Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-02-05
IRONTON, MO-, THURSDAY, F
Men Not Fit for Personal Liberty.
ARCADIA, Mo-, January "a, 1920.

1ron CounIy heglsber-ln your e0-
itorials in the last two numbers you
insinuated that "Jesus The Christ"
would in all probability have been
opposed to prohibition. Itseems that
those who are not in favor of Prohibi-
tion are driven far indeed when they
try to defend Intoxicating liquor with
the Holy Bible, and even Jesus of
Nazareth. Jesus says, in st Mathew,
7th chapter 1s-19-20 verses, ga good
tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,
neither can corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down and cast into
the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall
know them"
To me those verses are an infallible
guide by which to know whether o
thing be of God or of evil. Some of
the fruits of Intoxicating liquor are:
Murders, insanity, poverty, prostitu-
ton, drunkenness, widows, orphans,
broken hearts, disgrace, disease and
premature death. The half has never
been told. Dear Reader, do you
think "The Holy One of God" is in
terceding with the Father to save the
liquor traffic from He'll? In st Mat
hew, 9th chapter, "a verse, Jesus says,
"No man can serve two masters: for.
either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the
one, and despise the other. Ye can
not serve God and mammon." If
there ever had been any real and last
ing good come of liquor, there might
possibly be some chance of an argu-
ment. You published a quotation in
last weeks REGISTER taken from
Isaiah in defence of wine. Sometimes
it is well to print the whole chapter
or even Book in quoting the Bible, as
an isolated verse is often misleading.
If you will read all of Isaiah you will
find he was not strong for wine. He
says in the 9th chapter, 22d verse,
"Woe unto them that are mighty to
drink wine, and men of strength to
mingle strong drink" I will quote
Solomon, also, who was considered
very wise in his day, and there are
many living at the present time who
believe in his wisdom. He says in
Proverbs, 23d chapter, 29-3O-31-32
verses, "Who hath woe? who hath
sorrow? who hath contentious? who
hath babbling? who hath wounds
without cause? who hath redness of
eyes? They that tarry long at the
wine; they that go to seek mixed
wine."
"Look not thou upon the wine when
it is red, wnen it giveth his colour in
his cup, when it moveth itself Alright.
At the last it bihteth like serpent,
and stingeth like an adder"
Also Proverbs, Goth chapter, 1st
verse, "Wine is q mocker, strong
drink is raging; and whosoever is
deceived thereby is not wise."
st Paul says, "Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good. Abstain
from all appearance of evil" Also
he says, "It is good neither to eat fat
flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything
whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is
offended or is made weak.n |,
"Destroy not him with thy meat for
whom Christ died.n
While I am writing I will try to j,
dispose of the "Personal Liberty"
Bugaboo. A great Statesman, and ,
one time President, said "That the |
average man is not capable of self ,
government" which is self evident ,
fact. Otherwise we would not need
so many laws to restrain him from !
harming his neighbor and himself"
David the Psalmist says of the right ,
eous man, "The law of God is in his !
heartu |,
st. Paul says, "If ye be led of the
spirit ye are not under the law"
The master says, "If ye continue in {
my word then are ye my disciples in I
deed; q
And ye shall know the truth, and I
The truth shall make you Free" {
Not many of US are qualified, do t
you think, for that sort OF "Personal
Liberty?" 1t is truly the only liberty u
hat would be safe for us. r
After Cain had killed Abel, The Lord il
Iaid unto Gain, Where is Abel thy i
,rother9", and he said. "I know not:
Am my brothers. keeper?n And he u
aid, "What hast thou done? The voice
II thy brothers. blood crieth unto me :,
rom the ground.n We are to q great
,xtent our brothers. keeper. st.
Paul says, "None of ne liveth to him.
elf and no man dieth to himself.''
All the misery, crime and bloodshed