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i Hi: ATLANTA ADVANCE.
Vol I.
THE CRITICS ANSWERED.
Doctor Hawthorne Scores the Rum
Sellers.
Methodn of the the Nnloon Ues Proof
Positive of His Former Statements—
t oon Meat in n Fulling Market—
A (wlorious Talk from Prohi
bition’s Champion.
[Stenographically Reported by H. M. Nicholes].
At the Gospel Temperance, Meeting
held in Trinity M. E. Church under
the auspices of the 1890 Club, last Sun
day afternoon, Dr. Hawthorne ad
dressed the meeting in the following
manner:
I haw no prepared speech, but before
coming to this meeting I jotted down
a few points wjjfch I deem it important
to make. /
We are confronted, my friends, with
a great-gfi], and as men professing to
love virtue and truth and country and
religionand God, we ask those who are
grapplitig with the question—what to
do with the evil ? I have no respect
for any man’s virtue; I have no respect
for any man’s patriotism; I have no re
spect for any man’s religion, who does
not feel the responsibility of helping to
solve the liquor problem. What shall
we do with the giant evil ?
The doctrine of devils is that we have
no right to interfere with the evil.
When Christ went into the country of
the Gadarenes, bordering on the sea of
Tiberius, he found there a poor man
possessed with devils, foaming with
rage, and gashing himself against the
sharp, rugged stones of the place of
tombs; and as he approached the tor
tured creature, the devils within him
cried out, “ What have we to do with
Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High
God? Art Thou come to destroy us be
fore the time ?” This was the devils’
protest. The meaning oFft was, “We
have nothing to do with you; you have
no right to do anything with us. You
attend to your business, and we will
attend to ours. It is your business to
make men good, it is our business to
make them bad. It is your business
to bless them, it is our business to
curse them. Let us respect each other’s
rights, and not tresspass upon each
other’s domain?
That is the doctrine of devils, and
that is the doctrine of the saloon keep
ers.
But the Son of God did not accept
this doctrine; he claimed the divine
and the eternal right to interpose for
the emancipation of this poor, tor
tured man. His mission in the world
was to destroy the works of the Devil;
and he instantly commanded these in
fernal spirits to come out of the man;
and they obeyed; and he sat down at
the feet of his Divine Deliver, clothed
and in his right mind, and then, in
obedience to the Divine Authority,
went back to his home and country,
and told what great things the Lord
had done for aim.
My friends, since Jesus has left the
world, we are His representatives;
and we bear a commission from Him
to do justas He did while He was in the
flesh —to destroy the works of the
Devil. I know that there is a distinc
tion to be made between the s-atantic
possession in our Lord’s day and the
satanic possession in this day, but in
effect they arc substantially the same,
and our great work is to make war
against evil spirits.
Paul said “We tight not against
flesh and blood, but against powers
and principalities and spiritual wick
edness in high places.” The meaning
of that, as applied to the subject we
have in hand, is that our fight is not
simply with these human vipers which
we call beer soakers, or saloon keepers,
or doggery keepers, or bung starters,
whatever we may call them; but that
it is with the principalities, and the
powers, and the infernal spirits who
stand behind them, and inspire them
to this destructive work.
Paul went out out on this business
of fighting the Devil, and he got him
self into serious trouble. At Phillipi,
he found a poor woman possessed of a
spirit of divination, who brought her
masters great gain by her soothsaying
—a poor creature, tortured in mind and
soul and body by an infernal spirit:
and she followed the apostle and his
companions, crying out “Theseare the
servants of the most High God”; and,
THE OFFICIAL ORGAIV OF THE 1890 CLUB.
annoyed by her continual crying, they
turned upon her and cast out the evil
spirit. The result was, that her
masters, who had lost everything by
the operation of this miracle wrought
upon her, were enraged with the
apostles; and carried them before the
magistrates, ami had them publicly
whipped, and then securely imprisoned.
We are engaged in the same business;
the same business in which Christ was
engaged, the same business in which
the apostles were engaged. Our great
mission in this world is to destroy the
works of the Devil. But it is a very
hazardous business; some of us have
found it so; and the man, who has the
backbone and the nerve and the con
science to do it as it ought to be done,
will plunge himself into a sea of trou
ble. Why they all brand us as agita
tors and fanatics and cranks. That is
what they did for Christ. They said
He was beside Himself: they said He
had a devil; and that He cast out
devils by the chief of devils. That is
what they said about Paul. Festus said
that he was mad; an.d the Jews and
Greeks said he was beside himself.
That is what they say about me; and
that is what they will say about you,
my beloved brother, (turning to Rev.
S. R. Belk, who had just preceded
him); that is what they say about
all of us. They say we are fanatics,
and cranks, and mad-caps. But they
don’t stop there; they lie about us.
That is what they tried to do with
Christ. They tried to inveigle him
into trouble with the civil government;
just as they tried last week to inveigle
me into a dispute with our honorable
Police Commissioners. They tried to
get Him to say something against the
government, that they might report it
to Herod, and Herod report it to
Caesar; and though He protested again
and again that His kingdom was not of
this world but was essentially a
spiritual kingdom, they charged Him
with organizing a kingdom in opposi
tion to Rome. They hid the same
thing for Paul; they said he was a
pestilent fellow, excited tumult and
riot, and taught customs which he
knew were not lawful for Romans to
observe. And the Lord only knows
what they haven’t said about me. Why,
if all they have said about me were
true, I would deserve to hang on a
gallows a hundred feet higher than
Haman ever hung on. But I au still
living, thank God; and by His bless
ing, I expect to fight them a few
days longer. (Cries of Amen.)
But they don’t stop at lying: they
sometimes resort to personal violence.
They arrested Christ; spat upon him;
scourged Him; they nailed Him to a
Roman cross and crucified Him be
tween two thieves. They did the same
thing to Paul. They arrested him;
gave him forty stripes, save one;
thrust him into prison; stoned him;
threw him into a ring of wild beast;
and they finally put him to death on a
Roman cross. And they are still
engaged in the same business. It has
not been long since they put to death
young Gambrell of Misssissippi, one of
the noblest, bravest aud truest spirits
that ever engaged in this great work.
And that is what they are doing in
Texas. A drunken mayor in a Texas
town assaulted Sam Jones for preach
ing against intemperance; but I am
happy to say, that in this instance, the
devil got the worst of it, (laughter).
If Sam Jones has preserved that cane
which he wrested from tha hands of
the aforesaid mayor and which he ap
plied to the back of the aforesaid
mayor, he should keep it as a sacred
relic. It will go down to posterity as
memorable as the old staff of Jacob,
with which he blessed his children; or
the rod of Aaron, which budded; or
the rod with which Moses divided
the Red Sea. If some manufacturer
can get hold of that cane and duplicate
it I think there is not a man on this
continent who needs a cane or expects
to need a cane in an emergency like
that which confronted Sam Jones, who
will not have a duplicate of it, (laugh
ter).
I repeat that our mission is to cast
out devils, and to destroy the works of
the devil. But men’object. One class
objects because they are making money
out of the devil just as those men at
Phillipi were making money out of
that poor woman who was possessed of
that infernal spirit of divination.
Their money is in it; their fine horses
and fine housesand jewels are in itj
there is everything in it which appeals
to a man’s sensual need. There is
ATLANTA, GA., FEBRUARY 14, 1891.
money in it and for that reason alone,
they object to our interference with it.
They care not for the moral questions
involved: they care not how much it
afflicts home and society and govern
ment and church; they eare not for
these things; it is t simply enough for
them to know that there is money in
it.
Another class object; because the ex
citement of turningout the devil af
fects the value of their property. One
of the richest men in this town says,
“Yes, I belive in the principle of Prohi
bition; I acknowledge the reality and
the magnitude of all these evils; but I
am opposed to another campaign be
cause it affects values-—it depresses the
the real estate market.” They are
afraid it will hurt AIA ca’s precious
dirt. r
Another class obje? bec.au e the
whiskey devil helps them to get into
office. A man becomes a candidate
for office; he must have money; if he
hasn’t it, he must ger it from some
quarter; and these whiskey rings are
always ready to enter into an under
standing with the office seeker to pay
all the expenses of the < ampaign if he
agrees that if he only gets the office he
will administer it in the interest of
their business.
Now, my friends, there is but one way
of dealing with an admitted evil—but
one way; and that Js God’s way.
God’s way is not to regulate it, protect
it, foster it; but to prohibit to outlaw it,
that is God’s way. God Says, “Thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord,
thy God in vain.” Gpd says, “Thou
shalt not bear false witness, “Thou
shalt not steal;” God says, “Thou shalt
not commit adultery”; God says, “Thou
shalt not kill.” When did God Al
mighty ever’legalize, or foster or at
tempt to regulate anything which is
an acknowledged evil and curse?
Search all the records of the world;
look back over God’s administration of
His people and His ( hurch, and tell
me where there is a ..*”gle instance
that God Almighty ever legalized,
protected, fostered or regulated it.
Now, every human government
should be based on the eternal distinc
tions which God Almighjty makes be
tween right and wrong. (Ameft) Ev
ery human government should be
paterned after the Divine. No human
government should be administered
upon a principle which violates the
Divine commandment -No one willc on
trovert that proposition; and God’s
priciple in reference to all evil ’is not
to protect it; not to legalize it; but to
prohibit it; to outlaw it.
Is the liquor traffic a curse ? Is it
needful that 1 should discuss that
question ? Is the liquor traffic a curse?
I am.a great admirer of our recorder.
He is a man of wonderful discernment
for his age; there is a bright future for
him; and I am indebted to him—and
the world is indebted to him—for the
most appropriate name that was ever
given to a dirty doggery. His illus
trious predecessor made himself famous
in his administrtionof the office by mak
ing himself a terror to evil doers; but
the present youthful Recorder will go
down into history as the man who has
given this crusade against the traffic
the best and most appropriate name
for the doggery. He says, that the bar
room is a “sore on the body politic”—
a sore. Now, what did he have in his
mind’s eye when he chose that word ?
Not one of these little pimples; not a
fester; not a gum-boil: but one of
these great ugly carbuncles (Laughter)
full of mattei - , alive all through and
through with animalculae, germs,
bacteria, gangrene, maggots, bugs,
lizzards, snakes, alligators, crocodiles!
(Laughter renewed) A sore—a run
ning sore, from which proceed lying,
adultery, fornication, theft, arson,
burglary, murder—everything—every
thing which hell has upon her voca
bulary of abominations. Is it a curse?
Why, who is it debates that question
in this day when all legislation upon
the subject is based upon the assump
tion that it is a curse ? Why should
we discuss that question when all the
decisions of the courts in references to
it are based upon the assumption that
it is a curse ? Why should we discuss
it when these courts have decided
again and again that four-fifths of the
crimes which afflict the American
civilization to-day are tracable to this
bar-room curse.
A enrse! Who is that man that I
see yonder, grappling with all manner
of imaginary horrors —seeing worms in
his flesh —vipers in his bed—pools of
blood on the floor—robbers at the win
dow—daggers at his throat —hobgolins
and devils everywhere? It is the man
who has been wrecked for time and
eternity by this doggery keepers’ busi
ness. Who is that woman that 1 see
yonder, in faded and tattered gar
ments, standing on that bridge which
spans a noble river, holding in her
arms a half starved, half frozen, dying
child—wondering if there is not
some place down beneath those rolling
waters in v/iich she may have relief
from a broken and aching heart? >! is
the wife of the man who has been
cursed for time and eternity this
doggery-keepers’ business. Go out
into that dark alley—stop before that
broken window —look in—what do you
see?—limbing but darkness: But lis
ten—“Oh God! pity us: Oh God ! pity us
Mr ma is dead; Papa don’t come Irmie
any more : Oh God : what shall we uo?
Oh God! pity us.” What is it crying
in the darkness? It is the starving
child of the man who was damned by
the doggery-keepers’ business.
A curse—a running sore—What shwll
we do with the old running sore?
Over here on Broad street, there is
manufactured a medicine Ger
rnateur; and it is a very good medi
cine—it has had a very happy effect on
me. It is a very pleasant drink—very
pleasant; but I am satisfied that noth
ing of that sort will reach this case —
the case of the oldjsore and rank oldjcar
buncle. What is needed is Prohibition
—a cauteriser which will burn down
to the very roots. Just such an appli
cation made in every case as was made
when they found 60 indictments
against a fellow for selling whiskey to
the students of Darmouth college,when
they fined him eight thousand dollars,
and sent him to the penitentiary for
sixty-eight years, (laughter). That is
the way I would do all such fellows;
and when we get Prohibition, that is
the way we will do them. He’s regula
ted (renewed laughter).
How shall we deal vi*!’ tbi j curse.?
I repeat it—just as God deals with it.
Prohibit it, outlaw it. Our present
system, everybody know, is not God’s
plan. This iicense regulating system
is not God’s plan; everybody knows
that. That is the Devil’s plan. It is
the plan of the men who owned that
crazy woman at that is, to
hold on to the curse, regulate it, and
make money mft of it. Regulation is
the devil’s poimy; his friends and sup
porters are all in favor of it. Who is
in favor of the regulation system ?
There is not a distiller in this country
that is not in favor of it; there is not
a brewer in the land that is not in
favor of it; and every bar-keeper in
the wide world, and gambler, or harlot,
or thief on this broad continent of
ours—there is not one who is not in
favor of this regulation system. There
is nothing that the devil likes so well
as regulation, because he knows it is
easy enough for him to defeat the
whole regulation business.
lam opposed to regulation for two
reasons. The first is, because it is
wrong. It is opposed to God’s whole
government, and it is enough for me
to know that it is wrong—opposed to
God’s will—to oppose it with all the
life in me.
lam opposed to it in the second
place, because regulation does not
regulate. They say Prohibition in
Atlanta did not prohibit. 1 say that
Prohibition prohibits a thousand times
better than regulation regulates it.
How has regulation abated this evil ?
Here is a specimen of it. In the month
of January, 1887, that Prohibition mill
ennium period—we had 60 cases of
drunks before the Police Court; in the
month of January 1891, under the
regulation system, we have 260 cases
of drunks before the Police Court. 60
to 260, a gain of 200. Now, that is all
the argument that an honest man
wants —60 and 260. In 1887, under the
millennium reign of Prohibition, we
had 1040 cases of drunks before the
Police Court; in 1890, under the regu
lation system, we had 3500 cases.
There is the difference—Jo4o and 35(H).
What is the logical conclusion ? Is it
not a demonstration of the truth that
Prohibition prohibits incomparably
better than regulation regulates ?
These whiskey men were tha fullest
men of promises when they were try
ing to open the doors once more to the
dirty doggeries that I ever knew. I
remember talking with the leaders of
them, and they said, “Oh, sir, if you
just let them back, we will put them
back in a little small place; we won’t
let hem follow up the lire limits even
(laughter); and there is no possible
contingency that can ever .arise that
will let them outside the tire limits.”
How is it today ? Seven dirty dogger
ies outside the tire limits, and 22 dirty
beer saloons, that are not any better
than the whiskey shops, if not a little
worse. They say “We will regulate it by
not letting minors have any.” They
are so piously concerned for the dear
boys. They should not have one drop
for love or money. My friends, last
week a poor heart-broken mother —
one of the most cultured ami noblest
women wh<> lives on Peachtree street
—came to me, with her heart bleeding
and her eyes weeping almost tea. s of
blo< d, to tell n.e that she was' under toe
ing necessity c’ g 'tirg a
policeman to go into an Atlanta bar
room and bring out lier 18 year old
boy. And yet, they say, I make an
unfounded assertion when I say that
they violate this regulation.
A gentleman whose law office is on
Peachtree street, said, “I have stood at
my window and counted not less than
fifty minors in one day go into one
bar-room.” In one day! and yet they
say, “Oh, you are doing the dear dog
geries an injustice; you are indulging
in unfounded assertions.” *
Regulate it! regulate it! They said,
these whiskey men said,“we believe in
religlion, we believe in God,s ordi
nances, we believe in the holy Sabbath;
you just let us have this thing in hand
and you will see such a protection of
God’s day that’you never saw before.
Nodram shall be sold on Sunday”and
when I said the other day that liquor
could be gotten in the bar-rooms on
Sunday, I lighted a magazine; and I
thought I was going to be blown as
high as the room. What ! get liquor
from a bar-room on Sunday? But my
friends, since we started t hat evidence
mill over here at Prohibition Head
quarters, there has been an ominous
silence. The evidence mil! has been
grinding, just liv«« days. I sent .
up to the Constitution what it turned
out in thirty minutes; and I have not
heard from the Constitution since,
(laughter).
Unfounded assertions! Well, I tell
you, I congratulate myself that ifjl
have not closed them up 1 have
brought about a reformation. 1 have
never seen such asearchingfor law and
such a rigid interpretation of law, as
we have had in the last few days; new
constructions of it read to the police—
new orders given. I think they must be
pretty dry over there about those
places today.
There is one thing that ran out of
this evidence mill that interested me
very much. I don’t make this state
ment upon my own authority, for I
have not been in to see it; but they tel!
me that one of the indispensable things
in the equipment of an Atlanta bar
room is a “coon”, (laughter); and that
the excuse that these bar-keepers have
for going into their bar-rooms on Sun
day is to feed the “coon”. (prolonged
laughter). Gentlemen, we are push
ing them so tight, that you will see not
less that 80 “coons” for sale in the next
week; and “coon” meat will be cheaper
than it has ever been in the Atlanta
market. (Renewed laughter).
Well, we are going to have a reforma
tion. I don’t believe that these people
who are here this evening, and who
are banded together in this solemn
compact, are going to fight this battle
alone. That God who loves truth and
right, and loves humanity and loves
His church, is going to fight that bat tle
for them.
Diognes said that he bad found wo
men in Sparta and children in Athens,
but no where a man. If had lived in
this day in Atlanta, he would not have
lighted a candle at mid-day to find a
man. Thank God, there are thousands
in the capital city of this dear old State,
who have within them all the elements
of true manhood. Thank God for this
sacramental army of noble women who
have joined hands with us in this cru
sade, and who will help us to carry our
banners to victory.
Brothers, fight on, fight on,
We’ll win the golden day again;
We will, we will true champions be
In this, the grandest chivalry.
Fredica Bremer: The great duty of
life is not to give pain.
The beauty of all worldly things is
but as a fair picture drawn upon the
ice, that melts away with it. The
fashion of this world passeth away.
No. 31.