Dear Editor,

The Rev. George Stuart, who was one time pastor of First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, told this story: “I lift up this poor drunkard, the Maura article of the saloon and ask him again:

“Of what are you made?”

“Of a bright American boy, of a boy capable of earning wages, and adding to the wealth of the home and country.”

“What are you worth?”

“Nothing, I am a burden to the home, the state and the country.”

“What made you?”

“The liquor store over there made me.”

“Liquor is what made you?”

“That legislator over there made me.”

“Legislator, who made you?”

“The ballot in the hands of the church people over there made me.”

“Church people, did you cast the ballot that made the man that made the law that made the liquor store, that made the drunkard?”

“Well, I always want to find new means of tax money.”

Now let us go to the last realization of this person’s life.

“Poor drunkard, where are you going?”

“To Hell!”

“How do you know?”

The old Book says, “No unforgiven drunkard shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

I go to the church person and ask: “Where are you going?”

“I am going to Heaven!”

“How do you know?”

“About 50 years ago the Lord took my feet out of the mire and clay and placed them upon the Rock and put a new song –”

“Shut your mouth, shut your mouth, you miserable hyprocate, I have contempt for such traddle!”

Let every person hear this statement: If the old drunkard goes to hell and the one who cast the ballot does not, if the poor old drunkard goes to hell and the church person, who voted for the liquor sale that made him, doesn’t go with him, then the drunkard can stand on the black-crested waves of damnation and cry:

“Unjust! Unjust! Unjust! until he tears down the pillars of Heaven.”

This old parable is something to think about! It seems Hartselle has built a first rate public swimming pool, is building a new high school, which will be one of the finest in the state. Our roads and utilities are as good as any I know. Our restaurants seem to being doing good business. All this was done without any money from the No. 1 drug in America.

I hope that we would look beyond the promise of progress, if that is true, which I doubt, and see the dangers that may occur from voting wet!

Bobby Ray Halbrooks, Hartselle