The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-30
THE CHURCH AND SALOONS.

Denver is having a hard tussle with the
SUNDAY closing question. BY the latest
calculation, our sister mountain city has
five hundred saloons, or a saloon to every
one hundred and fifty men and grown boys.
Itappears that the people have lost conf
dence in the mayor and city council, so far
as their enforcing the Sunday closing law
is concerned, and have turned to the county
sheriff and his deputies in the hope that
these gin mills would be closed by them.
The sheriff, in fact, was elected by the
people with the understanding that he
would close the dives and dens of infamy
on the Sabbath day. Sheriff BARTON,
however, finds that he promised more than
he is able to carry out. AS no efficient help
could be expected from the police force, an
appeal was made to the county commits
sioners for funds TO pay the depu-
ties, and to allow an increase
in their number for necessary
service. The county commissioners, how
ever, refused to grant the assistance asked
for. and the sheriff finds himself with a
job on his hands that he is unable to ac-
complish. The statutes of the state, the
decisions of the courts, the will of the peo-
pie, all unite in demanding that the saloons
Of Denver shall be closed on Sundays, and
yet the decree of statutes of the courts, and
Of the people is practically set at defiance
by the saloon men because no adequate
means of executing the laws is found, or
because they who are entrusted with exc
cutive powers refuse to act in the matter.
Under these circumstances a Lady of
Denver, a Lady of high social standing and
influence, than whom, it is claimed, none is
more deserving of respect and honor,
writes a vigorous letter to the Rocky
Mountain NelpS protesting against the
failure TO close the saloons on Sunday, and
appeals to the ministers and congregations
of Denver's seventy churches to come to
the assistance of Sheriff BARTON in man.
ner that would make him realize that the
promise made to sustain his efforts in sup
pressing lawlessness was made in as good
faith az We're his pledges to execute The
law. Here, however, it would seem thai
the lady appeals to quarter that is power
less TO grapple with the crying evil The
editor of the Ners. commenting on her com
munication, says:
But II is a deplorable truth that the church in
fuence in most OF our cities has small practicl
bearing on the real evils of the community. Tn,
preaching and the strains of sacred music AR
confined mainly TO people who are not engaged
in any occupation that is specially demoraliz
ing and who are reasonably good citizens or
in exceptional cases they arr using the cloak o
religion TO despoil their neighbors more success
fully, they generally manage to balance &C
counts with their own consciences by of
setting a big haul of plumber with
gift OF $50 or SlOO to an orphan asylum
or some other worthy charity. No in
formed person can honestly question the sub
stantial truth of the above statement or tina
much of the preaching in our churches is shape
TO suit the prejudces the failings and even tn
wickedness OF the rich and powerful among tn
congregation; while, with rare and honorabl
exceptions the pulpit shrnlls from grapplin
with those sources of evil which are destructiv
70 health and morals and burdening societ
with taxation to support machinery for dealin
with crime and pauperism-for building an
sustaining jails, penitentiaries, poor house
and lunatic asylums.
1t is much TO be feared that our correspoI
dents appeal to the clergy and congregations {
Denver to assert their undoubted influence
behalf of decency, law and good morals will /
in vain; and surely it is TO be regretted tn;
while the vicious clements of society always az
as a unit and to that fact must he traced IL
secret OF their power, the moral forces are di
tracted and without even tendency to cob
sion.
1t is seldom. indeed, that the weakness
OF the churches is so frankly admitted as
is in the above. That such is their cond
ton, however, not only in Denver, bl
throughout the land, no one can success
fully deny.O The voice from the pulpit
weak II may be more ELUSIVE in ton
more polished in its eloquence than of yor
the lips from which it issues are velvet
their smoothness, but ministers are vyir
with each other in speaking easy things
Israel and lack the hardihood TO face IL
prejudices of the congregations, eve
though those preiudices pander to wicket
ness. Under these conditions religion
becoming matter of opinion instead
the foundation of rules governing person
conduct While the preaching of the VOL
which now, particularly, should be Wi
the power and demonstrations of the spin
of COP is degenerating to can't merely, al
flows on too frequently in volume Of i
sincere and unreal speech. Nor can mu,
hope of an improvement be entertained
long as conditions surrounding the min
try remain as they are. OF all men, min
ters should be the most independent or I
people; and yet they are the most Deepen
ent. TO the people they must look for r
enumeration for their services-for live
hood. Is it to be wondered at that a su
servient priesthood is the result! prizes
hood which follows the people instead
leading them; and which panders to ths
preiudices. whatever their tendency,
stead of reproving them. 1t requires
strong man 10 take course which max
against his own interest. Most men W
Weld a little; and the minister that
Yields is damned already. JESUS CHR
manifested great wisdom when He sc
out His apostles to preach without pul
and without scrip and bade tn,
look to Con TO open up their W
for food and. .raiment. II rendered tn,
so far independent of their congregati
that they could denounce evil wherever
reared its head, call upon the people to
pent and warn them of the consequences
they refused. The preaching of Tho
plain. blunt men may have lacked I
tmootnness of the discourses of our mode
5ivines, but it made up for that in
rugged honesty and power. ETen prin,