The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-04-13

TeXt.-Epn. 0:lo.
If there is any one subject above an
other, upon which the most people
think that a preacher ought not TO
have an opinion, and if he has one
he should not express it, and espec-
ially from the pulpit, it is the subject
of intemperance or the legalized liquor
traffic. There are, however, great
many hurtful evils in the world, which
many people had rather not hear con-
demned since these evils are their
bosom companions.
If I should be asked to name three
of the greatest evils of our modern
times, evils which are doing more than
all things else in blighting the homes
of cur land. wrecking the lives OF our
young men and young women and
sending their souls into darkness, |
would name the ballroom, the theatre
and the whisky traffic. These three
are the great trio Of the devil. The
greatest of these three is the whisky
traffic, wherever it may be found,
whether in the saloon. the wholesale
liquor house, in the house Of refine
ment, or in the dispensary. Say what
you may about the right or propriety
of minister of the gospel speaking
out against this evil. If his hands
must be tied and his mouth clos ed
against this the giant evil Of our day,
then he is robbed of his commission
and his existence is an imposition
upon the world and the maintenance
of the gospel a useless expenditure
of time and money. By close study
Of the word of God we find that there
is no one evil which is more condemn
ed than the evil of Intoxicating drink.
Like the highest mountain peaks tow
ering far above the earth, this evil
stands out as the evil Of evils, for it is
the evil from which flows so many 9th
er evils. Then shall we, as ministers,
refuse to speak against it, simply be
cause it happens to be the pet OF so
many people, both in and out of the
church, or because by so doing we
will subject ourselves to many unkind
criticisms? Shame on any preacher
or Christian who dares not open his
mouth against this great evil in all
of its forms In order that we might
see the greatness Of this evil, and I'M
derstand the obligations we are under
both to God and our fellOwman, in our
I'd bUt q
a moment and see what destruction,
what sin, what wretchedness, and
what misery this evil has brought and
is bringing to the world today. No
one who will do this can fail to grasp
the enormity of this evil in all Of its
destructive and damning power.
First let us notice what it does for
those who have become victims of It's
deceptive power. We measure the
greatness of the storm or flood or fire
by the devastation and ruin that these
agencies leave in their pathway. So
in looking at the agencies of evil from
a human standpoint, we speak Of them
as great or small, according to their
power for wrong that they exert over
the human life. Looking at the evil
of the liquor traffic, even in its legal
lied form, we are forced to the conclu-
sion that there is no other agency of
evil in the world that has brought
half the misery, crime and suffering
as this one has.
We not only turn to the word of God
to learn this; We see it in every town
and city throughout the world. He
has covered the shores of time with
his wrecks.
This great evil destroys the homes
of those who have become its victims.
If this evil reached no farther than
the life and character of those who
have become slaves to it's power then
its influence for death and destruction
would be greatly lessened but its