The record-union., 1892-03-07

| raised II to 81, 500 and even more Tor a IL
cense-but the traffic has -.waxed fat and
kIckt by tnIs roceSs. The monopoly ad-
vantage tEere; y gained has only enabled it TO
| increase its neIarious power. AS a fact beyond
an reasonable dispute. with all the attempts
tnat nave been put forth TO restrain and keep
| down this traffic, it has gone on increasing in
! power and arrogance, until not only are cities
/ IKE Sacramento completely within It's lie
| control, but State Legislatures, aye, the SER
wants OF the nation in the great political par
| Ties and in both branches of Congress- are its
most ooedient servants. 1t has more power
/ 10 corrupt all legislative bodies. high and low,
| than 1t ever had. The most sanguine advocate
OF these laws cannot claim with any force
that they have secured the general good of the
community. And II We look for q reason 1t Is
| easy 10 find. a law that is conceived in sin
and born in iniquity'' clnnot in the very ma
ture OF things secure the general good of the
| community. ANY law that in its very initial
notion compromises with evil cannot be a
| terror 10 evil. 1t has been demonstrated that
| the liquor traffic, the gambling tradhc. and the
brothel traffic are "evils, only evils. and that
continually" and consequently any permis-
sive laws that can be made are evil IN their
] very nature.
/ No government can. with safety, be a party
1 10 that which even tends to undermine it.
| And the higher the price the liquor traffic
| pays for protection the more easily is the
| community reconciled to its own impoverish-
| ment and debauchment. The greater the
| license fee the greater factor for evil it is.
because all such laws are "vicious in prin-
| clple ana powerlesS as remedy they ought
/ To be repealed and laws that Will 'secure the
general good of the community" ought to be
/ enacted.
There is one law which is sorely needed by
this great State, and l believe the day viii
come when it will be seen Oy all TO have been
q mistake that such a law has not been on the
statute books all the time. There is no law in
TINS state providing for resi- ;tful and quiet
| Saopatn. There Is no question in my mind
that, leaving the religious aspect of this QueS-
! tlon wholly out of sight, we viii wake up
! some day 10 the fact that we cannot afford for
the welfare OF Tie State TO be regardless OF
| Gods day.
This brings me face to face with state of
| Things which l am meeting ON every hand,
| VIZ, q demand TO divorce all public affairs
! from any connection with God. This demand
came out in the discussion OF the Sabbath
| question during the last session OF the Iegis-
| lature. IL recently showed itself in the Free
| holders meeting in an attempt to expel the
| Bible wholly from the public schools, and it is
/ popping up frequently. Notonly the improve
ment OF the State, but its very stability, aye,
It's preservation, Is at peril in this attempt to
! sever the State from all connection with God
or recognition of God.
1t is no Offset to say each individual is still! at
| liberty 10 recognize God There is more than
an individual responsibility to recognize God.
! If the p )werS that be are ordained of God"
then tllose powers are accountable to God.
Inc Blble is full of this teaching of national
| res sponSlbiIity to God. His eyes observe the
nations. Let not the rebelliOus eXalt them
| selves" Fs. Xvi, 7. lie is the ruler over the
nations" Ps. xxi. 2S.
! And yet there is IA demand which seems to
say, keep your God in the church. Do not
bring him into our legislative halls nor into
our pubic SCHOOLS, nor into places of business,
nor on tue streets" In other words, it is i'm
pied that we only are related to God as indi-
viduals.
"a few frogs in a swamp make incom3ara-
bly more nois9 than all the here's OF cattle
browsing upon a hundred hills" says noted
writer, and so 1t is with the noisy clamorerS
VINO demand that all alluSion TO GOD be eX-
plunged from the Constitution, and who would
cast him out OF the State ana nation entirely.
L cannot believe the rank and fl e OF the
a ri h..
any sympathy with these demands that are
SO dlshonoring to God and so dangerous 10
the State, but here again they just Su tier
rather than take the trouble to brig about
change.
The effectiveness of any rule is as the degree
of terror in the rule to evil the effecti yene IS
of any ruler is as the degree of terror in him
TO evil. This il principle of wide applic;a-
ton. various parties strive ior the mastery
in these United States. The question for every
conscientious citizen to consider is which of
these parties is a terror to evil? If the Demo-
cratic party is not a terror to evil no good citi
zen should support If, and the same NAV be
said OF the Republican party or of any other
party that fails to be Il terror to evil
II any party aspiring 10 govern this coan-
try conSorts with and yields to the demands
or the baser elements OF society, and thel eby
compromises the highest welfare OF the coun-
| trf, no Christian citizen rightfully sup
| port Such q party. The fact that such party
may b StrC n is no sufficient reason, for God
| Is with the right whether or not they may be
| in the majority.
! what party is right right iii its aims right in
! the emphasis ii gives to the greatest needs;
| that question ought to determine his action.
am not responsible for the success of q party
! IN winning an election, but an responsible
| for what my vote says II my vote identities
me with party which would rather gain an
! election tnan be right, then before God stand
! guilty. If my vote says l would prefer to be
| right with minority than wrong with Il ma
Jofity, then L stand with clean hands before
! God.
Christian citizens of whatever party cannot
DHnd their eyes TO the fact that this huge
liquor tranc Is the most dire evil in our coun-
| Try, causing more oppression by taxation, do
ing more to iml overish the people, do
ing more to debauch the people, doing more
to divert money from the best channels of
trade, causing more loss to the country from
ldleness and Viciousn ass; in short is the
father and mother OF more evils than any
other cause, or all other causes together.
say ii is the father and mother of evils 1t
occupies this attitude to the brothel Sweep
away the liquor traffic, and thereby YOU DO
almost entirely Danish the brothel, and largely
the same thing is true of gambling and burg
larry, and highway robbery and of nearly
every gross evil
Questions of tariff and silver fade away to
nothing compared with the importance of
this question. They only have financial sig
MI cince. This question has thousand
times more financial significance than they
have, and its moral significance is beyond all
expression appalling.
| Then let me ask, Is the Republican party q
terror to the saloon traffic? Is the Demo.
| cratic party q terror TO the saloon? If this is
| the greatest question before the country then
] Christians must ask, What is the attitude of
! the party | affiliate with toward this ques-
| ton? If, upon investigation. you concluGe
| that neither of these parties are a terror to
| this awful ira fic, and if you can find q party
tlat holds this greatest question in that lofty
! place it deserves then it is your duty to throw
your influence with that party.
| In closing what l have to say. LET me com
mend to you the saving of Hyperides 10 the
people of Athens: Don't examine whether
or not am severe upon you, but whether or
not 1 am so for my own sake"
! If any of you dissent rom my views and
think any hing have said severe, please ask
Did he do il for his own sake?