The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-07

| zeal defeat at their hands. Every man
| who threw himself in the breach in
| 1881. every man who has in his COM
munity sought TO curtail the power
of the still and the saloon, and every
man who has refused to accept the
dictation of men in league with the
whiskey interests. has FASTENED the
coming of that better day when the
active support OF the LIQUOR forces IN
nearly every community in North Car
olina is the greatest handicap for any
candidate for public office. BY his
firm stand i'm 1881 Mai. Robbins
helped to bring about this better day
Let brave men OF this decade sec to
| it that the snake now slumbering Is
never permitted again to insert its
poisonous fangs into our political af-
fairs In North Carolina.
The agitation OF the question of
whether it is right for a church TO
accept tainted money. or TO permit its
agents to do anything questionable to
obtain good money for good cause,
makes an action Of Mai. Robbins in
that respect worthy of comment at this
time. For generations the Robbins
family were staunch Methodists. His
fathers house was the home of the
Methodist circuit riders. and liv-
ing near Trinity College the faith
er was strong supporter of
DR.. Craven i'm the early days of the
struggles Of that useful college.
All the boys were Methodists and in
mature years became leaders in the
conferences of their church But
when the Southern Methodist church
failed to Indignantly repudiate the
Smith and Barbee scandal. by which
Senators voted the appropriation
because of false and decep-
tive statements Major Rob-
| bins at Statesvillc, and his brother.
| Hon. Frank c. Robbins. at Lexington.
withdrew from the Methodist church
| in conscientious protest AGAINST what
they deemed condoning a grave wrong
by leading church officials. The de-
| ception practlsed by Smith and Bar
bee was indefensible and the church
| ought promptly to have refused TO
accept the money obtained by inn
proper means. though 1t was honestly
| due. Thousands OF Methodists agree
i'm full with Maj. Robbins I'm condem-
nation Of that wrongful act who have
not felt called upon to withdraw from
the church. Indeed. it is to be said
regretfuly. there Is no church in
which some officials have not i'm their
zeal for money for good causes con-
dOned or overlooked wrong. To our
mind, that does not call upon any
man to withdraw from the church, but
Mai Robbins felt that he could con-
sistentiy pursue no other course when
| the money obtained by deception OF
church officials. remained I'm the cof-
| fers Of the church. He had gloried
that the Methodist church. born I'm
poverty. had not condoned wrong i'm
| order to obtain wealth. and the
| shock was so great that he felt that
he must regretfully sever connection
with his church. In view OF the fact
that every church has accepted tainted
money, It might be difficult for man
TO find one pure church. But that
| suggestion had no weight with Mai.
Robbins. He felt responsible only for
the wrongs done by his own church
officials, and he resolved to sever his
| connection. The point is this: he had
the courage TO follow his sincere con-
viction even thoukh it cut him off
! from the hottest associations Of his
| life. Who can estimate the damage
| the Smith and Barbee matter has done
to the Methodist church: the Rookie
| Teller gifts to Baptist churches: the
Morgan gifts to Episcopal churches:
and like gifts Of tainted money by
other monopolists to all Christian
| churches? The world has gone crazy
after money. The church Is the only
| hope If the tide can be stemmed If
It's officials are guilty OF questionable
acts TO get good money. or IL they
sanction or ccndone wrong in men
who have obtained money by Illegally
destroying their competitors. who viii
condemn the commcrcialism that puts
a price upon the most sacred things
| The only thing In life worth any
| thing when the end comes is to have
the consciousness Of having earnestly
striven to do the right as God gives "a
to see the right: to have resisted
temptations TO get gear by compro-
missing with wrong; to have courage
ously stood for whatsoever things are
good, no matter what the con8e-
quences. In 80 far as Major Robbins
measured up TO his eternal test Of
righteousness, his life Is an example
worthy Of emulation by the youth Of
this commonwealth.
|