Blue-grass blade., 1891-10-31


has ever occurred in Prohibition
politics, of which l know, is that
editorial of our national PrOhibi-
ton organ, The New York
Voice, on "The ungodly league of
the Church and Saloon, and the
sympathetic response from Pro-
hibition papers and Prohibition
workers all over the country.
The substance of the editorial
is that the church is the bulwark
of the rum traffic, that Christians
who believe in Prohibition should
withdraw from these churches, an6
either establish churches Of theil
own, or just live in the Prohibi-
ton party as being better than the
church in its present form, and
use the money that they have
been giving to churches, for the
Prohibition party.
It not only takes the position
that no man is a Christian who
votes with the old political parties
but says of any preacher who il
even silent on the Prohibition
question that he ia not fit for 6
teacher of the people.
Nothing can be any more self
evidently right than the whole
tenor of the Voices editorial. Ii
all the church member voters o.
the United States there are twenty
out of every twenty-one who vote
for the liquor traffic. That the
church thus becomes the bulwark
of the liquor traffic is indispu'
table. The Prohibitionist ther
who gives twenty-one cents to the
church gives twenty cents to helI
the church beat Prohibition, and
one cent to help Prohibition bear
the church and its ally the sa-
loon.
One Of the most efficient ways
therefore. to beat Prohibition is t.
strengthen the church by givint
it money.
Of course we all know that oul
Prohibition voters are Target,
church members, but the liquor
voters are much more largel,
church members, and if the fac
that Prohibition voters have com,
from the church proves that tn
church isthe friend Of Prohibi-
ton, the fact that all of thes
voters have come from the Demo
crstic and Republican partie
would also prove that those tw'
rotten old political parties ar
friends of Prohibition.
II twenty out Of every twenty
one church members vote agains
Prohibition, as they undoubtedl
do, if there are 100000 churcl
-melee-~eteFs- in the Unite'
States, and only 100000 OF then
vote for Prohibition then, b
mathematical demonstration tn
church is the enemy of Prohibi
ton. IF all these Christian voter
except $50, 900 vote as the liquo
dealers want them to do, then Q
course the church is the frien
and ally of the liquor dealer
There is no use of debating tina
question any longer.
The papers published in tn
LIQUOR interest never have an
complaint to make of the church
They pick out the few scatter
ing ministers and laymen who op
pose the liquor traffic, and thes
papers call them fools and hypo
critics; but they brag on the churcl
and print the sermons of tn
preachers who say anything
against Prohibition.
If there is any conscience in tn
church, such q withdrawal of Pro
hibitionists from its fold would b
the most effective mode of arOuf
ing it.
IF we have left the old politics
parties because they were corruI
and immoral and pledged to SUP
port the liquor traffic, l can nc
see with what consistency Prohi
bitionists can stay in the churches
all of which are just as earnest i
the support of the liquor traffic.
There's no sense in. tellin
about all the splendid resolution
that the different churches al
passing in favor of temperate
and Prohibition. Its all pop
cock, and intended to humbu
somebody, just like the Republ
can party passes temperance rest
lutions.
The church people and the Re
publicans who pass the resolution
are nothing but lot of liars an
at the very time they are passin
them intend to vote for the liquC
traffic at the next election.
l can not conceive of a ma
who is a Christian for the sake {
encouraging the Christian virtue
and doing good to his fellow mel
as not being a Prohibitionlst.
Iwould love more than anythin
that 1 can imagine, to see a
Christians who are such simpl
for the good they can do, combin
in one great church, to be Gale
simply "The Christian church,
and this proposition of the Ne'
York Voice for the Prohibitionist
to combine themselves in churc
is the first intimation / have see
for q nucleus for the re-establist
ment of Christianity for the pun
nose for which it was intended b
Ito founder.