Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-03-05

who imagine that the enslayed race
has been elevated by freedom. They
do not know, or if they do will not adj
nit the truth. The jails and pen1tenti-
aries today hold in bondage and for
crime, a thousand black people to one
who suffered real hardships or COM
mitted crime when slavery existed, and
millions of them are lower in morals
than ever before. In that haven OF
emancipation, the city of Washington,
with population of one-third negroes
to two-thirds white, a thousand ne
groes to every one hundred whites are
held behind prison bars. This is done to
punish their transgressions, and save
the law abiding people from their saw
age and vicious atrocities. Here the
fanaticism of 1S61-5 reaps the fruits
of its labors. In other portions OF the
country the same character of whirl-
wind is gathered. But for fanaticism,
neither the rivers of blood which flow
ed from 1861 to 1865 would have had
their fountain, nor the attendant evils
of emancipation been heaped upon us.
Today we fear fanaticism is rearing
its head. Those who do not see it or
do not admit it, may themselves be
nearing it's verge, and may be swept
into the vortex, unless they have a
care. Fanatics grew mad. They could
burn, they could cruelty. If there be
be fanatics, now against whom is their
wrath kindled I? Against the man who
sell liquor. They possibly could con-
denim him to any punishment here,
and to any they imagine awaits sinners
hereafter. In this they feel they are
performing a religious duty and so set
are thew in this belief that no reason
will change them, or show them the
folly of their way. Slavery could have
been eradicated in a peaceful way we
have said. But no-fan aticism would
not permit it. The bloodhound was
fed on blood. Then he was unleashed.
The sale of liquors can be- eradicated
from the country more easily by peace
full than by revolutionary methods.
There will be no war growing out OF
the present fanaticism if such there is,
because there is no section arrayed
against another section. But there
will be strifes, there will be heated
political contests, there will be crimi-
nations and recriminations, there will
be families divided, and friends will
often turn to enemies. There will be
some bloodshed-not because there is
such difference of opinion as to pro-
hibition, but because of the various
modes adopted to bring it about. There
are many men far more sober, far more
moral than some of the present pro-
chalmers Of high morality, many men
who have not lain in the gutter
in drunken debauch, or graduated from
a Kelley institute, who will denounce
methods resorted to by those who have
taken it upon themselves to purify the
world by the removal Of temptation.
The plan of prohibition is to improve
on the plan Of the Almighty. Its ad-
vocatss will remove the Tree of Life
planted in our Garden Of Eden, and
keep the Adams and Ewes Of today Out
of temptation, and therefore sinless
Then all will be paradise. Men very
honest and very anxious to do good
know the task is too large for those
who have undertaken it, they only
wish they could accomplish their un
dertaking fully, but they know it is
impossible. Since the days OF Noah
wine has been drunk. At the feast Of
Canaan water was turned inro wine.
Failing to accomplish what they
plan, in the way they have laid out
they, the fanatics, will grow mad, al
I'VE have said, reason will desert them
wisdom will be disregarded, and at last
with them any end will justify any
means. Then does fanaticism get in
it's work, then will the bloodhound bt
fed blood and unleashed. For our part
we feel much safer in a nation drunl
with wine, than drunk with blood
The first has never occurred with us
the latter has. We hope reason may
prevail, we fear it will not.