The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-03-20
CASE HE TH'OW' HIT 0UT'N ITS
MOUF, DARFO' HE AM DEFILE'
How the Scripture, ''Not that Which Goeth Into a
Mans Mouth ETC., was Distorted
at Church Trial.


and justice which our forefathers secured
to us by the shedding of their blood
C'Bless de Lawd, don't he talk sweet!')
can't help it, my fellow citizens, that my
skin is white, and yours is black, but
don't stand on the color Of mans skin,
when my brother is in distress; it's my
duty to be his friend. though he be as
white as snow or as black as the ace OF
spades" CDat's de way ter talk it.
gem men. dat's de way ter talk it!')
This prohibition bill is the most internal
and diabolical thing that was ever con.
cocted by the enemies of a free and indie
pendent people" c OATS de Lawd's trufe;
what'd l tell you, Brer Sam?") This
damnable bill, my fellow citizens, is to
keep us from taking a morning dram when
we feel badly; from having little in the
house for snake bites, and when the old
woman is poorly, and from even making
a little campfire for the headache.
("Dare, now, you hear dat, don't you?'O
II tell you, my fellow citizens, as- sure as
| am looking into your honest and intel
ligent faces, upon which / see q determi-
nation, writ as with a pen of steel, to de-
feat this iniquitous measure, there's some
thing behind it, ("Dat's your Coda
mity's trufe,') why, fellow citizens.
I'm a member of the church, and 1 read
my Bible, and / say here, before these
prohibition gentlemen, that the Bible is
teetotally against prohibition" CT sed
so, Brer Jim.") my fellow citizens
hear what the Bible says: Give strong
drink to him that is ready to perish
("Dats de word!') "Now. fellow citi
zens. how are we going to do that if al
the strong drink is voted out?' ("Yea
Lawd, dat's what I want ter know! Hit
EN- ergin') And didn't good old Paul
tell his son Timothy to take a little wine
for his stomach S sake. and for his often
ipfrmit y C'Dar. now, UmphH)
And wern't old father Noah a preacher
for one hundred and twenty years, and
didn't ne get drunk when he pleased?
And | dare these prohibition gentlemen
TO snow US from the Bible that they ever
bad him up in the church ("Now Won
got it, bless the Lawd!') "And didn't the
blessed Saviour say, Not that which
Goeth into the mouth defileth man, but
that which proceedeth out of the MOUTH"
C'Now re hittin' 'em good!') "And
fellow citizens, these gentlemen here
would make you believe that all the MUIR
ders are the result of drinking whiskey.
Will they dare say that Cain had taken .
drink that day he killed his brother Abel?
dare them to do it." ("Now, what's dew
got to for deyselves? Mress de Lawd,
de Bibles on our sidei')
The foregoing rs a fair sample of the
speeches made to the negroes, and ignor-
ant as they were, it was no wonder they
were almost solidly opposed to the prohi-
\. ii fa1
against it. Some people said Judge Nc
Rae's political future would be ruined
because he presided over the prohibition
convention and worked to carry the cleo
ton. But, they were mistaken. Two
years later he was elected a member OF
the Supreme Court, and got as good a
vote as the balance of the ticket.
The work done in that campaign is bear
ing fruit today; and if the wheel con-
tinues to turn, and l think it will. a
few more revolutions will make the Old
North State prohibition.
mot that which goeth into the. mouth,
but that which proceedth out Of the mouth
defileth man,, a scripture which the Ii
quor men quoted frequently to prove that
liquor drinking was no harm, thoroughly
satisfied the average negro. l heard of
church trial, which took place, about
that time, in n colored congregation. Sam
Black was arraigned before the church
for being drunk, and several witnesses
testified that he was not only drunk,
but that he was dead drunk, and had
to be '.toted in to keep him away from
the hogs.
The moderator, having adjusted his
brass-rimmed spectacles and groaned deep
ly AMI piously, remarked, looking in the
direction of the accused: This is a nifty
serious matter, brethren, and we must
be keerful how we perceed wild de per-
ceedns. Dey's alters two sides to a pan
cake, and eff we don't see bofe sides, how
we gwine to tell which is de best side or
de wore side? l darefore APPOINT Brer
julius SeeZer Jones to prosecute de
brother. and l APPOINT Brer George Wash
ington Smith to defend him. Well now
/ pereeed with de perceedins.' -
The attorneys took their positions and
Sam Black was brought to the front and
required, by the moderator, to stand up
and make his confession, which he did in
few words, saying: II don't no muffin
bout de fuss dey's raisn gin me; all
no is, l tuck wun OF two drinks wild Brer
home | got tired, as it wer in my limbs
en- lade down to rest. When i walked up
l was in my own cabin and Mandy, dat's
my wife. was right dar and she'll tell you
l was jest as sober as a jedgeP
Peter Snow testified that Sam took at
least dozen drinks, but he didn't say
bad word as he heard. Several other wit
nesses testified to about the same. Where
upon Julius Casar Jones arose and said:
"Mr. Moderator, it's nifty cleer to my
mind dat Brer Sam was drunk and dat
he's foteh an everlastin disgrace on dis
err church, and I move dat he be turned
out"
but, Mr. Moderator" said George
Washington Smith, "Brer Sam mount bin
drunk but all the witnesses say he didn't
use bad word and you no de Scripture
ses dat old Noah got drunk as often as
he pleased and dey didn't turn him outen
the church. for l hearn a white man say
So move We don't turn Brer Sam out -
The Moderator said: We've hearn
bofe sides. and 'cording to de evidence
tdar's nothing agin Brer Sam, 'ceptin', may
be, he mout O tuck too much at drink,
1, n - L. 4