The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1907-07-11
"The Saloon AS Our
Enemy"


Subject of Paper Read by {. h.
Dixon Before the Methodist Pro-
testant Sunday-School Associa-
ton at Union Chapel Sunday,
June 3Oth, 1907.
The saloon is the enemy OF Hod.
Its forces are up in arms against tile
forces that stand for God ana 1or
RIGHT. It's very atmosphere reeks
with blasphemy. 1t makes a brute
of the being that God has created III
His own image and likeness. 1t De,
sfroya all the virtues, all hope, all
love towards God and reverence ior
God. Take man that IS reeiih2
under the influence OF strong drink
and he has no more rcverencefOr the
Church Of God than the very lowest
of beasts. 1t has only been ie"
DAVIS since ! witnessed a SIght thaC
was enough to make man S bloOd
run cold. Tire men stepped around
the corner OF one OF our churcfles III
Henderson and one of them delber-
oteIv drew bottle from his pocket,
the product of our dispensary, ana
each one OF them extracted as much
of the vile stuff from the bottle as
they could accommodate. SIMPLY
c;.rryiup on the work OF the devil
and using the Church oil tod AZ II
blind for their deeds.
You notice that said our dIspell-
sary. | am very sorry to have 10
say that, but every one oil us are
guilty. 1t belongs to every man,
woman and child i'll Vance county,
and we so often hear some say that
''the church people are running the
dizpensarv, and friends 1t Is me
truth that hurts. We have the
mower to run it as it is being run, or
we have the power to run IL out Oh
existence if We will. Oh, but some
will say. "whiskey will be sold ana we
had as we'll have the money to bnlld
us our roads and streets. True
enough we have some GOOD ROADS
and some nice streets and SIDEWALKS
ms u result of the dispensary, but as
We walk over these streets ana ROADS
We ourht to realize that we are
walking upon the immortal soul OF
some mother boy, We are gflllulhS
the hearts Of mothers beneath our
feet and trampling upon the bones OF
men and boys who have gone prema-
turclv to a drunkard's grave.
What then are we going to do with
the saloon? ! see no possible an
swer to this question except annlhl-
latiom. The only remedy Tor the
saloon is no saloon. 1t should be
entirely removed from civilization
for one OF the greatest reprOaches
that rests upon civilized lille today
in these United States is hepresence
OF this evil, and the r, cOgnltiOn OF 1t
by our government is one OF the
great blOts on our national honor
1t is one OF the things that makes 1t
necessary for Us to pause before we
say IA Christian nation. Can We
say that we are ii Christian nation
as long as we consent to this lnIqulty
by our silence? | ask you. can W,
do it,
The saloon is the enemy OF man
1t blOats his yisage, COrrupts hi
heart, weakens his will, sears hi
conscience, makes Il common SeWe
of the body that was intended 10
the indweling OF Gods Spirit, SENDS
I'm immortal soul renling into QUITE
darkness and leaves the man II fOu
smelling cesspOOl of corruption. AnC
the mind is no less than the bod,
wrecked by drink. The reason i
drthroned and the mind is seize'
with wild imaginatiOns, II man
friends becomes his enemies, hi
good becomes evil and the imperia
gilt of Almighty God, through tn
ruvages of drink, becomes the demo
that drives his soul to destruction
Still we stand still and see the saloo
keeper deal out the poison, the eI
SLAYER. the seducer, the degrade
that has been the curse OF nation
and individuals through all the Ion
centuries. In the course of time di'
ease has been disarmed by serum
and antitoXins, war has been amel
GRATED and made more mercifu
slavery is abolished, blindness an
deafness have been compelled to yiel
to science and education, heat an
cold have been robbed of their te
rOrs, the ocean has been detied al
even the air naVigated. but drinI
devellsh, destroying, damning drin
has never changed its hellish eife,
upon man. 1t is strange indeed bl
men know that drink will lead t
death as sure as leap from Magyar
still they permit the vile stuff I
pass the portals of their lips until
brushes out love for wife and childrt
and makes the father Il thing of tie
rOr, beast To be feared. POyert
and shame sit ut the tireside al
taunt the helpless ones. The brok,
heart, the hungry mouth and t
shiyering frame are badges of tn
home where the broth of hell HI
stolen away the honor of the lo
who reigns III beastly passion theI
Murder often creeps i'll and smit
heiplessness into the long sleep
death, and to many Il weary wOmi
today the only peace she hopes f
l. the soft embrace of the earth
couch where sleeps the dead, al
the children come forth from such
home damned by the cruel world
hear the sins OF their father.
The saloon is the enemy of Chur
A Henderson Printer NoLon