Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1908-04-08
WA1soN's LETTER CRITICISED,
A Correspondent Expresses His Thoughts
in Regard to the Above EpistIe.

meeting in Salisbury, we were a
little fearful that they might get
up something that would have
some weight about t but when we
read the proceedings we found it
was a clear failure. The greetings
had a few DIS in it; and the
leading argument was that some
one had saved a life with the con-
tents of his flask. In our opin-
ion, this man who had come to the
point of death, had got there
through strong drink. If we
would have had prohibition, this
man might not have been SO Sc
riously ill. Let us have prohibi-
ton to avoid all such cases.
We are sorry to learn that our
good friend, the mayor of Sails
bury, has accepted the chairman
ship Of the anti-prohibition fac
ton of the county; but glad to
know that he is going to handle
the subject SO mildly. We feel
sure that he is treading on holy
ground, and should be careful not
to fight against God.
The Watson letter is a strong
argument in favor of prohibition;
because a man of his ability could
have gotten mp some plausible
arguments in favor of whiskey if
there has been any. Instead of
this, he brings out some strong
points on our side; some of
which we had not thought Of; we
are thankful for the light. Let
us notice a few of his points and
see.
When blockade distilleries SUBJ
sided, schoolhouses and churches
took their place. This is the very
thing we are working for, and if
the cessation of blockade distil-
%leries will do so much what
will be done along this line if all
the licensed d%istillerles and sa-
looms are blotted out? Is not this
an argument against his side of
the question? When he says in
toxicants have have multiplied
and replenished the earth, We
think he has made mistake, I'M
less he means that part called
graveyards. .
If the General Assembly had
passed this bill straight through
there might have been some
grounds for complaint of our
rights, but as 1t is now, every
voter has the right to cast his
ballot for prohibition.
We are glad to know that he
refers to Sacred Writ, and gives
us a few words of Lemuel's in
struction.
The passages to which he refers
are found in Prov. 81: 4, 6, and 7.
but we are sorry he left out eth
verse. This is a part of Lemuel's
lesson on chastity and temperance.
The verses are as follows,
4th verse, It is not for kings, O
Lemuel, it is otfor kings to drink
wine, nor for princes strong
drink;
9th. Lest they drink, and forget
the law, and pervert the judgment
of any of the afflicted.
9th verse, Give strong drink
unto him that is ready to perish,
and wine unto those that be of a
heavy heart.
7th verse. Let him drink, and
forget his poverty, remember his
misery more.
Now the most wecan make out of
this in favor of whiskey is the use
of it as a medicine in special cases
cases of absolute necessity. But
the opinion of some of our theolo-
gians is that this has reference to
cases Of execution to mitigate the
suffering of crucifxion, as in the
case of our Saviour when they
gave Him vinegar. Certainly this
Is anothe~ strong argument in
favor of prohibition. But we are
not just ready to say why he left
out the 9th verse of Lemuel's in
struction; we are not willing to say
that he would willingly intend to
swerve from the truth, and th.re-
fore must say it may have been
an oversight.
He favors keeping the Bengal
Tiger in the cage, and that is