The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-07-12
attitude of Rsthodist Church.
o the Editor Of The State:

| -'"S'', arc not tHOSe nelQ Dy the
churches of our commonwealth.
so far as the Methodist denomina-
ton is concerned you are at direct va.
Rance, if the following paper in recent
years adopted by the Orangeburg and
Sumter district conference be taken
as testimony in the case. Speaking to
the resolutions at the time Of their
passage at Sumter, the late Rev.
DR.. y. A. Darby in his impressive
manner declared it to be the best
statement Of the attitude and duty of
the Methodist church he had ever
heard and gave to it his unqualified
endorsement.
Here is the paper as VIII ole:
1t is manifest to your committee
that among the agencies preventing
the reign of Christ in the hearts of
men none are more seductive and de.
structive than the drink habit and the
drink traffic.
Your committee believe that every
church member as a loyal and true
disciple of the Lord Jesus is by his
VOWS fully committed to total absti-
nence from the use of spirituous liquors
as beverage, and to faithful and
persistent effort in suppressing the
traffic. We are persuaded that if our
church members shall simply withhold
their patronage from these corrupting
devices of the devil, the SUCCESS of the
cause Of temperance will be largely
assured. But Christians are expected
to do more-to use all possible dis
cretion and pains to rescue their fell
low men from their appetite for intox-
icants and to remove from them the
temptation.
"The attitude Of the church toward
these iniquities can but be one Of per-
sistent and uncompromising hostility.
We therefore recommend the follow
ing as expressing the sincere senti-
ment of this district conference:
| "Resolved, That our laymen aud
pastors should unite in earnestly seek
log to win away from the drink hab-
it each and every one Of our mem
bcrs addicted in any degree to this
evil. And we recommend that to this
end our pastors make diligent person :
al inquiry Of our members concerning
their observance of that speoi6cati on
of our first general rule which for
bids drunkenness and drinking spirit
Hous liquors unless in cases of neces-
sity.'
"Resolved, That we urge superi n
tendents Of our Sunday schools to
give due prominence to the study of a
quarterly temperance lesson, whereby
to inculcate the principles Of sobriety
in the minds and hearts of our youth.
And we recommend the monthly or
occasional holding Of prayer meeting
for promoting the interests of the tenn
perance cause.
Resolved, That as conference we
deplore and condemn til action of our
State Legislature allowing the manu-
facture and sale of wine for beverage
purposes. We furthermore deplore
and condemn the poisoning of the
fountain of learning fostered by the
State, in that the profits arising from
the sale Of intoxioants by the dispen-
sary arc appropriated to the support
of our common schools.
Resolved, That as body we put
on record our conviction that the sale
of spiritueus liquors for beverage pur-
poses by any one is morally criminal
and cannot be in anywise condoned.
And that while the South Carolina
dispensary system has probably re-
duced drinking and drunkenness. we be.
lieve that it is reaching desirable
end by unlawful means, and therefore
| can receive neither Christian commen
dation nor support. We also insist
that national and State legislation
prohibiting the manufacture, importa,
ton and sale of spirituous liquors for
use as beverage is the only safe and
morally correct way Of dealing with
this monster iniquity."
Suffer word Of exortstion, Mr.. Ed.
itor, while the people are thinking on
this vital theme. 1;% Is, [
The fact that the educational in
terests of our State are financially.
fostered BY the fond arising from che
!egalized sale Of spirituous liquors,
will necessarily cause the child mind
whether youth or sdult) to iinbibs
the notion that the liquor traffic 10
not 60 great an evil after ell. More.
over, the insidious untruth will invest
the child heart, namely, that the drink