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


billties Of Manhood and Woman
hood.
40 the Editor of The Daily Item:
Truly there Is right and wrons
side to the prohibition question. arG
\ Il is a good thing to be able to know
rather than TO think We know. that
we are on the right side. Now ]
would like to know by what authority
your Smithviile correspondent calls
intoxicating liquors "accursed stuff"
The scriptures teach that God gave
Intoxicating liquor as blessing, ard
IN them Is found promise to his
Hpeople to bless their wine. This prom
lee has been abundantly fulfilled,
How then can Christians call 1t az
curssds And why does he call 80
devoutly on all Christians to pray to
the God of heaven. without ceasing.
for His help to remove that which lie
P,has seen nt to bestow upon mankind
Of God and the eioquence of His word
and wish for the wisdom and elo-
ouence Of q heather philosopher that
he might so forth and plead with the
people to do thing which does not
asree with the teachings Of the Bi-
BILE? Suppose that II Ia the whisley
that drass men and boys down TO
perdition; how does II distinguish
between the men and boys and me
women and girls. and why does 1t
drag the one down and leave tho 9TH
or. Let the friends Of q respectable
young man Of q good family find MIN
helplessly drunk on the street. they
would take him up and take care of
him. the liquor, and the liquor dealer
would be blamed more than he and
II be never cid SO any more some
Hpeopie would look upon him as being
quite q hero. II his sister were to be
found In such q condition II would
bring overwhelming shame upon her
self and ner whole Family. She will
not indulge her appetite for intoxicat-
ing liquors no matter how much she
| may like the taste of them.
The working man may leave his
homo IN the morning. well and atle
TO do his work. and be brought back
In the evening helpless with drink and
lie Will Le put to bed, coffee maze II
kill the effect OF the liquor and every
thing done that can be to relieve him,
Hand this or the like OF this may be re-
peated time and again until there is no
coffee to make. no bed to put him in
and no home to carry him to. and he
will not be blamed SO much. 1t Is
tho Iiousr or the liquor dealer that
does II. But just let this same man
! 60 out 70 his work In the morning,
and leave his wife well and able to
attend to all her household duties
and return In the evening to find his
house In disorder. his meal unpre-
pared. his children neglected and his
wife Unconscious with drink. what
\ would be the consequence? Don't
tell me that In every case II Is be-
cause she can't get the liquor or don't
like the taste of IL that she does not
set drunk. She don't dare to do IT..
II her husband would allow 1t she
would not bring upon herself such
overwhelming ruin. II the poor,
Reminded" women can escape
the grasp OF the "accursed stuff'' by
the exercise of will power and self
control. Why can't the men and boys
escape by the same means? God
does not require impossibilities of
men. and that 81. Paul wrote. "be not
drunk with wine." Is sufficient proof
khat II Ia a matter OF mans own
choice. whether he is a drunkard or
not. And that those who teach total
abstinence piece together the words
OF Scripture to make such sayings as
Touch not. taste not. handle not. the
accursed stun" or "the unclean thing"
is proof that there is nothing I'm the
Scriptures to support their doctrine.
Like those doctrines of the Jews
about the washing Of pots and cups
and eating with unwashen hands
II Ia doctrine Of men. Prohibition
looks much like rejecting the COM
mandment Of God. to punish the
drunkard. that We may keep this
commandment Of men. Unclean and
accursed are words often found in
the Scriptures. but not once is either
one used there with the least refer
ence to wine or strong drink "Touch
not. taste not. handle not" Is from the