Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-06-24
THE CAUSE OF THF DEFEAT.
Rev. T. j. Leak, of Allegheny, Explains it
He Believes it Was Ball RIM and That
Victory Will Follow Some Day.

Rev. 7. ]. Leak, of ALLEGHENY, Explains it
He Believes it Was Bull RIM and That
Victory Will Follow Some Day.
The North Avenue M. E. Church, ALLIE
gheny, was crowded last night with an audi
ence that came to hear Rev. T. j. Leaks ser
mon on lessons From the Defeat" His
text was Mathew xvii: 81 1.-THE Governor an
swered and said unto them, whether of the
twain will We that release unto you? They
said Barabbas."
He called attention first to the fact that
there has been for some weeks conflict
throughout the State which was legislative
in its character and also involved a great
moral question that could not be ignored
by the Church. Hence it had received
more or less attention from the pulpit. He
said:
The conflict closed on Tuesday last with an
tion generally taken by the Christian people of
the State. In the presence of such a defeat
some questions crowd themselves upon our
minds, the first of which is, were we wrong as
Christian people, in the position that we tookP
We answer. no. Our Judgment may not have
been perfect, but Kansas 'had adopted pro-
noltory amendment; so had Iowa, but she had
been cheated out of it; Ohio had come very
Christian element of Pennsylvania were strong
enough to carry such movement or amend
ment in the State. The result proved that we
were mistaken. but the great majority against
US does not prove that we were in the wrong.
Jesus Christ was sadly
IN THE MINORITY
when the people cried for Barabbas. Religious
martyrs have been in the minority when they
have been burned at the stake. Martin Luther
was in the minority at the Diet of Worms.
John Wesley was in the minority when being
refused the pulpit of the Established Church,
he was compelled to preach from his fathers
tombstone. Was Jesus Christ wrong? Let 1.-The
4OO,OOOO00 Christians in the world answer.
Were the martyrs wrong? Let us answer in
the midst OF our religious charities Was
Martin Luther wrong? Let the success of
modern Professionalism answer. Was John
wesley wrong2 Let the 1000 000 communi-
cants or 100000 adherents of Methodism In
this country answer.
Time. with its wondrous changes, has
proved these men to have been right, though
IN thelr day they were In the minority. Time
Will vindicate the men who voted for the pro-
hlbitory amendment on last Tuesday
Another question is, Were the time, labor
and money expended during the campaign by
the Prohibitionists wasted? They were given
unselfishly. No one expected to obtain any
office by them, to add to his business or in any
way TO contribute to his selfish interests. All
was oOue 1OE Iuo DeueuG VI Obnerb. therefore,
none of these were wasted. The men who
gave them were made larger, better and nobler
by their gifts and brought nearer to Him and
made more like Him who gave Himself for
us that He might redeem US from all iniuuity,
so that in themselves they receive full compen-
sation for all their outlay. Then they sowed
undying seed that in the future must bring
forth an abundant harvest.
THE CHURCH VOTERS.
As pastor learn this lesson, that it is the
men who are earnestly engaged in church
work and living near to God who ought to be
relied upon in a great moral contest. Some
church members undoubtedly voted againstth
amendment; but, so far as my observation goes,
they were not the men that stand by the re-
ligious work of the church and are noted for
their religious ZEAL Hence the lesson that comes
to the church is that if she would do her best
moral work she must be spiritually alive.
From the present outlook it would seem as if
our next move on temperance legislation
should be for local option, as last Tuesdays
vote demonstrated that large areas of our
State are ready for it, but whatever
may be our next move there is no
question about the final result. Our
war for the Union started with the Bulls Run
defeat but we finally reached Gettysburg and
Appomattox. So in our effort at Constitutional
prohibition we have already met our Bulls
Run defeat, but this should awaken our ener-
gies to press forward to future victories until
an Appomattox of peace and victory shall win
our State to temperance, prosperity and happi-
ness.