The Portland daily press., 1884-07-28
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
THE pRoH1B1roRY AMENDMENT.

An1S IhOdAb11Oh1 AMENDMENT.
Rev. S. W. Adriance, of Woodfords. has been
preaching several sermons on temperance. Three
have been preached, son putting the bottle to our
neighbours lips ''The principles of gospel temper
ance," and "The right motto.' On Sunday evening
fourth was preached on fThe Prohibitory Amend
ment." The text taken was from Rom Kill. o,
"Thou shalt not.' 1t is an echo which Paul, the
New Testament champion. gives from the Old Tes
lament. While the New Testament utters principles
which are to govern mems lives, yet there are sup
posed to be cases where only stern prohibition will
have any effect. Evil practices are eliminated from
society by two processes by persuasion and by re-
preston. The two have always been sisters in re-
form. Hardened criminals laugh at policies of
mere moral suasion. 1t has been denied that minis
ters nave right to treat Of this subject of consttu
place in the pulpit" But this would rule ont all
the living questions of the day, for some moral
question is at every era thrust before mems atten-
ton. Besides this, it is too great for party lines
All parties will be represented in this falls work
for prohibition. Our Congregational conferences,
local and state, have adopted strong resolutions,
asking all Congregatonaists to help in writing up,
on the Constitution Of our State in permanent let
tiers '.Tht u shalt not'' to this traffic
1. The great success of the probibitorv law
throughout the State demands the adoption of this
The great trouble has been that earnest temueranca
people have allowed men hostile to their cause to
draw their attention to worst and exceptional
quarters And yet a strong argument might be
drawn II ON these exceptions. That a trade Ike
tnls Is driven from palaces principal Streets and
forced to sneak away into dingy and degraded
haunts, is great. The best argument for success IL
drawn not from figures alone, which speak with
loud voices from the raised condition of villages
ana country corners. We who have lived for years
In license States, have no city SO free as Port
Tells wonders. Many rumsellers who stay have the
nope some year of finding a legislature which will
repeal statute law. A false hope indeed and yet
looking to the possible constitutional prohibition
shuts to them the door to this hope.
=. Our peculiar position makes it absolutely
necessary that this great step be taken In fact it
is the only advance step to take for u.s. States hav
ing low restrictions can look forward to high
license and high license can look forward toward
prohlDlGl0n by statute. But all these backward
stood in the van.
g. The agitation in other States and abroad is sure
10 De anected by the result here. The evident ten
dency everywhere is not toward license but abso.
lutte prohibition. Even high license is regarded as
merely stepping stone. The goal is prohibition.
IN tnese obner States more townships every year
States.
4. The exact phase of the problem gives expecta-
ZION tnat every one who favors temperance will help
to write this amendment into the Constitution The
question is not Shal the question be submitted to
the people?" might imagine men-staunch tenn
perance men-from desire to avoid strife, or un-
willing to peril the subject, or satisfied with
statute. to say "no" But it has gone too far for
That 1t Is before the people, and in the result all
hDe distinctions must be lost. 1t is either to be
victory for or against temperance All questions Of
desTaplnty are insignificant before the mighty
question, victory or defeat
b. The victory or defeat of this movement is i'm
portant because it involves many related inter-
ess In its defeat will be involved immense peril to
all our churches and schools.
9. The taking prohibition from it's place among
our statute laws and placing it in our Constitution
presents In itself many vantagss 1t will give it
permanence it will take it farther away from the
perils of political manipulation it will give it dig
nity it will lead to still greater efforts toward its
strict enforcement. The time is short present
In full the weighty reasons, from the religious
OF rescue of the lost to Christian lives of rebuke
to all that is low and shameful. This is subject of
intense interest to women and children as well as
men. Next September our voice will sound through
the world. May it, indeed, be grand chorus Of
many, many thousands.