The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-08-07

to death. and 1 suppose such occur
rences were very rare, if they ever
happened at all, but no doubt, the
law served good purpose by pre-
venting parents from being negligent
They were not anxious to excuse
themselves by saying II can't"
Common sense ought to teach that
the drunkards are what the light of
the Eible shows them to be, selfish
criminals, instead of unfortunate VIC
Tins of drink, and that it is upon
themselves and not the liquor, they
bring the curse. When they appear
before the great judge who knows
the secrets of all hearts, such excuses
as, '"The accursed stuff which thou
gavest us deceived me-" or "The
dramseller beguiled me, and I did
drink" will not save them from the
inevitable punishment that awaits
them. There is nothing like punish
ing the drunkards that will also pun
ish the wicked dealer and the care
less parent with so little harm or in,
justice to any one else, therefore by
all means let us punish the drunkard
SO shall we put much evil away from
among us, and even the ignorant and
youthful shall hear and fear''
AS to the sin of putting the bottle
to the neighbor's mouth about which
the Smithville correspondent asked
some time ago. II he will read care
fully he will see that what is said in
the Scripture about 1t has no special
reference to either the liquor dealer
Or the drunkard, but to anyone who
will make his neighbor drunk that he
may take some undue advantage of
the drunken condition, and the words
used apply to any case. either literal
ly or in a figurative sense. for those
who will allow themselves to be made
drunk permit faults of mind and
character to be exposed of which
they should be ashamed. From what
Is said in the same chapter about
transgressing by wine, covetousness,
building towns with blood and estab.
fishing cities by 'iniquity, we know
that the prophet had in mind offen-
ders against society in general as we'll
as offenders against individuals. In
fact, the whole chapter seems
to apply to certain poll
ticians or the present day
who worship the things of this world
instead Of their Creator, especially,
those who seek by means of the bot
tie to take advantage of ignorance
and vice and thus assume a power
at the ballot box similar to that of
the president in congress or the gov
ernor in the legislature. They are the
greatest insult to- democracy that
can think Of. How democrats can
tolerate them for a moment I don't
know, but 1 do know that 1T was done
right here in this county at the pri-
mary election last year. I heard a
farmer say that when he went to the
election he was met by a stranger who
took him aside and offered to give
him drink Of liquor. This being de-
clined, he offered to help him fix his
object until the man with the bottle
stroked his pencil through the name
Of one OF two candidates for a GER
tain county office. He thought that
was the right name to stroke. but the
voter didn't think so, and that ticket
had to be thrown away. and the same
name was stroked on the second tick
ct by mistake" He forgot" and
stroked 1t again on the third ticket.
BY this time the voter decided he
didn't want to put fixed" ticket IN
the box, and insisted on voting with
out help. If he had taken drink
from that bottle he might not have
been able to see which name was
stroked with the pencil. However
the candidate for whom he voted was
beaten by a small majority. Now did
the bottle man succeed in making up
this majority by fixing" tickets and
buying votes with a drink Of liquor
and thus decide himself who should
have the office, or did he influence
more than enough and thereby si-
lence the voice Of the majority? Was
he there for some selfish purpose OF
his own, defaming the name Of a
good man, or was the candidate the
real bottle man? Just think what a
difference 1t would make If he sue
ceeded In fixing" and buying only
five votes at three places, three at