The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-05-23
Subscription, One Dollar per Year.

OF the work that We honestly believe that
there is at this time majority in favor of
constitutional prohibition and that some such
measure as that which is here proposed hav-
ing moneyed basis and springing from the
church, that glorious centre to which the
eyes of the world are looking not only for
religious truth but moral reform as well, will
so rally and unity these scattered minorities
as IN few years to form a thoroughly organ
lied, compact and victorious majority, whose
systematlZed action shall bless the whole
earth and hasten the millennal age of peace
Mr. President, that portion of this reso.u-
ton asking for an additional benevolent col
lection in the church. was characterized on
the floor of the General Conference as "a
most extraordinary proposition. y and "a far
reaching question" This, sir, I readily grant
When Columbus proposed to discover new
world, it was considered an extraordinary
proposition. When Franklin wrenched the
lightning from the clouds, and Professor
Morse proposed to utilize these nerves of
nature for the transmission of messages from
continent to continent, it was deemed exceed
lngly extraordinary. Nay, sir our grand
Church Extension Society, our wonderful
missionary societies and Sabbath schools, were
III their inception looked upon with distrust,
and deemed extraordinary" and we now
see they are far reaching" but how far
eternity alone will reveal 1t is the extraor-
binary and far reaching measures that wise
heads and brave hearts have launched out
upon, that has brought literature and art and
science and religions truth to that degree of
perfection that gilds and glorifies the close of
the nineteenth century. Now. Mr.. President,
We submit 10 this committee if the extraor-
binary and far reaching effects of the liquor
traffic does not demand extraordinary and far
ms T Oh .at tok
perance organization, in or out of the church,
that has one dollar to spare for anything
beyond its individual and incidental expenses
Such societies answer well the purpose for
which they were formed, namely to mould
public sentiment; but they are powerless to
organize the forces they have helped to bring
into being, for united, vigorous and success
full fight against Satan, as manifest in the
wealth and compact organization of the liquor
interests in our land. Such society as
this paper proposes, under the auspices of
our own and other evangelical churches, will
possess dignity of character and ZEAL and
name for righteous and wise management,
that will inspire the same confidence in the
public mind that our great missionary and
church extension societies now do, and thou
sands upon thousands of dollars will pour
into the treasury annually by legacies, be-
quests and donations, even if in your iudg-
ment the clause asking for an additional
benevolent collection in the church should be
stricken out Let there be duly chartered
custodian for such a fund with the under
standing that it is to be used in legitimate,
business and christian manner to promote the
cause of constitutional prohibition, and there
will be no lack of funds, and that too without
In the least depicting the other benevolent
collections
God will raise up second Chaplain Nc
Cabe who will sing and nurse it into as
mighty power for good, as our great mod
ern church extension and other church enter
prises that he has raised in these latter days
to bless humanity. We ask that you give
this paper that careful consideration that its
great Importance demands, and You will dis
cover that though some of it's features may
be extraordinary and very far reaching, still
there is nothing chimerical or utopian in
their character.
If it be said that this is s. new departure "
in church work, let US bear in mind that
new departure" is the watchword of ad-
vancement on every line. 1t lifts society and
nations from old ruts and grooves and sends
them spinning along the lines of pure and
cultured civilization. Finally brethren, let
me ask, if this Prohibition Aid society shall
be authorized by this General Conference,
will it not be a grand triumph of the first
century of Methodism in America and mark
another milestone along tho church's march
toward millennal peace In conclusion pray
that God will inspire some of his grand work
ers in this committee to champion the cause
of the Prohibition Aid society of the Metho-
dist Episcopal church.