The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-09-04

struction of souls.
If whiskey gets elected, many a boy
who would have made good and USE
full mana credit to himself, his fami-
ly and country, will be utterly ruined
and be disgrace instead of bless
ing to the age in which he lives.
/ think it's my duty to say that
any man who makes an alliance with
whiskey, to secure his election to Of
fice is hard run for something out
of which to make popularity. And
| will add that such q man is not fit
to legislate for Christian people. A
man who favorS the liquor traffic is
an enemy to his race, and should not
therefore, be placed in position of
importance as a leader of thought, or
maker of laws. by which Christian
people are to be governed.
Let us suppose IL case: A man. for
the sake OF securing a seat i'll the
Legislature lets it be known that he
is a whiskey man, by sending runners
over the county, CAS- was done last
Saturday in county not a thousand
miles from where l am now writings;
to stir up and get together the worst
element, and to intlame their minds
with hatred against temperance and
sober Christian living. These runners,
like the messengers OF Satan. go IN
a Sneaking manner, because tney
know their deeds are evil; and like
evil spirits, determined upon sowing
the seeds of discord and death. they
go into the darkest places, among the
ignorant, the immoral and the de-
based, and stir up the worst passions
OF all such, against virtue, truth and
righteousness and especially against
the men and women who are trying
to live Cody lives and make it possi-
BILE for their children to be trained up
in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. Of course all the evil-disposed,
as we'll as the ignorant and unWary,
are "Scooped up" and made to be-
lieVe by said runners, that the man
they represent is THE MAN to legs-
late for them; and. be it said with
shame, he receives the nomination.
Is he capable? Yes. as to intellect
and education he is; but, as to morals
he is nothing but a leper. From the
Soles OF his feet to the crown of his
head he is full of defilement. He may
have, and doubtless has. good, pure
woman for wife. but. he also. be 1T
said TO his shame. is in league with
harlot, and bestows on them the at
tentions and smiles to which that pa
tient but neglected wife is, by the laws
of God, justly entitled. He poses as
moral man, and says he believes in
temperance; but his morality rises no
higher than wearing clean shirt with
diamond stud, while his ideas of
temperance are free liquor and a
plenty of it," He cares nothing for
God-on the contrary he hates Cod
to the extent of disregarding every one
of the Ten Commandments. In bust
ness matters, between himself and his
fellowmen, he is an Ishamelite, and,
right or wrong, takes whatever he
can lay his hand upon. counting moth
ing too sacred to be used by him in
gratifying his insatiate lust. Even
the widows and the orphans are
robbed of the little Dittances they
have, by him, by some shrewd techni-
cality of law, and, wherever he is he
poiSonS the atmosphere, and wherever
he goes he leaves the slime of his
filthy character in his track. That's
the picture of a man who is asking,
perhaps, to be sent to the Legislature
to make laws for Christians.
You say it's overdrawn? l hope it
is; but. how many times have we seen
just such characters sitting in high
places, debating policies and max
ing laws to govern State and nation.
This year the worst element of So
city is coming to the front. and 1t is
possible, yea. probable, that many a
moral leper will put on a clean shirt.
may get into power, his object being
to undo what has been done to pro-
mote sobrety and religion, and drag
the State down to his degraded level.
And his argument will be the crun-
try people have had their rights taken
from them" He knows he lies. but.
he thinks the country people are
set of fools and will swallow any dose
he gives them. He knows that the
Watts law is blessing to the country,
removing temptation from the young,
and disorder from about schools and
churches; and he knows, furthermore,
that in the course OF time all the
people would rise UP, as one man, and
bless the memory of those men who
made the laws; but, just now, he
thinks there is some chance for even
as sorry a man as he knows he is to
rise to the dignity of a legislator; and,
to accomplish his purpose, he is
willing to degrade society, hinder the
cause Of Christ and set the feet of
the young men in. the way that leads
to hell.
If such q man is nominated must
vote Cor him? If / do / am as vile as
he and put myself in opposition to
what nv conscience tells me is right.
Christian men, you who control, or
should control the primaries, De
careful that you do not put men on
VOur tickets whose lives you Woulu
not be willing for your sons to initiate.
Let all PARTIES set up good men; men
whose lives are above suspicion, ana
then. turn as the election may, the
home, the church and the State VIII
be in safe hands. 1t will be an ever
lasting shame, if. after taking one step
toward freeing ourselves from the
tyranny of the LIQUOR traffic, we Should
irop back again into the old-ume
pit of DEATH We are out or Egypt
now, and for the moment are matt
ing on the banks of the Red Sea. the
command to Moses. when the host
stood trembling on the bank of that
sea, and Pharoah was pursuing, Is the
command that comes to our leaders
today: Speak to the children OF
Israel that they go forward
In 1881, when the negroes, prompt
ed by impulses to do right and free
themselves and their children from
the evils of intemperance and lust,
were banding themselves together to
throw the weight of their solid vote
on the side of God and safety, men
who cared nothing for their happi-
ness-much less for their souls-turn-
ed them from their high purpose and
make them vote to degrade them
selves and their offspring, IN order
that a little political advantage might
be gained. They were told that to
vote for prohibition would be a step