The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-07-06
TEN COMMANDMENTS
AND LIQUOR TRAFFIC
REV. w. A. COOPER INTERESTS
LARGE NUMBER IN STATE
WIDE FIGHT.
A SPLENDID SERMON
MEMBERS OF LOCAL sELF-GOv.
ERNMENT LEAGUE DIaLUDED,
PREACHER DECLARES.
FOUGHT LOCAL BILL.

An interested and enthusiastic audi
last night heard one of the best SER
mons ever preached In Richmond by
Rev. w. A. Cooper, who severely ar
raigned the liquor traffic and its
friends. the foes of humanity. In a
discussion Of the subject, The Ten
Commandments and the Liquor
Traffic" he brought out how the
liquor people were allowed to fight
from behind the protection offered by
respe ctable and upright citizens who
allowed themselves to be led astray
SO far rs to become the bulwark be-
hind which the liquor people hide.
He appealed to those self-styled
patrons of local selr-sovernment who
not so very long ago. by their in
fiuence and vote, encouraged the de-
feat in the Legislature OF the anti
shipping BILL which was purely local
Legislation. as 1t only prevented the
shipment into dry territory Of liquor.
after the people in a community had
declared with the ballot that they
did not want whiskey.
Rule On Stealing.
In the Commandments he picked
out several declarations which were
laid down by God as the rules to be
observed between man and man.
Thou shalt not steal" said Mr.
Cooper. is plainly stated as one OF
these rules which we are expected to
observe. and not only observe but help
in causing others to do the same thing
Now, If this Is true, it is certain that
the liquor traffic is daily stealing
health and happiness from many
American homes, and II we are to 90
our duty, then we must not only make
use of anything that would cause our
own loss of health and happiness, but
we must do all that We can TO help
prevent others from doing the same
thing, accordingly, We must vote TINS
state dry that the temptation will be
removed from the sight of our broth
ers as we'll as away from our own
door"
Thou shalt not kill" said Mr., Coop
err, rs another commandment which
we must abide by. To do this we
must not only never permit our hanos
to strike another with such force that
he might die, but We must not par =
ticipate in the sale Of drug, or liquor
Of any kind, II We know that, by slow
degrees. 1t is killing our fellow men
and women and children; 10 grant
others the privilege knowingly we also
become participants in the death
dealing distribution of poisons'
Righteous Upheaval.
Taking up the latter part of his
subject Mr.. Cooper went into dis
cusslon of the great night which is
on now In Virginia. until September.
when those who have done THAR duty
will rejoice in the successful outcome,
a righteous upheayal against the liquor
traffic In Virginia.
In speaking of the recently organized
focal Self Government association
Mr.. Cooper brought out the fact tina,
the same men who were now fighting
for a self-styled local self government
had taken this stand after first OPP
posing il when an issue In Virginia
Prohibition is now the issue and
they are for what they term local
self government. Many Of those who
fought for local option at a time when
the entire State was wet called al
I tention of the saloon forces that II they
| opposed local self-government that
+ prohi bition would soon supersede loca1
! option. This Will come true, said Mr.
/ Cooper, with the aid of the friends
! in the State of those who know the
| evils of the liquor traffic and oppose il