The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-08-10
PROHIBITION AND SUNDAY
REST.

Anent a recent editorial O
the position of the church i
relation to the prohibition and SUI
day rest movements. the methods {
deduction and Interpretation woul
be amusing were they not quite s
pathetic in their extreme lack {
reason and logic.
There never was a time since His
tory began to be written when tn
religion Of the people, Tin anothe
term. the church,, did not have
6aTect controlling influence upon tn
morals and laws of the race. TIL
church is as much a part of societ
az is the business world, or theasa
loon world, and has as much RICH
to vote in defense of its rights al
principles as any other branch of SO
ciety.
The function of the church eve
has been and ever will be, If tn,
church is to do her duty to the race
to study and determine what is tn,
highest5right and good for the great
er number and to promote and edu
cate the race up to that standard.
AT all times the church has founc
1t necessary to invoke the aid. of the
law in the promotion of good and ir
the control Of a certain ir~responsi
bic element. whose only thought /.
self. There is nothing in the teach,
Ing Of the bible, or in the American
Constitution, that initiates ,agains,
such Invocation. The only law
against such a right has existed in
the minds of a class too shallow to
give considerate thought to the
whole duty of man.
The very name OF God presupposes
@ lawgiyer and the church must be
the mouthpiece here on earth of that
Lawgiver II 1t is to fulfil it's duty. The
idea that the church. and the pro-
mitigation of law, can be separate is
spreposterous almost to presumption.
The silly argument OF personal lib
erty which is lugged in by the ears
every time the subject of prohibition
is raised has no foundation in fact
whatever. In the very beginnings of
the race Cain raised the question be-
fore God in his attempt to excuse
himself for the murder of his brath-
erSby asking God: Am l my broth
er's Keeper" What is fundamental
" the principle involved in the
claims Of SO called, personal liberty?
AM my brothers keeper?, God
answered him as he answers today
every defender of this silly argu-
ment:s"The voice Of thy brothers
blood crieth unto me from the
ground" Law has answered, and
does 30 answer from that day to this
in the same thunderous voice. A
fundamental principle Of law is,
that aif we see another in danger of
losing life either through circum.
stance OF violence of another, or ev-
en- self inflicted, and we do not use
reasonable effort to save that life,
We I legally, as we'll as morally
responsible. And all law for the pro-
testion and benefit of the race is
based on moral, as well as legal
grounds, and the moral law has it's
basis in the Word of God, the uphold
ing of which is emphatically the duty
Of the church. Recently, because of,
q family row.. the 9mother-in-law OF
a mansthreatened suicide and follow
ed the threat by drinking the con-
tents of a bottle of carbolic acid in
his presence. The law has agreed
with the moral opinion Of the race
and sent this man to prison because
he failed to put into operation the in
herent law of brotherly love in his
failure to try to stop the deed. There
is no moral difference in a person
dying by quick suicide with carbolic
acid. and slow suicide by intoxicating
liquors. and the law has no right to
discriminate, nor the church member
2 right to evade his duty for any ex-
Christ has passed judgment
upon the servant that neglects.
The licensed saloon is filling poor
houses, insane asylumns. jails, pris-
suicide graves, and is indi-
rectly responsible for more crime
than any other institution in the
world and II the church has any duty
n all, at the present time. its great
dlaty is to assert It's prerogative as
61r brothers keeper. Whether a
plsIysaonr is 2 member OF a church or
Io,SaGod recognizes that person as
EAsgsseEcther Of the church member
u the bounden duty Of the