The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-28
GOD is AGAINST THE OPPOSERS
OF THE WATTS LAW.

Psalm "a: 20. is proof of this "Shall
the throne of iniquity have fellowship
with Thee, which frameth mischief by
law?'
In troduction: The opposers of the
Watts law have determined to force
into the opening political State cam
p2lgn an issue on the temperance
question. They have declared their
purpose to overthrow the Watts law
and establish a system of high license.
The friends Of temperance ara c,llcl
upon by every consideration that is
high, and pure. and noble. and
patriotic. and Christ-like. to oppose
this wicked effort.
Definition: In the above text.
Throne" means a law making ard
executing power. A Throne of Ini-
guilty means q law-making power
that frames unjust and wicked laws.
The Three" refers to God. Framing
mischief by a law" means to legalize
or make lawful. things that are mis-
chievous and hurtful to mankind.
Have Fellowship with Thee" means
that God has no fellowship with wick
ed lawmakers or wicked laws.
Applications The opposers OF the
Watts law are seeking TO become a
Throne of inquiry They propose to
abolish the Watts law ana to enact q
in all parts of the State. under the
name of High License" The makers
of the Watts law We're not a Throne
of iniquity." 1t was beyond all COM
parison the best temperance law the
State ever had. 1t has brought UNI
told benefit to all the people of the
State. In communities where distil-
leries and grog-shops had made them
almost as corrupt as hell itself. you
Will now find quietude. order. happi-
ness, industry and an increased inter
est in morality, education. Christianity
and general prosperity. For the voters
of the State to elect a Legislature that
would be a Throne of inquity" to
abolish the Watts law. and enact a
liquor law. would be the greatest
calamity that could befalI the State.
It would take twenty years TO recover
from such disaster. The Watts law
may not be perfect. No new law is
apt to be- But We want the next
Legislature to perfect it.
If | had been a member of the last
Legislature L would have voted for the
London temperance BILL but a ma
jority of the legislators thought the
Watts bill better. and made it law.
Every good citizen of the State has
reason to rejoice and thank God for
the peace, happiness and prosperity il
! mas brought to the people.
The enemies Of the Watts law are
seeking to become a throne of ini-
guilty" Iniquity means in-iuuity. in
! justice, wrong. To give every man
who will a legal right to make and
sell intoxicating liquors is the greatest
/ wrong ever imposed by a laW-making
power on any people. 1t gives the
I most corrupt men legal right to
destroy all that is good among their
telloWmen. All of the most damnabie
sins that curse humanity. follow in
the wake of the LIQUOR traffic. The
enemies of the Watts law are seeking
to become a throne of 'iniquity" to
bring back and establish upon the
! people all the hlighting curses of the
! liquor traffic.
Which frameth mischief by law"
: The legalizing of the liquor traffic IS
| framing mischief by law" All the
results of this traffic are hurtfu to
people. A little good may come from
liquor, for medical and mechanical
uses; but the harm it does ten thou
sand times overbalances the good it
/ does; therefore it is an evil that ought
to be suppressed by law. The Watts
law is not perfect. 1t does not aim
at the absolute prohibition of the
I liquor evil. But it is a long step in
that direction. 1t gives prohibition
in the rural districts and small toWns
where there is no police force to pro-
tect the people against the laWleSsness
of drunkenness. In towns under
police force. it allows a majority of
the voters to say whether they will
have distilleries grOg-shops, dispen-
saries or prohibition. This is the
greatest advance the temperance
cause has ever made in the State. But
wicked men want to reverse all this
They want to frame mischief by
law" and re-estabiish the curse of the
liquor traffic in all parts of the State.
If the enemies of the Watts law were
aiming to abolish it in order to estab-
lish a better temperance law, then
their work would be righteous, but to
overthrow it in order to establish G
general license law, is wicked in the
extreme. No lover of purity, pros
perity, morality, Christianity or
patriotism can support such a meas
ure.
"Shall the throne of iniquity have
fellowship with Thee?" (God.) The
asking of this question is the most
| positive and indignant denial. 1t
means No. God has no fellowship
with wicked lawmakers or wicked
| laws. The Watts law was intended
| for good. 1t was made by good men.
| 1t is good as far as it goes. It has
done untold good to the people. God
| is in fellowship with it as far as it is.
good and that is to a large extent.
| But God has no fellowship with those
who seek to abolish it. and put the