Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-03-28

bined in the penal institutions of New
York have n just ground of complaint
against their State. Most of them
doubtless are weak men, and they have
been tempted through their weakness by
the alluring devices of the saloon keep
ers.
Now. it may be said that when liquor
is sold TO a man the buyer is as blame
worthy as the seller. and in a sense this
may be true; but the appetite for drink
may become a disease and we can not
Justly say that the man who coldly
tempts his neighbor to drink is no more
blameworthy than the weak man who
succumbs to such a temptation. The
sin of the saloonkeeper is cold-blooded
covetOusness, while the fault of his vic
time Is burning passion which almost
dethTones reason. The two can not be
justly classified together and treated
alike. But as a matter of fact, when
the civil government licenses saloons
and arrests. drunken men, a discrimina-
ton is made in favor of cold-blooded
cOvetOusness, as against a tempting and
wavering weakness. No State or city
should arrest dTunkards II il license
drinking places In licensing such es-
adjustments the civil government be-
comes a participant in all the disorders
which issue from them.
- All this I steadfastly believe, and,
Hence. 1 am ., prohibitionist, always
have been, and always expect TO be. But
while am a prohibitionist of the most
pronounced type, / can not exclude from
my eiew a phase of the subject which
some prohibitionists overlook. 1t is
this: Men who call for prohibition to
save themselves from drunkenness are
in danger of supposing that they can
never be sober men without State aid.
SUCH a notion impairs their sense of
responsibility and blunts all conscious
ness of personal guilt, from which alone
a true repentance can spring. 1t is to
be feared that while the agitation for
prohibition has done much good, it has
incidentally induced not a few men to
postpone the living of lives of sobriety
until the civil government helps them
TO reform.
Now, every drinking man should un-
derstand that he can quit drink if he
will, and. that he need not wait foy
state aid to enable him to practice tenn
perance il he will only rely upon the
assistance Of Divine grace and by this
heavenly help resolve to be a man. We
have laws against stealing, and these
laws doubtless prevent a great deal OF
theft; but the veriest thief could turn
from his thievishness and live an honest
life even If there were no such laws
Men must not wait for reform statutes
TO enable them to work out their own
personal reformation; and we do such
men harm when, by inconsiderate ap-
peals for better laws, we lead them tc
believe that they are not responsible
for their own sins.
Ts -. h., h,
for temperance reform in recent years
has become a bit one-sided. 1t has been
exclusively confined to prohibition. and
has left out. of account, personal refor-
nation. There are ministers of the Cos.
pei who have made the cause of prohi-
bition a hobby to the exclusion from
their consideration of the saving power
OF the gospel to redeem drunkards from
intemperance. The cause of prohibition
can never be made most successful il
this way. Temperance reform must not
be One-sided. 1t must look TO the re-
form of laws. and il must also loob
10 the reform of individuals by the
power OF Divine grace. Otherwise, man.
men may be encouraged 10 adopt the
false notion that sobriety is not TO b,
pTacticed unless it is made easy: am
that intemperance is not very blamewor-
thy as long as there are open saloons.
II is fatal to morality to assume and
proclaim that virtue is impossible unless
an inclined plane is erected upon which
Il is to move. The path of virtue is
often steep and uneven, and its ruggel
heights must be reached by every soul
Notwithstanding the strenuous struggle
required TO make the ascent. Jesus
taught us that the way Of righteousness
= a narrow way. and that entrance upon
II is through a strait gate. Wherefore
lie exhOrted men to agonize that they
might enter this strait gate and walk
firmly in this narrow way.
There is not a word in his teaching
which iustifies any human soul in be
Iieving that amy and all Christian graces
adverse circumstances. And all the en-
amples of holy living which are record
ed in the Bible show us that virtue IS
POSSIBLE under all circumstances. Daniel
was pr8yerful despite the threat of be-
ing cast into the den of lions. and tho
three Hebrew children refused to wor-
ship idols. although they were fore
warned Of the fiery furnace which await
cd their refusal In the same heroice
faith all men who would live worthy lives
must withstand all temptation. they
must stand uprightly without props of
my sort Let them be thankful IL the
citil laws encourage virtue; but let them
resolve 10 he virtuous with or without
the support Of governmental statutes.