Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-06-22
TIL. METHODIST HAMMER
It Falls with Crushing Weight Upon
tho Ubiquitous Liquor
Traffic.
The Powerful Report Of the Committee
Oh Temperance and Legal
Prohibition.
No Treaty with the Liquor Traffic Except
Upon the Ground of Absol ute
Annihilation.
F'rOln tho Xoico.l

Nt!Gla, ohleIelGe III tiis Guy last HulH-
day evening. 1t was the occasion of the
1,erance and Prohibition of the Liquor
Traffic
Bishop Merrill presided and there was
a large attendance of visitors in anticipa-
tion of the submission of the report. which
WAS read by it's Chairman, Dr. Daniel
Dorchester II was submitted in sections,
as follows:
l., Progress and Duty; H.. Temperance o, Or
iions la Total AGstnevco Roil lT
OF Grapes Hops etc. w. Our Relation to the
Liquor ,hsltiic; VII. Practical Political Action
WILL, Enforcement of Liquor Laws; X, The
lcnl Status of the Liquor Traffic; H. Consti-
tu,ionnl Amendments; Xl., Abolition OF tho
Liquor Traffic in tho District of Columbia; Kill,
Interstate Liquor TRAFFIC; NIL, Rum and the
Native Henthen XIV, Printing.
ii NILS adopted nfter a lively debete as given
below:
THE REPORT.
We have ample reason for congratulntion,
begins thc first section of the report, thnt the
temperance reform is engaging public attention
as never before, and in this great moral adj
vance we recognize the duty of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. with oil other Christian or
ders, to march ut tho head Of the column, to ill
spi'c ind direct tho movement"
The second section recognizes with high up
precation' the great work of tho w. c. L. u,
and tenders "frnternn greetings and hearty God
speed TO the National Temperance Society md
all other organizations engaged in advancing
this reform, especially to all who labor on II gos
pei temperance basis
Section Ill. declares emphGticnlly for total
abstinence, as 1.-The best modern science has irref
ragnhiy demonstrated that there is no legiti-
mute place for alcohol not even in the form of
the milder liquors, used in however moderate
quantities i'll healthy living organism"
Section IN. halls with JOY the enactment of
laws providing for scientific temperance instruc-
ton i'll thrty-four States and Territories, and
calls fol- the exclusion from tho schools of those
profcssedly temperance but fatally misleading
textbooks which directly or impliedly encour,
age the moderate use of the milder intoxcants."
Section V. upon tho raising Of grapes hops,
etc. reads us follows:
Z I'VE approve the action of tho Lay Electoral
Conference of California, condemnng the raising
and selling of grapes for tho manufacture of fer
mented wine, and we think tho time has come for
& broader utterance upon this subject. We warn
our members against raising and selling not only
grapes but also other fruits, hops and grain, for
the manufacture of alcoholic liquors, as incon-
sistent with the Christian profession, benumb
ing to the conscience and hurtful to the of
temperance and true piety. These practices
bring tho church into completely with the great
liquor nuisance paralyze our efforts, and afford
comfort to the greatest enemy of modern Chris
tianity.
The sixth section reiterates the language of the
Episcopal address,
The liquor traffic is 80 pernicious in all it's
bearings, SO inincal to the interests OF honest
trade so repugnant to the moral sense, so inuri-
to the peace and order of society, so hurt
full to the home, TO tho church, and to the body
polite and SO utterly antagonistic to all that is
precious i'll life that the only proper attitude
toward it for Christians is that of relentless hos
tility. 1t can never he legalized without sin"
And we, furthermore, emphatically declare that
men engaged III the manufacture and sale of al
coholic beverages ought not to receive the COM
merciul patronage or sutfInges OF Christian peo-
pie for any political Office any position of in
tluence OH educational boards.
Section VII, under tho title of practical Po-
liticul Action is us follows:
One of the dark reprOaches of our times is
Chat the saloon has been allowed to become n
political gambler and to do brokerage business
with the bnllot-boX part of its stock i'll
trade. Saloons and corrupt politicians consti-
tute an equation, both members of which have
Jullot-boX value. and arc easily transferred.
We urge it as an imperative duty of Christian
men to attend tho primaries, to wrest the
ereisnty of the caucus from tho grip of the
loon, to purify and elevate the caucus by their
presence and mako il Il promoter of morals and
good order. beginning with the caucus, let us
work upward through I'LL tho departments of le-
ultimate civil action, until entire citizenship
is eDlnncipated from this bondage. We must
sunpullt the five OF six Thousand legislators and
the tens of thousands Of municipal officers who
have long stood us the body-guurd of the saloon
i'll its ravnges upon tho home
Section Will, asserting that "the habitunl
reinforcement of law is M impeachment in the
way OF all true moral and social reform" re-
loccs in the awakening public sentiment i'll this
matter 1t holds i'll profound veneraton tho
haroi: example of our Ilrtyrod brother, George
c: Haddock struck down. by an assasssin's bullet
while protecting society against the saloons
lnwlossness, and calls upon people every
where, without distinction of party. to lend their
efforts to the faithful administration of the re-
strictive, suppressive and prohibitory features
of existing liquor laws"
Section IX. reioiccs in tho recent decision of
the supreme Court for prohibition, and "renlizing
the difficulty of protecting society, by merely
moral forces, against evils sanctioned under the
brond seal of tho commonwealth" calls upon all
our people to assist in securing. as rapidly as
possible such legislation that the liquor dealers
"shnll no longer have q law-book as pillar, nor
quiet their conscionces with the opiate OF u
court license"
Section X. calls for the aid of State and ma
tionAl amendments for tho suppression of the
liquor traffic. and adds:
I'VE believe it to he the %isest policy, and the
supreme duty of all legislative bodies, to enact
such legislation that. under the forms of the
Constitution, the people may protect tho home
against the saloon, by no-license votes, under u
local-option regimen. end, as possible by
constitutional prohibitory amendments"
Section XII memorializes Congress to pass
bill outlawing tho liquor traffic in the District Of
Columbia.
Section XII, under tho title of Interstate
Liquor Irntfic, nemorializos Congress for legis-
against the now lawful importation sale, and
delivery therein of liquors from other States in
the original importers packages in violation of
local law and declaros
at is the Judgment of this General Conference
of the Methodist Episcopal Church That when
the people OF any State by due legislative enact
HQuorsl contraband. on account of their injurious
effects upon the people. it is then tho duty of the
General Government to declare said liquors lia-
BILE TO exclusion and confscation.
I'VE would also respectfully inquire whether
tho right long claimed by Congress, to promote
interstate commerce, for tho real or supposed
good of the State, docs not imply the right and
duty also to restrict or prevent such Interstate
commerce us inficts real or supposed injury
upon States and especially when the States
themselves have SO adjudged and enacted by
laws prohibiting tho manufacture and sale of
alcoholic beverages"
Section XIII. denounces tho rum traffic with
Africa III the following powerful language:
Worse than night attacks, worse than chains
for innocent babes. worse than the prostitution
Of mothers, worse than the waling caravan
worse than the sweltering barracOon, worse than
the sitting slave-ships worse than tho shame
less auction-block, worse than tho fetter the
whip, and the separation of families worse than
the traffic in human muscles and souls is the hui
man trade in rum which now crowns the outrage
to which the natives of Asia and Africa are sub
Section XIV. orders the report printed i'll cheap
tract form "fOr wide circulation among our peO-
pie"
AN uTTERANcE OF "a TABLED BECAUSE CON-
sTRUED FOR THE PROHIBITION PARTY
There WAS q warm debate on tho motion to
adopt the report. Rev. Lewis Curtis OF the Rock
River Conference moved an amendment. He
agreed with the report as q whole. but wished
this clause from tho Discipline of "a added:
We hold that the proper attitude OF Christians
toward this traffic is ono OF incorporating OPP
position, and, while we do not presume to die
tate to our people as to their political affilia-
tion we do express the opinion that they should
not permit Themselves to he controlled by