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The Golden Age
(SUCCESSOR TO RELIGIOUS TORUN)
Published Ebery Thursday by the Golden £9ge Publishing
Company (Inc.)
OFFICES: LOWNDES IfUILDINQ. ATLANTA, GA.
Price: $2.00 a Year
Ministers $1.50 per Tear.
In eases of foreign address fifty cents should be added to cober
additional postage.
flake all remittances payable to The Golden Age Publishing Company.
WILLIXM V. UPSHAW, - - - - Editor
A. E. RAMS A UR, - - - Managing Editor
LEM. G. BROUGHTON - - - Pulpit Editor
Entered at the Post Office tn Atlanta, Ga„
as second-class matter.
< TRADE S
To the Public: The advertising columns of The
Golden Age will have an editorial conscience. No
advertisement will be accepted which we believe
would be hurtful to either the person or the purse
of our readers.
Caleb A. Ridley, of Live Oak, Fla., preacher, lec
turer, and author of “The Literature of Living,”
has come to Atlanta to supply for Dr. L. G. Brough
ton during the month of August. He is delighting
great crowds at the Tabernacle, where the aroma
of his minist’W last winter still abides.
«e
Proctor 's Plea.
Nothing that was spoken before the Legislative
committee on State Prohibition has lived in the
minds and hearts of lawmakers and other listeners
with more tenacious and wholesome effect than the
words of H. H. Proctor, the cultured and worthy
pastor of the Negro Congregational Church in At
lanta.
Those who know Proctor best believe in him
most as an honest, wise leader of his people. This
gave great weight to his words. In substance he
said: *
“I speak for two classes not yet heard before this
committee —the white women of Georgia and my
own race. Pass this Prohibition bill and you will
have sober servants, less crime and greater peace
between the races. I appeal to you white men in
your superior strength to give my people this law.
The ballot has well nigh fallen from my own hands.
The responsibility is on you, gentlemen of the Leg
islature. Take —I beseech you —take away from
my people this temptation that is debauching so
many of them. The best of my race, like the best
of yours, heartily favor this bill. But I plead for
those who, in sin and blindness, do not know their
needs. Gentlemen of the Georgia Legislature, I beg
you in God’s name to save my people from this ter
rible temptation.”
And when Proctor finished speaking strong men
were in tears.
"Tainted” Money.
Dr. W. L. Pickard, of Savannah, is sup
plying Dr. W. AV. Landrum’s pulpit in Atlanta dur
ing August, to the delight of overflowing congre
gations. The Atlanta papers had stated that Dr.
Pickard was Mr. Rockefeller’s pastor during his
ministry in Cleveland. This brought from Dr.
Pickard the following story and statement to his
congregation last Sunday morning:
“There were two Irishman talking,” said he.
“One of them asked: ‘What do they mean by this
tainted money they say the oil king’s giving away
to the churches?’ ‘Why, it’s tainted twice,’ said
the other Irishman. ‘’Tain’t mine and ’tain’r
yours. ’
“I have never had a dollar of Mr. Rockefeller’s
money,” continued Dr. Pickard, “except for church
and educational work, donated to the First Baptist
Church. I have known Mr. Rockefeller quite well
and for a long time and regard him as a good man,
much better than most of those that criticise him.
He is plain and unostentatious in private life and
charitable and benevolent to a large degree.
The Golden Age for August 8, 1907.
5? friendship Letter to Georgia Saloon Keepers.
Let me send to all of you and each of you the
greeting of honest friendship. And when I say
FRIENDSHIP that means that I am genuinely in
terested in everything that would make for your
greatest good. And it means more —it means what
friendship always means —a willingness to work
and, if need be, to suffer to bring to you anything
that your real welfare demands.
I have been thinking of you a great deal here
lately—a good many other people have —and now
that my dreams have come true and the thing for
which I worked hard has been accomplished and you
have actually been put out of business, my inner
heart —the best that’s in me —goes out to you in
deeper interest than ever before.
You know —you must know —that the vast ma
jority of the good people of Georgia whose united
efforts under God have brought this thing about,
have not wished you personal harm. They have
only been determined to take from your hand a
weapon with which you have been hurting their
homes and their children —yes, and hurting your
selves, your families and your souls!
Personally, I have never spoken harshly or un
kindly about you. Many of you know that when
this paper was started eighteen months ago, I an
nounced a truceless warfare against the liquor traf
fic, but I put at the masthead of that department
in The Golden Age this motto: “LOVE FOR THE
SALOONKEEPER, BUT DEATH TO THE SA
LOON!”
And now that that death has come, I hasten to
assure you that the first part of that motto still
abides. I love every saloonkeeper in this hour of
his disappointment more than ever before.
And now what are you going to do?
Some of you have been saying hard things —ac-
tually indulging in “cuss” words about those “fa
natical prohibitionists.” I wouldn’t do that any
more, my friends —it won’t do a bit of good. The
deed is done now —and what is more, you know that
the ravages of your business on the lives of de
bauched men and sorrowing women and children
brought this thing upon you.
Let’s look at it fairly and squarely. You know
that the saloon money which you have put into your
pocket has sent hundreds and thousands of men
staggering away —men young and old, white and
black —staggering toward a depleted and impover
ished manhood —staggering toward an empty purse
and an empty larder —staggering toward homes that
■were shrouded in fear and gloom, toward hearts
that were aching and bleeding and breaking —and
staggering at last into hopeless and everlasting
night!
This is no extreme picture. You have seen it
around you all these weary years. Doesn’t it seem
strange, when you come to think of it calmly, that
vou have deliberately engaged in such business so
long?
Now what are your plans? Going to Chatta
nooga? That will be a case of what the children
call playing “trouble for nothing”—for Knoxville
A Great Man ’s benediction.
We love to be loved. Who does not 1 ? And we
all be human enough to appreciate especially the
appreciation of those who are really great.
The heart of the Editor has been deeply touched
and greatly cheered and encouraged by a letter from
one of the great men of Christendom, Dr. R. J.
Willingham, who stands at the helm of the great
Foreign Mission work of the Southern Baptist Con
vention. A giant among men in body, in mind, in
heart, in sacred eloquence and in wonderful spir
itual power, he has wrought for “the spreading of
the Light” as few men of this generation. Worn
with these years of labor and anxiety he leaves
in September for a semi-rest, as he shall visit and
study the needs of Christian missionaries of all
denominations —giving the good cheer of his hand
clasp and “God bless you” to the lonely sentinels
on the outposts of our conquering and advancing
Christianity, Let thU Prince in Israel keep in his
has just gone dry, Tennessee is “nearly gone” and
Chattanooga is tottering on the verge of the preci
pice. Going to Birmingham or Montgomery? No
use. Alabama is stirred by Georgia’s example as
never before. The axe is laid at the root of the tree
and it is conceded that the whole state will go dry
in two years. And both of the Carolinas are un
sheathing their swords to drive out dispensaries,
blind tigers and every other form of the liquor traf
fic. Going to Florida? My, my! It is hot enough
down there now. Jacksonville, already overrun, is
trying to quarantine against Georgia barkeepers.
The first thing you know Florida will drive her sa
loons on one side into the Atlantic ocean and on the
other dump them into the Gulf of Mexico, and Mis
sissippi, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia and
even Kentucky are all getting ready to follow. It
does seem like, candidly speaking, that the awak
ened intelligence and conscience of the South, at
least, has determined to outlaw the saloon!
And the sensible thing to do it to recognize that
fact and fight it no longer. After all, there is a
better way. You know 7 it. The several millions of
dollars spent for liquor in Georgia every year will
be so much better spent if it goes to buy food and
clothes and furniture and homes,’supporting church
es and schools and at the same time laying up
something for a rainy day.
Let’s engage in a better business, boys! You wil!
be hnppiei yourselves and make other people hap
pier.
We do not want you to leave Atlanta or Augusta
or Macon or Savannah or Albany or Columbus. Just
stay where you are like men where your best neigh
bors will rejoice to help you build a new name for
yourselves and your families.
Valdosta saloons were closed two weeks ago. The
police records show 7 that there have been hitherto
thirty-live or forty arrests foi drunkenness and dis
orderlv conduct during this space of time. But
during the tw 7 o w 7 eeks since barrooms closed there
have been only three cases before the recorder’s
court —and they got drunk from whiskey that was
given to them by a saloonkeeper who had some left
over.
When you come to think of it, are you not really
glad that your friends whom you have hitherto
counted against you, have helped you to get out
of a business whose destruction makes such a change
for the better?
One of the Senators who helped vote you out of
business was at one time a saloonkeeper. But God
• helped him to see the better way and walk in it.
I know a man in Atlanta w 7 ho was a saloonkeeper
for many years. But he saw his sin, gave his heart
to God and is now a happy, useful Christian mar..
God bless you. By God’s help you can do the same.
If you think I could help you in any way, pleas?
let me know. I will come at midday or get up at
midnight to serve you.
Your Friend in Earnest,
William D. Upshaw,
Vice-President Anti-Saloon League of Georgia.
own great heart all through his long journey a good
measure of the reflex sunshine and inspiration which
he has given by sending this beautiful letter:
Mr. W. D. Upshaw, Atlanta, Ga.
Dear Brother Will: Your paper, The Golden
Age, comes every week, and I want to write and
thank you for getting out such a good paper to go
into the homes of our people. I rejoice in the strong
note you sound for temperance and righteousness.
I want also to tell you that I enjoy reading your ed
itorials —those things which you write yourself. You
have a vigorous, hopeful style that is strengthening
and helpful. I do not know whether I will have a
chance to see you before I sail for the foreign fields,
September 10, but I feel it in my heart to let you
know that I appreciate what you are doing forth 3
good of humanity. The Lord is using you greatly.
Your life is an inspiration to many others. May
the Lord strengthen and bless you in every way.
Yours with love, R. J, Willingham.
Richmond, Va., July 20, 1907,