The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-11-27
The Press and Banner.
INSCRIPTIONS Sian ders.

The attack upon the good name of respect
able men and women who attend the State
ball seemed to be reneweda annually.
The impertinence of the act may be well
understood when 1t Is remembered that few
members OF the congregations whose preach
ers make vulgar attacks upon those who al
tend the ball, nave the necessary social stand
ing to be invited.
Vulgar attacks upon the people whose So
cial standing is such as to warrant the deslr-
ability Of their presence, is some evidence
that the assailor of virtue is an inscription
vulgarian who Is an improper person to be
admitted into good society-and, as a rule,
such vulgarian has received no invitation
hi defamer OF character by insinuation or
by innuendo, is a cowardly character assas-
sin who deserves the respect OF neither men
nor angels.
And the preacher who stands in his holy
pulpit to SANDER men and women who are
better than himself deserves the contempt OF
all respectable men and women.
The preacher is expected to raise men up,
and not to pull them down. II he is a worthy
minister OF the gospel he will defend female
honor.
It 10 nobody's business to destroy character,
or to ruin reputation, and when a minister SO
far forgets his calling as 10 abuse any body, II
is about time that he should lay aside his
priestly robes.
And this editor, speaking for himself
thinks that the pulpit Is desecrated when !,
is prostituted and made the platform for po-
litical %harangues. The clergy are command
ed to preach righteousness. temperance and
Judgment" but they are nowhere authorized
or required 10 drag their priestIy robes in the
mire and mud Of politics.
In view Of the vulgar attacks upon female
virtue, and In the presence OF the debase-
ment OF the sacred desk 10 discuss political
issues, 1t seems to us that the times have
changed, and that the pulpit in making In
situations. is lowering itself In the public es.
TEEN. Nothing but the arrogance Of a heart
that was devoid Of some OF the better i'm
pulses, would warrant q vulgarian in making
charges which 1t cannot sustain.
The State publishes the following:
THAT CHARGE OF DRUNKENNESS. The
Southern Christian advocate makes no apOl-
ogy for publishing last week an indictment
for drunkenness against the men and women
South Carolina Society. Nor does The South
ern Christian Advocate have the common
fairness to give Its readers q word OF The
States exposure Of the SANDER. But A. +.
Perkins, who sighed the scapdalous assault,
makes a pitiful attempt to excuse himself,
and then resorts to miserable insinuations
He did not (explains Perkins) intend to say
"positively" that the morning after the bail
there were many just as drunk as the negroes
who stole the first supply OF wine, but he in
tended to say doubtless, there were many"
Now If Mr.. Perkins bad established a reputa-
ton for moral pulchritude and we, seeing him
possessed Of q roll Of money, published a dec.
~faration that be had robbed a bank, would
Perkins feel satisfied II, when hauled before 9
court or the charge OF SANDER and criminal
libel, We explained that q positive" asser-
ton OF hts dishonesty was an inadvertence,
that we merely intended to say be had
"doubtless robbed a bank ?" The cases are
bubble is where Perkins asks If these gentle
men and ladies were not drunk, whether they
were half drunk or one-lhird drunk.
I'VE only intended to condemn dancing
and drinking. . We are commanded to
avoid even the appearance OF evil. A dis
patch was sent out announcing that q hurry
order for another supply Of State ball cham
payne was made. The appearance OF evil is
there"
And who is Perkins that hi should assume
the role OF moral mentor for men and wo.
men Who decreed dancing and drip K
an "evil7" And does Perkins practice what
he breaches when, 10 condemn what, with
the intolerance OF bigotry. he copcetvees 10 be
evil, he commits 8 crime against the laws OF
God and man? A case for criminal libel
would stapd against Perkins and the paper
that published bis letter II the participants
In the State ball cared TO prosecute.
We again quote q reference 10 the ball:
There was not 8 minister there, there was
not q person there to whom a person in need
Of instruction as to what they must do 10 be
saved would 60 to seek advice or get them to
pray for them. II there was, we retract all
we have said"
There Is no pretense that the State ball Ia q
religious revival: there is no pretense that q
great majority Of the participants do not
drink champagne. There is no hypocrisy.
A ball 10 a social affair; people do not 60
there TO seek obstruction as TO what they
must do to be saved" nor do we imagine that
TO be the absorbing question In Mr.. Perkins's
min when he carries q robust appetite 10 the
dinner table. But II there were not at that
ball men a"d women better Qualified a thou.
sand Time better qualified, TO guide Alright q
fatteripg brother or sister, TO mold strong
character, to define between right and wrong,
and 10 point the right way TO alienquirers-if
they, we say, are not better qualified TO do the
worlds good work than those that in the
name OF religion Violate truth, break laws,
and SANDER their fellows, then in double need
Of Heavens help are the ones seeking q guide
TO the way to be saved.