Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-10-05
Down With the Churches.


1t has come to that. 1t has been Ions
apparent that this would be the cry a
last. There is an irrepressible confiic
between the advocates of free beer anC
no Sunday and the principles upOI
which churches are founded and sus
tanned. 1t remained for the Hon. Chas
Reemelin TO sound the keynote. Tht
occasion was the meeting of Albert
Schwill's independent party at Price,
Hill on Sunday last. Mr.. Reemelin i:
very apt to say what he thinks. Here
is what Mr.. Reemelin is reported t,
have said:
The trouble growing out of the ob
servance of the day is all the fault O
the Puritans, who sought and are seek
ing to-day to enforce their religious
principles. 1t has so deeply rooted itself
into both political parties of to-day thai
neither can he trusted. The speaker
said the influence of the Church was toe
great. In 1870 the census enumerated
6,4SS churches in the State of Ohio
worth millions of dollars, and mem
bership of over 100000.
In the way of free beer and no Sun
day, according to Mr.. Reemelin. there
are in the State of Ohio 6,4SS churche:
and a membership of over 100000
This includes all denominations. There
are 1900 saloons in the State of Ohio
more than two saloons for every church
Puritahism is the canse of opposition tC
free liquor and no Sunday. The Churcl
is the bulwark of Puritanism. There
fore, down with the churches and W
with the saloons. Therefore, down will
the influence of religion in order thai
the saloons may be free on seven day:
in the week to ill the poorhouses, asy
lums, und impoverish the people. Thi;
is what Mr.. Reemelin calls liberty from
his standpoint, and this what he ad
vances as German ideas. He would
have these supplant American ideas.
But has it occurred to Mr.. Reemelir
that in leveling the 1000 churches in
Ohio, and suppressing the 100000
members. he would knock out the prop:
upon which our benevolent institution:
stand? What influence sustains orphan
asylums and relief unions? That which
proceeds from the saloons or that which
proceeds from the churches?
Who populates the orphan asylums
the poorhouses, the work houses, the in
sane asylums, the penitentiary? Tht
church or the saloon? Not the churcf
certainly, while the official figures show
that 10 per cent. of all the crimes com
mitted and all the poverty that affiicti
society is traceable to the saloons-tt
the incorporate use of Intoxicating liq-
uors. Yet in the face of all this MI
Reenelin speaks of the 1000 churche
with 100000 members as an evil
while by his presence and his votes hi
upholds and encourages the cause o
free beer and no Sunday.
In order that there may be no doub
as to what Mr. Reemelin means by Pu
ritanism, We quote the following from
his speech:
Classified as Puritanism were th'
churches of all the different sects, tn
Theological Summaries. the YOuni
Mems Christian Associations, the TEN
perauce Unions, and the fanatical wo
men who persist that the fall of Puri
tanism would lower morality.
This is clear enough. All the church
es of all the sects are Puritans; also tn
Young Mems Christian Association an
the Temperance Unions. Added t
these are the fanatical women. There
no class in the community that suffer
more from the saloon business than tn
women; but because they lift up thei
voices on the side of temperance the
are fanatical, and must be suppressed
They may plow in the field with horse
J and asses; they may suffer in poverty
they may see the men who should
their protectors spend more money fo
drinks than they do for food and clott
ing for their families; but if they pro
test, they do SO at the risk of being d.
nounced by such advanced thinkers a
Mr.. Reemelin as fanatics.
|. If this is the kind of civilization ths
: Mr.. Reemelin proposes to introduce int
4, America, we beg leave to say that it
not the civilization that made this couI
try what it is, and when such leaders
Reemelin shall have leveled the churcl
es and made free beer and no Sunday tf
standard of civilization, America wi
Q be what Germany is-a good country
escape from.-LCin. Gaz, Sept. Goth.