The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-08-19
Foreign Notes.
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
CHESTNUT STREET CHURCH.


At the Chestnut Street Church yesterday,
Mrs. E. l.. Mclaughlin. Of Boston, the lec-
turer Of the w. G. T. u, delivered temper
ance addresses In the afternoon and evening.
In the afternoon, prayer was offered by
Rev. Theodore Gerrish, after which Mrs. Nc
Laughlin spoke. She commenced her ad-
dress by saying that II she thought there
was anything In the temperance question
that was against the spirit Of a church, no
consideration could have brought her there,
where she was. On the contrary, the
WOman's Christian Temperance Union was
born in an atmosphere OF prayer and had
been nurtured during its whole existence by
PRAYER ana the influence OF churches. The
objects OF the Union are the protection of
the American home, children and youth, the
destruction OF the liquor traffic, and the sal
vation OF fallen men and women. The OBJ
jects Of the Union, the speaker continued,
are so well known by this time that no apol-
ogy Is necessary for bringing the temperance
que tiOn into church. The churches them
selves have defined their position on the
temperance question, beyond a shadow Of
doubt; For many years, no ecclesiastical
body has met and dissolved without adopt
ing resolutions cOndemnatory of the liquor
traffic.
Continuing. Mr. Mclaughlin said that the
question was not the hobby Of few radi-
Gals; 1t Is the natural outcome Of Christian
civilization, and 1t Is only the era Of Chris
tianity that makes II possible. 1t would be
impossible for the liquor traffic to exist In
the shadow Of the churches II anybody
cared about 1t, and II the Christian people
Keep silent, the very stones would cry out.
When q cause is booming 1t is easy to stand
up for 1t. When cause has suffered and is
defeated and dark 1t is Heavenly consider
alton to find that somebody has the courage
to speak out for 1t.
The time for the practical work has come
In the history OF temperance reform. All
temperance people are now IN the place OF
DIR. Charming, who, when lecturer was de-
scribing the horrors of delirium trenens, in
terrupted him and said that that was thor
oughly understood; that what the people
wanted was information as TO how II could
be prevented.
III is not necessary at this stage OF the pro-
ceedings TO speak of the c0nstitutionality OF
prohibition. Neither is II the time TO 60 in
to what may be called abstract temperance
sentiment What is needed Is to 60 gather up
all Of the floating sympathy for the
temperance cause and cryStalZe IL into
lending helping hand in the work. Alb
stract temperance VIII not do. What Is
needed is some creed, some basis Of belief.
so that all shall stand on common ground
That was the secret of the success OF the
apostles, They did not have an elaborate
code OF belief, but the few articles Of their
faith, they believed immensely. They only
effective help that can be given 10 The
temperance cause. is that which is given by
plain people. There is a place for every-
body. No one Is asked to do what Is i'm
possible, but each to do his work i'm tha
place where he is set to do 1t. One of the
most potent agencies of good Is a pure
example. Mrs. Mclaughlin illustrated
the point by touching tribute 10 Mrs.
Hayes, and said that while we might not ke
able to WELD such powerful Influence as
she did, there was no telling what good our
pure example might do. Another powerful
aid in the work Is testimony. 1t would be
hard to tell how much the wark Of temper.
anee was harmed In Massachusetts and else
where by the silence Of good men and wo-
men. We are told in scripture to abhOr the
works Of darkness and to speak out our alb
horrenee. third and perhaps most power
full engine to be attached in the fight against
rum is prayer. The battle after ali is moi
ours but Gods, and in this dark hour of
temperance 1t is for good temperance peopIe
TO pray and to work, We have said that we
trusted in God. Now let us show by our
act that we do. N~'