The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-02
Why Fight the Saloon9
Nashville Christian Advocate. /,


Hon, George Thornburg, of Arkan-
sas, a lifelong temperance advocate
and prohibitionist. when asked il any
special event in his life caused him
70 engage in' tsae long and relentless
hight against the liquor traffic. answer
ed. es; there was in the death of
a bright young business man, a COM
rade OF mine. the event which brought
me face to face in my early manhood
with the destructive work of the sa-
loon, and l committed my life to it's
death"
No personal experience is necessary
70 put a man in arms against the
liquor traffic. IT is not even necessary
for him to make a profession of reli-
glon. 1t Is quite sufficient that he
recognizes his relation to his fellow
man to be such as to forbid the doing
OF anything that will work injury to
his character, person, or property
III he is truly religious, so much the
better These heaven inspired feel
ings drive him to fight the saloon: fer.
whether the saloon has ever done
him personal injury or not, it is the
enemy OF God and man, and one OF
the things included in the works of the
devil, which by his vow TO God and
the church he is bound to -renoanee
recall the experience of an old time
Methodist, well known in the middle
or the last century. Said this honest
oiu brother: Il was born poor and
| when old enough to begin life for my
| SELF had only fifty cents. | con-
Guided TO go into the business OF
Whiskey-making. l. went into it and
was successful. After following It
Tor few years I CHANGED to hear a
lecture on temperance. the first
ever heard. The lecturer was a man
or fine sense and reasoned well. He
convinced me thoroughly that nv
business was an injury to my fellow
man. / had never looked at il in
that light. Notwithstanding l Nas
not Christian at that time. 1 did
love my fellow man and would not
knowingly have done him an injury.
Ihe moment I was convinced OF the
harm my business was doing. | re-
solved to quit it. ! did quit and have
peen an enemy of the traffic ever
since"
What pity liquor makers and deal
ers and their friends do not see as did
that honest old man and give saloon
hghters credit for integrity and sin
they take for
granted that they are selfish and god :
less and brand them as busybodies,
meddlers and hypocrites Destitute
themselves of the refined feelings of
the true phiianthropist. with no con
cepton OF a Christians duty to God
ana the human race. they are wholly
incapable OF entering into sympathy
with those who would remove every
cause OF stumbling out of his broth :
ers way. Like certain idolaters of
old. they see their craft in danger and
t.. N
slams Indifferent to the fact that the
overthrow of Diana would bring in
the reign of Christ Friends of the
saloon seem not to know, or knowing.
40 not care. that the overthrow of
their business will give headway to
tne gospel and hasten the coming of
the Kingdom of God, If they do
know this, then, by every token are
they the worse. for they consciously
mold back the truth by unrighteous-
ness. Against such the@..wrath Of
God is revealed from heaven"
st. Paul long ago told us why bad
men hate everything that is good. He
revealed 1t in his general statement
concerning the moral character of
man in his natural state. We read it
in the first chapter OF his epistle to
the Romans. He Is specific in his first
letter To the Corinthians. The natu-
raj man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God; for they are fool
ishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spirit
ually discerned."
But because Christians live on a
plano that pufs~ them away and be-