The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-01-01
Total. So, 7OO,OOO,OOO


This is the record of the leading civ
ilized nations Of the world nearly a de-
cade ago; the report now (1SS7 would
swell the total to over three billions of
dollars. Black heathendom cannot
parallel this record. Indeed, heathen-
dom is learning that civilization means
small amount of gospel and an over
whelming amount of whisky. Statis-
tics, quantities Of them, could be built
out Of our summing up of this atrocit
of our civilization showing how many
empty beer kegs this vast sum repre-
sents, and how many times they would
belt the globe; but what we need is
rather some way to belt the beer traffic !!
Statistics figured out in what could
be done, only cause the liquor traffic
to smile with gloating pleasure over
it's own power. How many people are
there outside of the liquor interest,who
need figures to prove that the drink
traffic is the blighting curse of all ma
tons that bear the name of Christian?
What can we do about it, AS in every
crisis of the past, the solution of this
problem lies with the God-fearing,
God-serving people. But they seem
asleep to the danger of the hour. Tenn
perance was preached by Paul, as we'll
as righteousness and judgment, but
how seldom we hear temperance
preached now! What is the matter
with the pulpit? Why should not this
horrible traffic in mems souls meet op-
position oft-repeated from pulpit and
pew? You know you shift off this load
and say it is none of yours; your pastor
says it is none of his; the Sunday
school superintendent says it certainly
isn't his business. Whose is it, then?
If you as church member will kind
ly, quietly and persistenly urge your
pastor to preach on this vital question;
if you will speak to your Christian
friends and ask them to urge the same
duty on your pastor; if you will make
the subject one of prayer; if you will
speak about it to your Sunday-school
class, to your Sunday school superin-
tendent, you will start forces at work.
Many Christians are reversing the
divine word, to walk in the light. For
them public sentiment on this huge,
ever-present liquor question is the
light, and they walk in it; and just now
public sentiment is very poor guide
as to what we can do" Remembering
Huss, Luther, Knox, and in later days,
VIM. Lloyd Garrison, John Brown and
the Crusade of the Nineteenth Century,
see how positive and certain of results
it is to create an exalted public senti-
ment through taking a deliberate pur-
pose to oppose in every possible way
the encroachment of iniquity. The
difficulty is to make men know that it
takes the same independence of
thought and action now as in the days
of Luther, to fight an evil which is en-
sconced as safely behind legislators
robes as ever was Tetzel with his in
dulgences behind the scarlet robe of
Rome. And if they see this, they still
slide away from known duty because
their opportunities are SO limited!'
Every one living has his or her public.
Who dares to affirm in this day of
brain prowess that any honest effort
of any kind is smal7 The touch of a
finger can bring an explosion, tearing
apart the jagged rocks of hell-gate, or
set in motion ponderous machinery
hundreds of miles away, or flash word
| of living thought under the depths of
the sea to other lands. Are divinely
made souls and minds less delicately
connected than the devices of man, OF
less able to respond to touch of the
Diyine fnger9
DR.. Prime says: "The mystery Ct
mysteries, the wonder of wonders is
that the Christian world can look on
with such comparative indifference
when the evil of intemperance is sc
enormous, the remedy SO simple, and
the power so manifestly in the wise
and the good" 1t lies with you, and
you, and you, to create public senti:
ment. May God help the reader OF
these words to see that this is. true
Faith is said to consist of three steps
knowledge, assent, consent" Power
may equally be named as Definition
conviction, action" Will you acta-
lGoo n uon