River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-07-23

WHY2
Bishop William Taylor, replying TO
an invitation to attend the national W.
O. Il. u. held In Atlanta, presents in
his brief letter a striking commentary
upon the evils resulting from the
liquor traffic in Africa. He says: at
would afford me special pleasure to
accept, were it possible, for yours is
the real issue of the day aud of great
import, not only to our American
homes, for whose defence you stand
in the name of God, but, also, in its
relation to mission work In heather
lands. Poor Africa's deplorable con-
dition under the rum curse is darker
than when the stealing of millions of
its people caused Livingstone to call it
the open sore of the world hun
dred steamships that sail from Eur o.
pean and English ports TO the west.
south and east coasts, carry a princl.
pal cargo of rum and gin. Hamburg
alone, by two lines of steamers, eX-
ported to Africa 200.0 tons of rum
last year; and many other cities, in
GLIDING our own Boston, are engaged
in the nefarious business of turning
a Mississippi of death and destruction
upon the defenseless Africans, annu.
ally decimating whole sections of that
country. Our only hope is in the Cos
pei. God bless you in your great
work. "-Ndfional W. c. 4. u. BUiie-
tin.
Why cannot the European powers
deal with the liquor traffic in Africa
as unanimously and decisively as they
have planned to d cal with the slave
trafiici
They found the slave trade entrench.
ed behind the bulwarks of habit and
custom-a custom which has been in
existence for thousands of years-yet
they have not hesitated to declare
that, no matter what may be the
power of this diabolical systems and
no matter how long the people have
been accustomed to it, it must be
abolished.
The traffic in strong drinks is reduc-
ing the African races that have come
under its spell to a still lower depth
of degradation than that to which they
had been brought under the blighting
influence of the slave trade. And this
new destroyer of Africa, instead of
being well-de JelOped giant, as in the
slave trade, is as yet in its infancy in
that continent. Yet nations which
have undertaken to choke the life out
of the giant have not dared to enter
upon a similar crusade against the
infant, although well aware that it
will grow stronger and more mischiev-
Gus every day. Why is thisl
Certainly there cannot exist in any
mind an honest doubt as to
the evil nature of the effects which
the liquor traffic will produce on the
people of the Dark Continent.
What thenl 1t is only question of
The profits of the slave trade
go to enrich the Arab slave drivers,
and that is an abomination the
thought of which no white race could
be expected to endure with equanim-
ity. OF course the slave trade must
be put down. But the profits of the
liquor traffic in Africa come into the
Golfers of the English, Dutch, French,
German and Portuguese merchants
land American merchants, too, more's
the PITY, and the iniquitous business
loses much of its responsiveness when
viewed through the golden spectacles
which it thus holds up before the eyes
Of these nations.
1t is a great disgrace to the Europe
an nations that they should allow the
lust for gain to blind their eyes to the
of this traffic in "souls of
men," and to close their ears and
harden their hearts against the appeal
for protection which comes to them
from a multitude of peoples, scattered
over the dark continent, who are be-
ing debased and destroyed by these
Internal beverages, of which most of
them had never heard till the white
man came.
Is it any less disgraceful to US that
with all our boosted progress and love
Of right we cannot put down the traffic
in our own land, where it is running
our own people, destroying our own
homes, and cOrrupting our political
system through and through! Have
we any better excuse than that which
the European statesman can offer,
that the people make money
by this traffic and refuse to abandon
it! 1t is, indeed, not to be expected
that those who are engaged in such
traffic and reaping direct profit from
it would be open to conviction on the
subject. but why, oh, why, is it so
hard to get good, earnest, sober Chris
tian men to engage in determined
effort to put down this iniquity in
spite of all obstsclesl Why is it that
we find so much indifference, or at
least inaction, on the part of our
churches, whose very bond of fellow
ship is devotion to the service of Him
who came to destroy the works of the
devil? Have the followers of the
King of kings actually accepted as
truth the DEVILS old lie that he is alb
solute lord and master on earth, and
are they convinced that it is a waste
of time and energy to try and break
the power of his vicegerent King Al
cohoI! Or can it be that even more
ignoble influences than mere lack of
faith or of zeal are allowed to govern
the conduct of some of those who
hope by and by to meet their Lord
and receive from Him the commenda-
ton and reward due to good and faith
full service!
IL the readers own conscience
aquits him we certainly would not
dare to Judge him, even If we had any
inclination to do so. Only we beg all
to beware of allowing other peoples
opinions and actions to blind them to
the greatness of their own response
bility.
When the great day of settlement