The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-19

The offense of The State for Whlcn
this summary punishment is lmpos-
ed. lies in assuming that the Rev.
Noward Lee Jones, D. D.. pastor or
the Citadel Square Baptist church OF
Charleston, a prohibitionist. is con-
.scientious in preferIfng the regal
sale of whiskey in Charleston to the
aggravated debauchery Of five hun
dred blind tigers; and in contending
that DR.. Jones, knowing his course
would be condemned by those ror
whose opinions he has regard. exhib-
tied moral courage in declaring him
self.
sYour paper is free" says MT.
Cave, "and you are at liberty to DO
as YOU like" Evidently the views
of our lost subscriber touching jour-
nalism are somewhat circumscribed.
The State is not plaything. and it
has a serious part to perform.
Likes and "dislikes" must harmo-
nize with convictions if they are to
have expression. When The State
commented upon the attitude of DR..
Jones it was not considering its
sslikes" or "dislikes." Its position
is that matter appeared to be
square, and honest, and broad. but
The State knew quite well it. would
ihave been polite to take another
saosition. We could have easily
pleased Mr.. Cave. and thousands
like him. But The State is not pub
Iaished to be polite. .
Speaking about freedom. how free
is MT. Cave? There Is no freedom
tfnasiavery and MIR. Caye>is easlayed.
He knows not the exhilaration of un-
chained thought; he can not go
abroad into fields OF tolerance: a
fanaticism that shrivels the soul is
his unrelenting and insistant task
suaster. MIR. Cave parts company
with The State because he can not
endure that we ahould regard. as sin
cere a preacher who says that. be-
tween the county dispensaries and
the blind tigers in Charleston he re-
CARDS the dispensaries as the, lesser
evil! Assuming to take moral
stand. in Christ's name. the spirit
exhibited of arrogance and intoier-
ance is that of Christ's cruciiers.
We sympathize with Mr.. Cave.
He needs The State. He will miss
us from his midst. 1t would have
been our pleasure, and South Caro-
Elina's profit, to have led him. step
by step out of the shadows Of injus-
tice, and bigotry, into that state OF
citizenship where it is observed that
all questions have at least two sides,
and where it is conceded that the
fellow on the other side is not neces-
sary deserving of hanging. without
trial.
And yet we, Of this place and
time, are disposded to sling stones at
Massachusetts Puritans. who. sever
al centuries ago, were inclined TO
believe in witches, and to burn them.
Here is that self same spirit eXuding
from South Carolina's cavernous
DEPTHS. It is the spirit of the In
uuisition, too. 1t denies freedom
of speech, freedom of thought. free
do. moi conscience. In tho Dark
Ages one frequently had to embrace.
at least in word form. the religion
OF the man at the wheel or he brok-
en- upon the wheel. And in these al
legged enlightened times. and in an
alleged Christian State. we have q
Rev. B. Lacy Hoge likening the
Rev. DR.. Jones to Benedict Arnold,
himself prohibitionist, considered
it would be harmful to the cause OF
j.. prohibition, and an encouragement
to lawlessness, to vote for prohibit
:: ion in Charleston; and we have MI
Cave of Olar cutting himself off from
an exponent of truth. temperance,
liberty, justice, and Democracy. be-
: cause The State dare conceive DR..
Jones the right Of conscience.
If Cave. Hoge & Co. possessed ehe
power and the wheel. how the; iiv-
! ing human bones would crack!