Newspapers / Our Rights (Wilmington, N.C.) / June 24, 1881, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Our Rights (Wilmington, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
OUR RIGHTS. WILMISGTQN ,2f . C., JUNE24.1SS1 1 FOR THE RIGIXT. r. A? The pnvpect for Prohibition grows brighter every day. Every mail brings fresh- encouragement. Up to this time uo proiMocnt'gehtleinan'iln eithef.xf the great political ?artles has' been founiKwiyinr tA late the odium of leading the Liquor-Dealers in the war whieh th President rf thefr Convcn lion says, is a war Against the preach er and the women. Gen. J. M. Leach (reported wp)M)ed to Pnhibition) nay "there in not moaey enough in North Carolina to induce him to make a speech against Prohibition." Mean while on the other side the most prom ineni men uuu tne very let men in our State are working for it; such men as Gov. Jarvis, Judges Merrimon, Rcade, Avery, Russell, Albertson, Henry, Bus ton, Bond. (Judder, Dick, rs (Wo are naming from memory; besides Gen. Barrin per, Hon. D. A. Jenkins, Hon. Lewis Hanes and a host of others. The ministers of the Gospel of both races almost without a single exception, are for Prohibition. Anions the eolored people Rev. J. W. Hood, Bishop of the A. M. K. Church and Bev. J. c. Price are addressing people everv where. We cannot even name the great num ber of ministers, in fact, of both races who are addressing the people in their neighborhoods. We do not know of one opiosing. The journals advocating the keeping up of the liquor traffic see w;hat a tre mendous moral effect the facts we give above must have; for if a cause cannot command a single champion both of respectability and prominence we may set It down as a fact that the cause is not worthy of thesupport of the people. If U be so very indefensible that no body will defend it, how can it suc ceed ? The Journals advocating the liquor- trafllc see the point we have made above, and they are writing to promi nent politicians, andcallingon Judges, irrm-eren iruiifut permission 4 " We shall endeavor to hiake'all Ihatl we write in these column w plain that every one, even a child, may un derstand. We shall do thU becaurv very many into whose,' hands "Our Rights" may fall will have no other papers to read, and ean know nothing beyond what is plninly set In-fore them here. Other pivudbly will have Pern "circular containing opinions and un supportcd statements which it will 1? luraim. ttoti lieimrr us. to nrovrnl do.'ng ini-cbit f. k not intend to atmenl for ih sake of fin v iolitiI any polirtoal farty But we Snfend to! Schenck antl other address our readers as Christian men, willing, even anxious to work for the good of their fellowmen.ibecausu love to their fellownien is a first principle of Christianity. We intend to address our readers us parents, that is as true North Varo linian. lovers of their .State, and deter miiiefl to do what will be for the best interests or every man, woman and child in the State. We intend to address our readers as reasonable men and women (for we recognize the noble womea of North . Carolina a$ worthy o'our respect), and so will appeal in all that we say to their sense of right and justice as dic tated by the plainest principles of rea son and of common sense. We intend to appeal to every one of 'our readers as having personal rights which are interfered with, and tram lIed upon. In this we appeal to each rrd?r as a man, or woman, who has just rights under the government, and who is in duty hound to use all legal, fair and proper means to have them -secured and maintained. Every per n Is entitled, as to a right from God . louwl JPunt rtyrrna U to do as he pleases whew it does'nt Interfere with, what Is due to other?; to the privilege of gathering together and the keeping nafe of property, where the means us?d do no wr.mg to his fellow men; and to happiness where the pur suit of happiness by ono does not cause the unhapplness of other. Every government is In duty bound to aid and protect to the full extent of its authority and power every man, woman and child in .the having and holding of these Go l-giveii rights. Is North Carollnia doing this? Is she not doing exactly the contrary? By allowing the liquor traffic docs not our dear old Mother, yearly, yes daily, kill numbers of her own children? Does she not give to a few liquor sellers the liberty of Interfering with the rights of others? Does she not give to them the privilege of getting rich by making many poor? Does she not give to a few of her citizens, the privilege of spreading unhappiness, yes the deepest misery broadcast through the land? We hear a good-deal of Prohibition being an interference with the personal rights of liquor-fliers. But have they a moral right to trample upon the God- given rights of you and of me, and of other citizeus In North Carolina? Honestly, and as wo shall answer to the Judge of all the earth, we think not. True they have exercised the privilege, under sanction of the State, of pursuing this terribly ruinous busi ness, and this brings us squarely to face the question, Shall it not be stopped ? Header, you have rights, as a free citizen of North Carolina, as a patriot, as a Christian. Is there either reason or common sense in granting to a few) liquor sellers the right to trample on your rights. Answer it to your con science, as you will be called toanswer it to your God: This liquor traffic, Shall it not be stopped? mand, "Bring on more corne-bene,' back it came full of succotash smoking hot.- The five courses, from first to last, were all of "corne-bene," and there was nothing else , to be had for dinner that day." - " ' .. " We are reminded of the above by not ing how regularly in course the Kew. l ork and the Delaware opinions appear in tne service of the liquor cause. They have been served up as the sta ple dish of the liquor.advocates again and again. Their last appearance is in a circular ' which has just made its-ap pearance. It would seem that there is no paper in North Carolina whose opinion can be obtained in favor of whiskey, that can carry sufficient weight. . Hence the importation. Why the liquor advocates impress Senator Bayard into service is very evi dent. Un to this time not a single man 'of any eminence oncoripicirous position' in North Carolina has been found will ing to confront the moral sentiment of the State by championing the liquor cause. Not one. Let it go forth to the world to the credit of the Old North State, that within her borders she hasn't a man of eminence willing to do this thing. PROIIIIUTION IN PENDER. erf n intliut permission aiik nouncing lue names oi persona, in order to force them to espouse the liquor caiHC. We do not deny that some of the most respectable men and some of the most prominent men ofNorth Carolina t A may ana pernaps win voie against Prohibition. Some may think that party exigencies require them to do this, but they are not hurrying to the front that's evident. Don't forget the moral of all this : Prohibition is right; Anti-Prohibi tion is wrong, and the eminent sons of North Carolina, let God be thanked, are battling nobly for the right because it is the right. DRIVGOVTIIE COUXE BEXE The Prohibitionists of Pender are not afraid to avow themselves openly and boldly for the cause. The leading men there are for it. A Prohibition pic-nic and mass meeting will be held at Burgaw on 'the 4th of July. Capt. W. H. Day, of Weldon, Major James C. McRae, of Favetteville, Hon. E. W. Kerr, of Sampson, and Hon. Edward Cantwcll, of Columbus, have accepted invitations to attend and address the meeting. Hou. D. L. Russell has also been invited, and may be expected to speak. Music and basket dinners will enliven and add to the comforts of the occasion. The ladies will be out in large numbers. A fine time will no doubt be had. It is1 expected theare on the- railroad will be fechieed. W hope many of the citizens of this city will attend. . JOTTINGS. BEAD "OUR RIGHTS," and pAND TO YOUR NEIGHBOR.? OR MAIL FRIEND. j TO'A TVio liniinr traffi'taa moral and a political evil, hence it requIres"moral and political action to suppress it. Prohibition is a living issue, and poln ticians must respect it or findthem selves without friends or following. If there be feeling in humanity Vir tue in patriotism, or Ipve in Christian ity, the cause of prohibition must succeed. The amount of liquors consumed annually in the United States is esti mated at the enormous sum of 600,- OQOj.QQQ,. r --f- f ' ' As an ever present obstacle to Chris tian progress, the liquor traffic must be condemned by every true Christian in our land. The right of society to protect is the fundamental principle of all govern ments. The license system is a viola tion of that right. Tlie liquor traffic is the great source of poverty, crime and wretchedness. In the'good oldtimes,as we call them, fifty years ago or more, an old Indian chief was invited by the Governor of New York to an old time dinner party. We give the account as we find it given in a paper at hand: "The Governor's dinner wasa stately affair of five courses, with a change of plate at every course; all of which made a profound impres sion upon the old warrier, but of course, being an Indian, he did not allow him self to appear surprised at anything he saw or heard. Afterwards, when the Governor and his suite returned this visit at the "Oneida Castle" (for so the rude council-house of this tribe was called), the chief was at great pains to give his distinguished guests a most hospitable reception, and that in kind. Nothing would do but he must give them a dinner party, and it must be a dinner of five courses. It was green corn time of the year, and to his taste the best thing In season was "succo tash" green corn and beans boiled to getherof which all ate.sitting round a large wooden bowl, and helping them selves; the old chief presiding, while they were at their feed, with benign dignity. After eating awhile, at a wave of hi hand, his squaws made a dash at the big bowl on the ground and bore it awy. Directly at the word of com- It is noteworthy how zealous the editors of Anti-Prohibition papers are for stringent liquor laws. But, gen tlemen, your zeal is too recent. About twelve months ago the liquor dealers laid on that straw that broke the camel's back. They got the tax on liquor reduced, and so built bet ter than they knew. Gentlemen, where were vou then ? Not one of you had a word to say. Not one voice was raised against the liquor traffic until Prohibition came hum- ming through the air. ' Now, let us be plain with you. The people are not deceived. To be frank, they don't believe you. They regard your new born zeal for temperance as merely a ruse to divert them from the main issue. And please note that you are far behind the liquor dealers them selves, who tell us their objection to the law is that it wont prohibit. In the one case, as in the other, the peo ple think it altogether too unlikely. But, gentlemen, doesn't it strike you as significant of the nature and. the strength of public sentiment in North Carolina when not a single paper ad- The Prohibition sentiment is growing all over the nation, and the partv that does not recognize its force and influ ence is doomed. Prohibition is the divine method of treating evil. Has man improved upon that method by licensing the most gigantic of all evils ? The Supreme Court of the United States has repeatedly affirmed deci sions of State Courts deciding prohib itory laws constitutional. The right to sell liquors is not, and can never become,' of such a character as the constitution of the United States forbids a State to abridge. -The" frrfepreiefr struggle d right against wrong, and if Christian civilization is ever trium phant, the liquor traffic must be sup pressed. ; , , ? If laws I for the suppression of evil cannot accomplish it, then are the foundations of society on a false basis, and our boasted civilization but the veriest barbarism. Anything that tends to impoverish the individual should never be regarded as a source of revenue to the govern ment, whigh is but an aggregation of individual interests. There are, many noble women in our city whose prayers are ascending for the success of Prohibition. Friends! stop and think before you vote against a measure that is thus supported. Entirely unsolicited, a friend to the cause dropped in, in the absence of the editor, and left a donation to help things on.. We will use it, and as much more as may come, and with many thanks to the donors. An enlightened public sentiment is the fundamental source of strength to all reformatory legislation, hence the vocates, not a single man, woman orVappeal is made for every good citizen child not even a liquor seller de fends the liquor traffic, or claims from first to last that it is not a monstrous evil. Notwithstanding you assert that a very large percentage of the oppo nents of Prohibition are the most respectable people of the State, you don't pretend to prove it. Where is the man in North Carolina, of good reputation, who will come out and champion the liquor traffic? Where is the man who over his own proper signature will defend it in the public prints? You, gentlemen, editors, do not defend the traffic. Oh, no! you write around it and over it and about it, but you don't write for it. Such unanimity of sentiment on this sub ject means a great deal does it not? to lend his influence that Prohibition may become a success and power in our land. With the liquor traffic suppressed, light will enter many a darkened home, happiness fill many a sadden ed heart, and life, love, religion, and hope for eternity to many a wandering and well-nigh ruined victfm of intemperance. Several of the most distinguished sons of the Old North State are out-spokdn for Prohibition. The world honors the men nrho, knowing the right, dare main tain it; while it condemns those who, fearing what "Mrs. Grundy" might say, act from policy only. . ( . ,
Our Rights (Wilmington, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 24, 1881, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75