The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-07-27
PROHIBITION. CHURCH AND
STATE.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. NTT0EGI- e34h aE
The prohibition movement has
saralsed the question whether a man
sof Christian convictions might cas-,
his vote to license the sale of intox-
sssicating liquors without being there
subiectedsto the censure and dis
cipline of his church. Prohibition
sists VIII answer with an emphatic
No They hold all church bodies
hound to fan In line and do all they
carssto suppress the use Of intoxi.
cents. Many Of the leaders have not
shtNesitated to denounce pastors and
churches refusing to support the
prohibition cause as prophets of i'm.
morality and societies Of inebriates
II 4 sssIls an oportune time to con-
sssidersasthe question now that we are
not In the midst Of a heated Gam
S1paign.
The fundamental principle OF the
prohibitionists forbidding all use Of
vine and intoxicants can only be
upheld t~heologically by the peculiar
gprccsss of substituting the terms
grape-juice'' and water" for the
term vine IN several bible pa
sssagsss. This Is contrary to the rules
sof INTERPRETATION: Perform the same
operiaationAon ouch passages as Prov.
s3s.sisorPtbv.zO 10, j. and we obtain
AM absurd intunctions: Look not
Sthou upon the grape-juIcse, ''sssWater
a. st9smockerss'ss
Aside from this principle the pro-
hi6lition movement iszbased on a mis-
'sconeeption OF the proper functions
scfI tlh,eachurch and OF the functions
ofssSthe state. The church should
sconcern itself with its own members.
8Ifs@ttsssown members are guilty of
laxitylI the church may properly dis
Scipline = exclude them, but it is
saot thesbusiness Of church to pre-
acfibe laws for and to discipline the
caitiiSenls Of state. That is the
business 81 the civil government. Nor
shouldssstate legislationb be controlled
hy religious organization and framed
aacecgNrrding 70 their religious concep-
stionSSof right and wrong. The duty
81 the municipal powers is merely to
preserrsescutward peace and order In
th,escommunity. It il not to make
peoplss good BY legislation. And In
passings laws and as~certaining andes 5
stahlishing the boundaries of right
ssnd wrong y must not be guided by
aSEeligtous code of moral rules but
simply by the natural law written In
mans heart. The state should en-
force only that as right and prohibit
only that as wrong, which every man
might srecognize as right or wrong
Sw.ithout the aidtof the bible or writ
ten commandments. And with these
natural rights and wrongs the state
should: only deal in SO far as is nee
sessary to maintain outward peace and
order. These are the limits to the
power OF the church and the state as
NTzNH4E
required by nature, as set forth in
thesabible. as declared for by our con-
stttution. And8it is not only the right
but the duty of every Christian to
uphold this constitutional separation
of church and state.
l accordance with these principles
the state should indeed prohibit the
abuse OF intoxicating liquors, for
that tenls to create disorder and dis
turbs the peace. But the state
should not Interfere with the proper
ise The law of nature does not
make It a wrong to use in~toxicants.
The state may regulate the liquor
5trafhc, that is necessary to maintain
order: It should be regulated in the
best possible way. And il a Christ
ianSSis convinced that the licensed
Is the best method thus far
uncovered he is at liberty to vote
that way. His church would do
wrong to interfere with. him, what
ever Its tenets. When a citizen goes
osthe polls he should cast his vote
not to advance the purpose of his
church but to achieve the end and
purpose OF civil government, merely
e q preserve outward peace and or
der = In his estimation it is better
have saloons than to have the
habitual Etopers congregate in alleys
nd barns where they can not be con-
Erplled. he may vote in the saloon
lnSd AZ should not censured for do
sss !
s Sss.ss personally not In favor of :
. lsssssl.lot,1 Nor are we In favor Of
,s sglll!s.ttap,'. We condemn the abuse .
a tgxEieesaating LIQUORS but not the :
lserstsssln moderate use. The franz q
,elsss sppnstitution wisely provid- I