs,
and work kindly, lovingly and ear
nestly among all who oppose local
option. Work not with spirit of
opposition, but with spirit of love
and sympathy, praying earnestly to
God for help. Without prayer we
can do nothing. Ministers of the
Gospel, work before it is too latel
Sunday school superintendents, get
IN the field of labor. IF you were ever
Sunday school superintendent or
teacher don't 60 to the polls and vote
against local option, but vote for it,
and before that time 60 out among
those who were once under your in
struction of religious principles and
tell them of the sacred duty we owe to
God. Voting is not all; we must
work if We would reap the harvest.
Victory comes to the toiler.
Some think it great wrong and
injustice to the saloon keeper; that if
local option is victor the saloon will
be closed for the remainder of April,
while their licenses are good until
May 1st. Without a doubt it may
seem little unfair, and it may mean
the loss of few dollars to him.
But, my dear friend, if you are q
saloon keeper. ought you not be will
ing to make that little sacrifice in
order to better our ccpnty? If you'll
quit the business the Lord will surely
prosper yoa in some sther EMPLOY
ment.
The saloon keepers ia this country
are making more money today than
ever before. We ask who are fur
nishing them that money? Is it those
alone who have never enlisted in
Gods army, who have never Joined
the church. who have never professed
fsith In the Lord and Saviour, Jesus
Christi? With sadness 10 our hearts
We must say nay. For if only those
and none of those who profess to be
followers of the meek and lowly
Jesus were to visit the saloon and
sip of poisonous pangs and encourage
others TO follow suit, the saloon could
not stand. So my dear brother, fol
Code sake mot my sake). and the
sake of all that's trua nohla orand