The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-01-17
WHO is RESPONSIBLE FOR
CRIMES CAUSED BY LIQUOR?

Lodge, S. c., January 10 1913.
Editor Union Times:
On recent business trip I came
in contact with man who said it was
his business to sell liquors to local
illicit dealers. AS a matter of course
he did not know me nor what my bus
lness in life is, or he would not have
told me so much about his business
What he wanted to learn was what
the prospect for his kind of trade
there might be in little town not
a hundred miles from where l live.
After giving him the very limited in
formation had concerning the place
l then told him what my profession
is. This, itself, was a sufficient ac-
cusation so he began at once to de-
fend his business. 1t was very
wordy defence, very illogical and
very inadequate. His defense with
full justice to all he said, was about
like this:
1. The criminality and the sin of
the drink habit rests entirely upon
those who drink, and the manufac-
turers, and dealers are without guilt
in the matter.
2. The world is in it for the dol
lar, only poverty is a crime, therefore
he would make it his business to
make money. This means, when
properly understood, that whatever
principle prevails is right, even
though that principle, according to
the highest moral code, be wrong. To
further substantiate his position he
said that the government made whis-
key or permitted it to be made and
therefore it must be right to sell it.
Note the logic! "Whatever the gov
ernment does or permits to be done
is right" The statement of such ar
gument is its best refutation. When
asked him the question, eff you had
a son, would you advise him to en-
gage in the same business that you
are engaged in?" he gave me no an
swer. He then informed me that this
was his definition of life, and that he
expected to live accordingly. This
incident, though rather insignificant,
set me to thinking. This man, of
course, is one of the many who have
a similar conception of life. To what
extent do principles like the above
prevail in the business world? l am
not pessimist. l do believe that
there are tens of thousands of bust
ness men whose lives judged by the
highest moral standard would be
without reproach. Yet it must be ad-
mitted that there are too many whose
conception of life is like the pirate
mentioned above.
Christianity is not merely a reli-
gion of sentiment. 1t teaches the
highest code of morals known to the
race and demands the strictest ad-
herence to this code. It's purpose is
to pervade and transform all life, and
lift it up to the highest moral plane.
All that men do, whether in business,
or in the matter of creating and ad-
ministering government, is alike
amenable to Gods sublime moral law
Crime is a matter of cause and effect.
Whoever consciously sets in motion
causes that end in crime, is blame
worthy, and must answer sooner or
later for what he has done. Every
crime is elimination of processes.
The cause may be very remote from
the consumation. For instance,
murder is committed. We will say
that liquor was the cause. The liquor
was made by somebody, it was sold
by somebody, it was used by some
body, but back of all this there is
a cause, viz: the public sentiment
that permitted it to be done. The
great public mind remains unmoved
while such crimes are being perpe-
trated. Persistent and intelligent
agitation is needed to arouse and di-
rect public sentiment so that the peo-
pie may not be victimized by selfish
ness. We do not need the socialism
that has been justly condemned, but
we do need the kind of spirit that
would forbid us to take any kind Of
step in business, or otherwise, that
would conflict with the rights of 9TH
ers or jeopardize society. There are
many interests which proceed in this
way, but chief among them all is the
liquor business. This is not only un-
lawful in it's character and methods,
but as a destructive force it is chief
among them all. 1t holds it's mailed