The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1904-07-28
DISPENSARYADEADLYPOiSON
Baneful Effects of Towns and Cities
Becoming Liquor Dealers-The Hate
full Heresy that Warrants the "Do-
ing of Evil that Good May Come, a
Dangerous Doctrine.

Dangerous Doctrine.
Rev. w. A. Belts, pastor of the
Methodist Episcopal church at Pied
mont, S. c., sends the GOLD LEAF an
article written by himself, entitled as
above, which recently appeared in
the Charleston News and Courier, ac-
companied by the following note
which explains itself:
''EDIToR GOLD LEAF:-Apropos of
the late utterance OF the Ministerial
Conference published in your excel
lent paper and printed in the Raleigh
advocate, | enclose you a pertinent
statement that appeared in the Char
lesion News and Courier, which may
help some to see how the situation is
after ten years of its existence.
The article in question is appended:
1t goes without saying that as n
Commonwealth we are developing in
our educational corpus a most
wretched septic condition, morally
speaking, as a consequence of the in
fiuX of the dispensary profits. The
horrors of "blocd poisoning ordi-
narily make mortals wary lest there
be incubation of the virus, but in
the matter of morals men are strange
ly Indifferent to such possible peril.
Let us reflect that of all poisons the
most virulent and persistent are
those which obscurely. slowly, but
surely gain possession of the strong
holds of the circulation. Once the
blood is thus contaminated a terrific
battle for life ensues.
The fact that the educational in
terests of our State are financially
fostered by the fund arising from the
legalized sale of spirituous liquors
will necessarily cause the child mind
(whether of youth or adult to i'm
bibe the notion that the liquor traf
fic is not so great an evil after all.
Moreover, the insidious untruth will
invest the child heart, that after all
the drink habit cannot be SO hideous
as mothers and preachers have all
along declared. Such Infamous no.
tions will be irresistibly instilled into
the imagination of our confiding and
common folk, and by this unscrupu-
lous deception we destroy their faith
and future! May Heaven and man
hood forefend.
There is a well defined principle in
the code of political, 4Ocial and re-
ligious ethics admonishing us to "be-
ware of the Greeks bearing gifts.
Any profit of the dispensary or other
system of traffic in intoXicants, ac-
cruing to sopraisewOrthy an institu
tiOn as education, necessarily tends
to fasten that "sum of all villainies,' -
as Wesley styled it, upon our system
of government; and commits the
awful blasphemy of condoning that
which God condemns.
Can Christian people maintain their
integrity in the eyes of the world and
any reasonable hope of Heaven in
their hearts, except they deplore and
defeat the iniquitous methods-all
and singular-by which this monster
evil is perpetuated and nurtured in
our nation?
The hateful heresy that warrants
the ''doingcvil that good may come"
is fastening itself upon the public
mind and will certainly issue in ter
rible consequences ere long. Mas
querading under the guise of doing
good Satan succeeds in ensnaring the
largest number of victims BY this
covert method he has beguiled into
his satanic service a surprisingly
large number OF influential CO.
labOrers.
1t is refreshing to know that in
South Carolina two ecclesiastical as
semblies at least had the hardihood
lately to resolve that 1--WE deplore
and condemn the poisoning of the
fountain of learning fostered by the
State, in that profits arising from
the sale of intOxicants by the dispen-
sary are appropriated to the support
OF our common schools"
Our Lord when on earth positively
and persistently refused to receive
tribute or testimony from devils.
Surely His followers can do no less
and be guiltless. Until the liquor
traffic is utterl V Outlawed. as is mur-
der and kindred crimes, Christian cit
izens consenting must stand con
demned as individuals and collective
l.v at the bar of divine Justice