The Evening critic., 1882-04-21
THE TEMPERANCE CAUSE.
Eloquent Address of Mr.. ID. N. Hen.
dcrson before the Congregational
Conference.-The Temperance Ques-
ton Fairly stated.

tOnfercnce-Jhe temperance 0ues-
tion Fairly stated.
The following is tho address delivered by
Mr.. D. NJ. Henderson yesterday before the
Congregational Association of New Jersey:
There arc In this land two great institutions
which exercise a potent influence on the com.
munlty, Affecting greatly the welfare OF the
citizen, and shaping for good or evil the course
and destiny Of the Nation. These are the
church and the liquor trafIlc. Where the one
is organized, its tendency is to bring order
out OF chaos, to subdue evil passions, to pro.
mote intelligence, cleanliness, thrift and
purity OF life, TO lead mon from merely selfish
pursuits to tho exercise OF their finer in.
stincts, the development of their higher
selves.
Where the other is set up there is produced
disorder; ignorance and vice take root and
spread; dirt and disease abound; home duties
are neglected; the better traits Of manhood
arc oblitorated, and self-indulgence holds su.
premo sway. 1t is plain, then, judging by
Iheir fruits, that these two institutions
are antagonistlc. Organized for different
purposes and composed of contrary
elements, they work out opposite results
What more natural, then, than that whenever
and wherever these two forces meet deadly
conflict should ensue?
But what is their attitude toward each
other? How does the liquor tranic regard the
church and how does the church regard the
liquor traffic? The attitude of
The Liquor Traffic Toward the
Church
does not admit of question--it is one of vigor
ous and aggressive opposition. II sits In the
seat OF the scornful; Ii sneers at religion as
can't at virtue as hypocrisy. 1t seeks the
overthrow OF the sabbath and everything that
is named Christian,
But how does the church regard the liouor
trafllc2 Well, the church is profoundly sorry
that drunkenness is SO prevalent; she mourns
that so many and so much is ruined through
IntpmnQrnnCns q NVn1f1H nj MAJ
soberly, but the liquor trafllc-well, the church
has not yet made up Its mind about the lfuuor
traflc. It's fruits are evil continually, that
no one doubts, yet she hestates to Judge this
tree. Take at random ten churches in this
city or in any of the cities represented In this
association. Let the pastors OF these churches
meet together and draw up a series OF resolu.
tions which shall express the points on
which they and their people are agreed con-
eerm,ng me drink b business and beyond
enness which abonnds, and resolve that IL is
everybodys duty to lend his and her influence
In an opposite direction, what would be ac-
complished? In most cases. nothing at all 1t
would simply be revealed that on this most
important and pressing question of Christian
WORK the churches have as yet no platform.
Held comes, with urgent appeals, for men and
means to do the Lords work, the still more
pressing cry: ''Stop sending rum; what we do
rum is undoingl' Christianity is known to
the heathen as the religion of the
Bible, and the flrewater commends itself to the
savage taSte sooner tnan the BiDlo preceptS and
sinks those whom 1t is the mission of Christ
ianity TO elevate into yet deeper and well nigh
hopeless degradation. Khame, the converted
chief OF an African tribe, proved his faith by
his works when he banished from his domain
all liquors, not even making the exceptions
which used to figure on temperance pledge
cards In favor of spirits
For Medical and Religious Pur.
pOses,''
and when with the drink he exiled the drink.
sellers, saying, 81 want nothing but friends
in my town."
listened dozen years ago to the now famous
Baboo Chunder Sen, the founder of new re-
ligion, and heard him, looking out of his mild,
dark eyes, and speaking in calm, sweet, sill,
very but deeply earnest tones, arraign the
British Government and people for the de-
moralizat1on brought upon his people through
the twin curses of rum and opium, and while
1 flushed with shame for my country's sake,
could not in my heart acquit the Church of
share of the blame; for, though she might
plead that she had no hand in the busine ss, that
was the very ground other condemnation, She
should have had hand in 1t. And for the sake
of her mission work 1t is high time that the
Church of God this side the water had a sound
PLATFORM on which to stand against drunken
ness
No platform, and yet church discipline is
concerned with sins of intemperance more
than with any other sin; nay, 1t would not be
eXaggeration to say that
All Other Forms OF Transgressi0n
Combined
do not bring such shame and sorrow into the
fold OF Christ as does this one vice. Now IL is
some hitherto obscure member, who obtains
disagreeable prominence by reason of iagrant
oyer-indulgence; then 1t is some leading man
In the church, who has suffered himself to be
led OF the devil Drink--some pillar which has
crumbled and given way in the atmosphere of
wine-bibbing, as Scotch granite rots and goes
TO ruin In the moist, hot air of Florida-and
again IL is the pastor himself, who so often
has led his people in the prayer, HLead us not
into temptation" who walks into that way
That seemeth right unto so many, but the
nnhC
who has so ably preached TO others
becomes himself a castaway. Yet the Church
has not made up Its mind about the liquor
traflicl
No platform, and meanwhile the gap be-
tween the Sunday-school and the Church is
widening. The boys grow up till they feel too
then they graduate into-where The
Church You ministers and Sunday-school
teachers who have studied tho problem say
where do they graduate to Some one
has said that the penitentary is re-
crutted fr ON the saloon as the Church
is from the sunday-school. Alasl that the
stmile Is so inadequate as to sound like a
piece OF sarcasm. Recent inquiries here and
In Great Britain disclose the startling fact
that large numbers OF the occupants OF our
prisons were in their early years Sunday.
school scholars. They did not so from the
Sunday-school to the prison ceIl-no, they
passed from the liquor saloon to the criminal
dock. But how came they from the Sunday
school to the saloon Is the temperance ques-
uon sufficiently recognized In our Sunday
bcnOOlS lS lnere n PLATFORM on which the
teachers can ask all the children TO stand
nrst standing there themselves, by way OF
example The path from the Sunday school
TO the Church should be broad and plain
between the Sunday school and the saloon
there should be no path, but great gulf fxed,
no platform, but In the meantime the
Church's hold on tho masses grows feebler
and feebler. Why is IL that what we call tho
working classes-the mechanics and day
laborers-form SO small a proportion OF our
Church membership? do not speak OF those
alas! so many-who are In thraldom TO
drink, who
DO Not Care for Religion,
because IT interferes with their personal
habits, and who, indeed, have lost the
capacity to be interested in things
That pertain 10 the soul. That TOO,
IS question TO be seriously considered
how they have fallen SO low, why it is that our
efforts on their behalf prove so inefrecttal
and what new forces, II any can be brought to
bear on them for their salvation. But speak
now or sober, Industrious, Intelligent work
men, who, thousands Of them, in all our cities
habitually absent themselves from the house
Of God. How comes 1t A? Are our church edit
ilces too grand, too beautifully frescoed, TOO
finely upholstered for them Do the rich
trappings OF the wealthier members contrast
TOO strlkingly with their own humble garb
sit Tor any one OF hundred reasons which
might be and are given 10 explain the deplora-
BILE fact May not
The Root of the Matter
be inihls-that the church has failed to Inter-
est itsclt IN the things In which these men are
nterested has not concerned itself enough
with the drift OF their thought and sought To
turn II 10 high and profitable uses; that, while