The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-02-21
THE BIBLE AND LIQUOR
PAPER sELE-coNv1cTED

The BIBLE AND LIQUOR
PAPER sELE-coNVIcTE1
In a recent issue of The Herald
appeared the following little edito-
rial squib:
is the little journal pub
lish at Louisville called Our
Country really a liquor organ,
as has been alleged and sur
missed. or-is it,"
To this Our Country makes a
rather voluminous reply, covering
about half of its editorial page. II
does not attempt to really deny the
soft impeachment, but rather offers
various reasons TO support its stand
in the matter. After stating that
Our Country is strictly a farm pa
per, devoted to the interests of the
farmers of Kentucky and other
States il says:
As it happens, the editor Of
this paper made very careful
study OF the liquor problem,
extending over a period of
years, and we feel it our duty
TO protest against prohibition.
We believe that prohibition is
wrong, because its object is to
prevent the use Of alcoholic
beverages, and we believe that
; the teaching that prohibition
is in accord with the Flple' is
wholly wrong and misleading.
So far as The Heralds question is
concerned, it seems to be answered
right there. A journal that openly
and frequently protests against
prohibition" would seem TO need no
other distinction or tag to align 1t
with the liquor interests. Continu-
ing, the editor of Our Country says:
We have read the Bible from
cover to cover and have foHnd
that the Bible Is in favor of
temperance and that 1t pro-
nounces woe upon the drunk
ard. but nowhere have we
found anything that can be
construed as in favor of the
non-use of alcoholic beverages,
except upon special and we'll
defined occasions which have
no application to the average
citizen.
The legalized traffic Of liquor was
not known when any part OF the
Bible was written. but the whole
trend of it's teachings is against the
use of intoxicants. We defy the ed
itorNf Our Country to quote us one
single passage of Scripture that IA
yors the legalizing of saloons or the
general use of liquor as an intoxi-
cant. and that is all it is used for
nowadays-the effect. There is not
one man in 1000 who drinks liquor
at all who does not at times become
drunk. In fact, that is the main
element of liquor-the intoxicating
effect. If it did not cause intoxi-
cation in a greater or less degree,
nobody would care for II, or acquire
the habit of drinking it. Over and
over again does the Bible warn
against the use Of liquor, including
that famous passage, the first verse
of the goth chapter Of Proverbs:
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is
raging, and whosoever is deceived
thereby is not wise" The editor of
Our Country seems to have over
looked this familiar quotation when
he read his Bible from cover to
cover" for he says, after doing so.
nowhere have we found anything
that can be contrued as in favor of
the non-use of alcoholic beverages, "
and the above quotation does not
apply to any special and well-de-
fined occasions" but is general.
Plainly speaking it'sPRoHIBITION.
Equally strong in denunciation OF
drinking is the ! tn verse OF the 9Th
chapter of Isaiah; Woe unto them
that rise up early in the morning,
that they may follow strong drink;
that continue until night, till wine
infame them!" Did our brother
editor miss that passage also?
Nothing said there about temper
ance" or "1ntemperance." In both
these passages the warning is TO
LET 1T ALONE.
The Bible is full OF such warn
ings In fact NOWHERE In the