The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1904-10-21
WEDNESDAYS PROCEEDINGS
DIR. FOLKS FINE TALK.

The G. p Syn, d met again Wednesday
NOR ing at 2: 81 a. IN and the first houl
was taken up with de oiopal exercise:
conducted by Rev. IN Webb, of Lewis
burg. There was good crowd OF PEG
pie in attendance and the morning ses
sion proved to oe one of unusual inter
est.
The Church Extension COMMITTEES
made it's report, which was accepted.
The report shows the year to have been
a debt paying one rather than Que de-
voted 70 building new churches. and
upon the whole it was a very satisfactory
report.
Rev w. A. Proyine delivered an ex
cellent address on "A Backward
Glance" which was full of the best
thought and it was well received by the
audience.
present Conditions" were discussed
| in an interesting and able manner by
Rev. A. M. Williams, of GAINESVILLE,
while Rev. E. E. Morris made a good
impression with his talk on The Next
Step"
DR.. Folks Address.
The feature of the Presbytery was
nr. E. A. Folks address Wednesday
morning on Temperance. It was enter
tanning, instructive and inspiring, from
start to finish He told how twenty odd
years ago there was no law in Tennes-
see restraining in the least the sale OF
LIQUOR. The Rum Devil had the right
of way, unchallenged and undisputed,
and whiskey was sold next door to
churches and school houses, at every
cross roads and in most of the country
stores. First came the four mile law,
which for babe the sale within four
miles of an incorporated school. Then
came the law forhidding the saloon in
towns OF two thousand inhabitants and
under, and another large slump was
given the saloon. Then came the Adams
law; and whereas twenty years ago
whiskey vas sold all over and everywhere
in the State, now its legal sale is confin-
ed to twelve counties; twelve out OF
ninety six. A most encouraging growth.
But he was not satisfied, he said, and
would not be until every black spot on
the map was wiped out.
Some people thought a preacher
should not take part in politics, he said
1t was his business to fight the devil,
and if he could not find him in the sa-
loon, he would not know where to look
1t was not political matter with him
1t was fight between the saloon and !
the Church, and he was up in arms
against anything that was inimical to
the good of the Church.
He likened the saloon to a mad dog
turned louse in community. and ridi
cuIed the idea of the personal rights =
of a man to own dog to bite and kill
people. A man might be more or less
Indifferent until his own son was bitten;
then he would be for 'curtailinR the
dog" By that he meant to cut the
dogs tail off just behind his ears.
He denied that the loss of the saloon
hurt business. He asserted, on the con-
trary, that it invariably improved bust
ness. And he submitted as his wit.
nesses, every town in Tennessee that
had tried the Adams Law.
Not single one of them but reported
an increase of business-the average
being about Is per cent; and the
increase Of good morals, he said, was
about one thousand per cent.
He believed in moral suasion, but he
did not believe in stopping there.s He
believe d in going after the fellow who
sells the poisonous stuff; but he Q.
believe in stopping there either. H.
believed In gong before the law max
ing bodits OF the land, but not in stop
ing there either. This battle between
Right and Wrong, between the Home
and the Brothel, between the Church
and the Saloon. must be fought to i's
final finish at the ballot hox: 'hc""
,very man who owns conscience, in the
sight of Gou, must learn 10 fote
orays. Then and not till then, will tt
nefarious traffic be banisheo from I'll
and.
Dr.. Folk wa, frequently applauded
Turing his splendid address, OF which