The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-09-02
PEOPLES FORUM
A Reply to Brother Doiin.

Editor of The Virglnian:
Shiny dear Brother Doln | believe i
understand the Trinity, and / do not believe
that / did violence to the truth when ! used
the word it referring to the Spirit Of truth.
come, he will guide you into all truth"
Has it he come to YOU brother? And
am | left out as an unheliever? What is the
Spirit Of truth? What is the Guide and Com
forter. if not Gods word, the Bible? Jesus
said. My words, they are spirit. and they are
guide comfort life and light Now sir. If we
do not see the truth alike it Is not Gods fault
!, sir, believe it as l see it written haze
you have. and if I had do not doubt that
| would not believe everything l there
written Now, sir as regards your mocker
kind of wine. All intoxicating liquors are the
mocker kind. and very rotous the sys-
tenn whenever partaken of too freely. Excess
sivey means drinking to excess. ! the
plain, everyday meaning of the word and
rather think this right AND in accord with the
drunk old wine straghtWay desreth the new,
for he saith the old is better" Now, dear
reader do not stretch the truth to make 1t
mean what you would like, because there Is a
better way TO accomplish your desire.
And now. Brother Dolln. with your permits
sion will turn my attention to the liquor bust
ness. and am pleased to consider 1t with you
for a little while. About forty-dve years ago
began to take notice Of things I and
heard. remember in the county in which
lived the good people were building Good
Templars' lodges and would meet together once
a week to sing songs make speeches and take
up corrections, ana ali tnlS, to Curb the liquor
business. Liquor was very cheap good brandy
could be bought for soc per gallon and there
was not so much of it now; but 1T was de-
cided that something had to be done to break
II up, so it was decided to put men In office
who would make a law to put license upon
all distilled liquor. and this license has been
raised from time time until one would think
by only looking upon the surface Of the matter
that no one could go into the business and
make anything out OF the stuff But the stuff
increases, the business prospers more than ever,
And why? Because of the profit in it and the
great amount of money dumped into the treas
Ury from the sale OF it, All Of this goes to
make the poor more wretched and miserab Bile
and house them in novels not even decent
And now. reader, who Is responsible for this
state or affairs but the church and "the good
people? / wot not that they aid it through
ignorance, not being able to the final end.
which is not vet, but oh, people how long
Will YOU suffer this? You DO not seem OF see
that It matters not that whether the rich or
poor drink the liquor. Labor pays It all. Jesus
says Many will say unto me in that day.
Lord. have we not in thy name done many
wonderful works, yet will l profess unto them,
! Depart from me, l never knew YOU"
My brother you charge with trying to
keep alive the liquor business. You never made
= greater mistake, This profit system in the
liquor business this great business in liuuor,
was brought about by the very ones who are
now cursing it. Why blame a man who is in
business which you have helped to set up and
helped to make what II is today? on Church
{ OF God wherever YOU are Oh great Common
wealth of this great nation! how long before
you VIII undo the wrong you have done and
take from the backs of the poor the burden
which Is grinding them down into misery and
degradation and perditou?
Yes, brother your figures are quite large
Of the money raised to support the ministry and
are much larger today. We raise money to
educate men for the ministry; and do they
preach Jesus Christ and him cruCihed? A Saw
Jour of sinners do they know something
else? They go and preach. as 1t were, Jesus
divided against his own kingdom They preach
hard way into the kingdom of heaven by a
gate so straight and so nearly closed that a
sinner can hardly push through and a way
so straight it is like walking a tight-rope The
Church today has too many restrictions too
many must nots" for the man who would
come unto Christ. AS infant. he gets a view
for the straight gate and the narrow way that
Is preached to him and feels like the poor fell
low sing about in one OF Moody and San
keys books:
But my flesh Is weak. I tearfuliy said
And the way | cannot see;
l fear II try / will sadly fail
| will sadly fail,
And thus may dishonor thee"
The Church says a Christian must not take
social drink because men get drunk,
must not go to a social dance because a damsel
danced before very weak minded king and
he made a rash promise of which her wicked
I mother took the advantage must not play a
social game of cards because men gamble with
when, behold, there others so black that
these would pale into white mist before them.
Yes they make the way hard but Jesus did
not, saying, Come unto me, All We that labor
and are heavy laden, and VIII give you rest,
Take my yoke upon you and learn. of me- for
! am meek and lowly In heart. and you shall