The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-10
Which of These Will
Legislature Believe?
A SHARP CONTRAST
On the One Hand an Earnest, Simple.
minded Preacher: on the 0iner
the Forces of the Liquor Trat-
fc. An Unequal Battle and
The Parties Thereto.

WnIch except Tor It's 0lStllcl1eS would
as yet be dependent alone upon the
casual notice of it's ambitious name
fOr public recognition has sunk, TO i
great extent, into the more vital one
Of Il reputation as yet untouched now
brougt forward upon The rack of ac-
cusiEg tongues.
in the little Methodist church at
Advance there is a young preacher,
man of aScetic face and Spiruelle Wis
ion, whose every utterancc bespeakS an
humble spirit, and the glance of whose
eye is that of q, Self-deprecatory sin
cerity. This young man is one who
vent to the university, who graduated.
who had of his cWn tho means 10 be
independent who was fitted by train
ing and by association for any aveIile
Of success in life 10 which he might
aspire. But he was one of those rare
ones favored of fortune, who put out
upon the sea If self-sacrficing helpful
less who swallowed his personalities
of fortune for a sentiment, who, hear
ing a call III the stiffness of the night.
followed a path which he streWed win
natural ambitions, and with young
hopes He became a Methodist preach
or. He did not seek for place. He went
ready to go where he was sent, care
less of place or of power, following
the voice which was within MIN.
This man went TO Advance. He saw
there a town which was ridden by the
manufactures of liquor a small COM
munity dependent, almost for its very
breath to the smoke of the distilleries,
which asSailcd his nostrilS like the
plague, and TO his prophets mind
seemed as the clouds Of the dcStruc-
ton of the people over whom ne had
been sent TO guard. Re marked Tie
course of the liquor traffic in this lum-
BILE little place. He saw its proceeds IN
part flowing into his own church; ne
preached morning after morning TO
congregations who felt that their lives
We're dependent upon the one really
profitable business in the place; he
saw children going to school which
held Il distillery as its sponsor; he saw
in the midst of the town running its
length through the streets, the SER
pent of the highest evil and the deep
est despair.
All this was the testimony of this
young man with the clear cut, ascetic
face and the limpid eye of truth. He
told a tale of d place which was DOM
mated by liquor. of men afraid 10 open
their mouths, to exert their man-good,
20 speak the things they saw or testify
to them All this he did upon his own
the sake of the duty which had placed
him at Advance.
In IL modest way Mr.. Curtis is like
unto the "rich young man" in the Bib
lical parable, with the important ex-
ception that he did not go away sor-
rowing. Mr.. Curtis followed, instead
Of returning; and having gone upon
his way his faith was militant in
stead of passive. No one doubted Nj.
- t.,,, sc
doubt until Tuesday when the distill-
ers of Advance threW themselves in
force upon the Legislature.
They made A strong contrast these
distillerS, TO the young preacher with
the uplift in his face. They were
heavy set men. with the indefinible
look of materialistic prosperity about
themselves and about their dress They
sat in the witness chair with heavy
boots planted firmly on the floor. typi-
cal of the way in which they had
stamped their town with their person
atty. There was directness about
them that was not unadmira bic if not
attractive. They had the way and the
air and the look of men who were ac-
customed to beat their way, to pirate OF
justice and rights, to trust in a mighty
fist and the divinity of winning a way
with never a. backward glance at tine
men, speaking as those who knew that
they would be supported. The town
was at their backs, and they smiled as
the affidavits were read. 1t was 2
notable triumph, the reading of those
aflidaVitS, the endorsement which they
got from their fellow citizens at the ex-
pense of a simple preacher talking in
an obscure church against their bust
ness. They felt and they looked that
IL, c,I+ l1,t tais I,
rack.
The aflidavits came in, pouring one
over the other, q petition, signed by q
majority of the town; able attorneys
examined the big-footed, big-handed
men who ran the distilleres making
the most of what they had 10 say, di-
recting their talk into smooth and tell
ing channels, letting it be known what
they had done, how much paint on this
school house, how nucn money to-
that church.
Occasionally rference was made to-
Mr. Curtis. The distillers had been
either schooled or they were wise asI
well as strong men. There was no
heat in their contradictions of the
young preacher. They spoke calmly.
as who would tolerantly wave away
and ignore. 1t was a subtle pose,
The attorneys spoke of the virtues
OF theSe dlStlllerS; lncy, 100, patteu tn9
preacher as it We're on the back with a
Kind of cruel charity. with a CALLING
condescension. And at the end they
threw down their mass Of aliidavits
they pointed with pride TO their clients
whose eyes twinkled beneath the heavy
tufts of red skin at the praise and
they asked. inferentially, if not in
words of direct question: Whom will
you believer
That is the question which it has
come to the Legislature TO decide
whom?
The clean-cut, delicate featured
man, with the passion of ideals un-
cIcuded in his eyes; who speaks as one
who knows and who one feels would
be torn apart before he would retract;
who has flown in the face of COM