The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-21
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
Primitive Baptists' Attitude.

To the Editor of The Age-Herald.
 If you will allow me I will preface my correspondence by explaining to those who may read my letters that l am what is called a Primitive Baptist preach CT or minister, and have been a citizen of the state since 1S77-a pure Georgian by birth but an Alabamian by marriage of one of her beautiful, noble daugh- ters-a sister of ex-Chief Justice Mullin. have once been identified with what are styled Missionary Baptists, and when l became so enlightened as to see and know of the many departures from primi- tive practice in religion, l laid 1t down and became identified with the Primi- tive Baptists in 1880, since which time I have been constantly engaged in minis terial work after a gospel pattern, hay- ing traveled in nearly every state in the union and extending my labor into Can ada: having resided in the city of New York seven years; having preached as nearly as 25O times in one year and trav- eled those years as high as 1000 miles each year. I have never been in politics
 except once; then I declined to run for representative in Lee county. I have lived in Birmingham the last six years: Opelika 12 years; Alabama City one year, and in Montgomery one year; have al-
 ways voted the democratic ticket. have never been called on as I now feel to be to oppose the drastic ungodly meas
 ure proposed to be saddled on old glori-
 ous Alabama; nor can I stand by and
 see our fair constitution raped, and keep
 my pen still and my mouth closed. No, a thousand times mo-
 am taught by the only true teacher
 whom l honor and revere, to whom 1 am
 subject, Jesus, my Lord and Master. "To
 render unto Caesar the things that are | Caeser's and unto God the things which
 are Gods" l have had too much respect
 for the pulpit to turn it into a political
 stage, when there and among my flock. | l am and have been determined to
 know nothing among them save Jesus
 Christ and Him crucifed.'' My own flock
 which l serve will bear me up and wit ness the truth I am a sober. temperate
 man, and my book teaches me that tenn l perance and not prohibition Is the fruit 1 of the spirit of God. So, when pro- ! fessed religionists are looking to that
 source I am here to tell them that it is l vain thing. I would further suggest ! that the Lord had rebuked some who l had "forsaken him, the fountain of living waters and hewn out cisterns which could ! hold no water-prohibition. It will never go down to posterity that I ever was so fanatical as to surrender my free dom and cast a vote which would ruin
 my state. I am in for the fight. and I
 have such high esteem for our dear fair 1 ladies of Alabama that I would not ask
 one of them to go out on the streets and l try to influence one vote, although l know | I am on the right side of the question. l Let our devoted wives and daughters go 1 to the closet and there implore God to
 smile upon us and give us the victory for
 right. truth and true government. From l what prohibition now demands we know
 1t is all wrong. warp and filling. Stand | fast in the liberty and freedom for which
 our forefathers fought. Let the glorious 1 eagle be the emblem of our government.
 If we have reason to believe that corrupt l money is used to further this drastic | measure say so, and many things have been resorted to back up a weak and
 doubtful cause.
 | I would further say that in this fight 1 am not hireling: never received sal | ary as preacher. because my principles | forbid it. but faith in the God I served
 stayed me In trying times and I can say l I have not lacked a support In all these 29 years in the ministry. My needs have
 been supplied and l still trust faithful ] God to supply my needs. l have received | unexpected donations from the rich and the poor "The issues of life and death | are with God" the Kings heart is in the | hand of the Lord; hidden riches of secret 1 places are his. l have been made to say | I will trust Him though he slay me-" My
 next letter will be scriptural reasons fol
 my position. Yours for truth. liberty
 temperance of the true variety and good
 povernment ELDER w. LIVELY.
 Birmingham, September 20, 1909.
 Findinq a Pole and Reaching a Limit To the Editor of The Age Herald.