The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-05-10
DR.. Leonard OF Alcohol.

rotary of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, recently delivered an address
in Chickering Hall, New York, from
which we take the following extracts:
"Alcohol is death to religion. 1t turns
man away from the Church of Christ and
from the hope of Heaven. One of the most
alarming features of the High License sys-
tenn here in the State of New York is the
fact that alcohol has proposed terms of COM
promise TO Christians, and thousands ofthem
have accepted. A campaign has been con-
Quoted on High License platform, and
has been supported by many Christian min
listers and laymen. Since they haye voted
for license these ministers and laymen are
stopped from speking against it, for how
can they pronounce against policy which
they have already supported at the ballot.
box? The result is paralysst of the pull
pit and pew on this question. This COM
promise with the Liquor traffic for price
carries with it the invasion and destruction
Of the Christian Sabbath, SO that it is now
proposed, and that by Christian minister,
that the State of New York shall legalize
under License law the sale of beer for one
hour on the Sabbath day. This proposition
for compromise was put in very mild form
The beer was to be sold Through an apert-
ure'; the dlmentions of the 'aparture,' how
ever, were not defined. Whether it was TO
be one foot square, or the size of an ordinary
saloon door, the reverend gentleman did
not state. If, however, we may have legal
aperture through the 4th Commandment,
to be kept open for one hour each week,
why not have an aperture for the same
length Of time open at least once week for
the violation of the other nine?
"True, the churches have with great
unanimity declared against license and Sum
day selling. but to break the force of these
declarations we are gravely told by the Ii
cense advocates that they are mere senti-
ment, and not 10 be regarded as binding
upon the conscience of church members
That part of the quadrennial address of the
Bishops Of the Methonist Episcopal Church,
delivered in the presence of the General
Conference in this city in May last, in
which they say, License is vicious in prin-
ciple and powerless as remedy and that
the drink traffic can never be legalized
without SIM is declared by The Mail and
EGpreSS of this city to be an incautious ut
terance' and therefore not the profound con-
victions of the Bishops personally. Thus
the most solemn deliverances of church
councils and dignitaries are neutralized by
the declaration that they are sentimental
and meaningless.
"Alcohol is death to the State. Whatever
| improverishes the cities improverishes the
Stale as we'll, and strikes blow at its very
life. There are not less than about five
millions of people in our land To-day that
are in an impoverished condition by reason
of our legalized liquor traffic. One billion
of dollars is annually worse than wasted by
these Impoverished citizens. But for the
wonderful resources of our country, alcohol
would bankrupt the nation in quarter of a
century. Even our vast resources will not
protect us from disaster if this destroyer is
not destroyed.
"The distillery and the brewery are the
sources from whence this destroyer comes,
and the saloon is the outlet through which
it is precipitated upon society.
"What shall we do? Hold gospel tenn
perance meetings? Yes. Deliver temper
ance addresses and sermons? Yes. Say
prayers? Yes, by all means. Circulate
pledges! Yes. But are we to stop with
these measures? Have they not been used
through all the years of our history, and
does not the destroyer still stalk abroad with
increasing boldness? These methods will
not avail. for the sources remain untouched
and the outlet remains open. One of three
things we must have, namely, free trade in
alcohol, license, or Prohibition. Nobody
wants the first; neither liquor makers nor
drinkers ask for it. There are many, how
ever, that now favor The second. Dstllers,
brewers. saloon-keepers and even so called
temperance men, including ministers and
laymen, are ready to accept it. Some of
these want the lcence low, some medium,
and some high, but all agree to the license
principle. The difference is simply in the
amount of money to be paid for the privilege
of selling alcoholic beverages. Even some
who claim to be Prohibitionists say they
will take license as a step toward Prohibl-
ton. l desire 10 say, however, speaking
for all thoroughbred Prohibitionists, that
this question will never be settled on the
license plan. We will not accept it for the
reason that it neither diminishes the guam
tity Of liquors sold and consumed, nor the
evil results of liquor selling.
"The fact that the license law shuts up a
few saloons does not lessen the selling. III
law were passed that would shut up one
half the drygoods stores in this citv, would
it lessen the quantity of dry-goods sold in
year? By no means. II would give the
remaining dry-goods dealers the whole
trade, and so increase their business by one
half Well, man will go twice as far to
get drink of whiskey as he will to get a
new dress for his wife, or shoes for his bare