The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-07-15
MIR. RANKIN SPEAKS
OUT ON THE lSSU f.
Pastor OF First Presbyterian Church Says
to Outlaw the WhiSkey Traffic
Is Best Solution.

Rev. c. f. Rankin, of the First Pres
byterian church preached y sermon Sun
day morning on christian Influence, "
from the text from the Sermon on the
Mount" Matt. 5: IL, eye are the salt
of the earth" In this sermon ne un-
dertook to show what Christians saw
ing influence should be, in his four-fold
sphere, - In the home. In the world
(SOcial and buSiness.) 8 In the State.
In the Church.
Under the third head he endeavorcd
to show what Il Christians duties as a
citizen were: calling attention that if
the evils which threaten our political
and civic life were to be overcome, good
men must not shirk their civic duties as
is too often done. They must be willing
to take their place in positions of trust
when their country calls; they must 90
to the primaries and to the polls, and
make their influence felt and not leave
political matters to self seeking and
wire pulling politicians as is so often
done. In this connection the speaker
reminded them that it was pertinent
Just now to see that the right men were
chosen to represent us in positions of
trust, and dwclt at some length on the
qualifications that Jcthro laid down for
Moses in his choice for Judges: (scc
Exodus lS: 2D calling attention that
the Scripture qualifications here laid
down apply today in our choice of men,
which are: Ability, Piety, Men of Truth,
Clean Honest Men. 1t was i'm this con
nectlon that Mr.. Rankin said in sub
stance:
Just here let me say, that have
been requested to say a word about the
question of the dspensary- the issue
that IS now before our community. |
feel that it is not necessary for me to
explain the position Of the Presbyterian
church or Presbyterian minister on Il
great moral issue like the whSicy QucS
ton. But have no hcstancy in stat
ing my position, if men want to know
where | stand. And what | shall say
on this subject is not said in the personal
interest of any candidate or set Of can
didatcs, nor against the personal inter
est of any candidate or set of candidates,
but it has sole reference to the great
moral question that lies back of it all.
! am broad enough to sec how there are
men, and good men, who have honest
differences of opinion as to the best way
to deal with the whiskcy evil There
are good men who think the best way
to handle the whiskcy traffic is by high
license saloons. They prefer this they
say to blind tigers. A few years ago
my own father in an issue i'm nv native
town voted for saloons, as against dis
pcnSary or prohibition, because he
thought this the best way to deal with
the liquor question. ! thought at the
time he was wrong, and told him so,
and | am glad today he thinks as | do
for he is a prohibitionist. In that same
campaign all the ministers of the city
and the church people took an active
part for the dispcnsary against the sa-
loon. thought they were wrong, but
these were good men and thought they
were doing Gods service. Since then
they have swept saloon and diSpcnSalV
from the city Of Greensboro
For years my conviction has been
that the best thing to do with whskcy
is to outlaw it. And if have a vote
in South Carolina, shall cast that vote
against the dispcnsary. And it seems
to me when we consider the great evil
that whiskey is working in our land,
this ought to be the position Of every
Christian. think our town would be
a better and cleaner town if we did not
have the dispcnsary here. Late ycstcr-
day afternoon, my own little children
came home from across the town, and
cXcitcdly told me of how they had seen
a drunken man fall out Of Il buggy, and
how another was sitting down on the
sidewalk drinking out Of bottle, and
how another had gone in and lain down
on some ones front porch. Are these
the sort OF things we want our little
children to see ON our streets? NV
brethren, we want to keep such scenes
as that from our little children, and We
want to make the streets Of Laurcns
safe for our wives and our children to
go upon them at any time"
Mr. and Mrs Ipr Snnon of T,rkg