Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-06-09
The Saloon.

The Saloon.
It is impossible to find language
which will truly state how great a
curse the saloon is. It is an evil in
itself, and that uniformly and contin-
ually, universally and necessarily.
Not only does it not supply any legi-
innate want. but it creates illegiti-
mate and unholy wants. 1t is a child
of the divil, and an agent of hell. In
these days it has become organized.
despotic and satanic to an unusual
degree; it has become an institution.
1t has resolved upon political power.
and it is massing all its forces with
that end in view. 1t finds politicians
ready to bow down and worship at its
feet, for the sake of the votes which
it promises to secure and deliver. 1t
moves forward with gigantic stride
with aggressive purpose, and with
marvellous wisdom, toward the attain
ment of these unholy ends. Not only
is the the end it seeks utterly bad,
but the means 1t employs to secure
Its ends are the worst which it's black
heart can devise and execute The
time has come when men must speak
out brave and necessarily bitter words
against this gigantic evil. It stalks
through the land, destroying all that
is noblest IN our civilization, and holi-
est in our religion. 1t has trampled
on the dearest hopes of fondest par
ents; IL has broken the hearts of the
truest and bravest of wives; it has fill
ed the land with mourning, the grave
with victims, and hell with drunkards.
The hands of the saloon which recent
ly were lifted up, pleading for "Per-
sonal Liberty" so-called, were drip
ping with the blood of murdered
souls. By all that is sacred in family
life, by ali that Is holy in the church,
and by the justice of an Eternal God,
we declare that this murderer shall
die for his God-defyIng and soul de-
stoying crimes!
The church of God lifts men up in
to the noblest manhood; the saloon
throws them down into the lowest
degradation. The church attem pts
to make men over into the image of
God, the saloon blots out the last trace
of that image from their souls. The
saloon robs them of the glory of man
hood, and of all that makes immor-
tality desirable. The knowledge of
the Indebtedness which it brings to
innocent wives and children is enough
to break the heart of a thoughtful
man with It's continual aching. See
ing the work of destruction which it
Is constantly producing, one is led to
cry out in the bitterness of his spirit
and in the agony of his entire being,
''How long, o Lord, Holy and TrueP'
The misery of the children of drunk
ards would move the eyes of angels
| to tears.
The most important reform among
working men is not fewer hours of
labor, but fewer glasses of liquor.
The recent Personal Liberty Lea
que had its birth in the saloon. It is
a monstrosity, perhaps we ought rath-
er to say it is the natural offspring of
monstrous parents. Every one famIl-
lar with the history of the recent mon
strosity can at once divine its unholy
parentage; it is not difficult to trace
it back to the place and even the tune
of its birth. Senator Window, whose
strong words are too strong says: st
do not overstate it, when 1 say that
the two hundred thousand saloons in
this country have been instrumental
in destroying more human lives in
the last five years than than the two
millions of armed men did during the
four years of the rebellion. Whiskey
is more deadly weapon than shot
and shell or any of the implements of
our improved modern warfare" Sure
ly, society has right to protect itself
against SO terrific an evil Surely,
the time has come when that protec-
ton should be sought and securedl
Surely. the day will dawn when the
last saloon shall be removed from this
long suffering worldl The time has
now come when all the friends of the
church of God, and of the human
race must be summoned to work along
various lines, In order to lessen this
terrible curse. This we emphatically
affirm, Is the most important question
economically, politically and relig-
Iously, now before this republic. The
party which will bow down at the
feet of the satanic tyrant, alcohol, Is
party for which the world has no
use, God no respect, and the devil no
dread. Politicians must take heed.
This nation is aroused. 1t will not
longer submit to the dictation of the
saloon. A brighter day is dawning.
The procession is forming. It will
march to the music OF a redeemed
humanity and triumphant Christ.
The train will go, whether the liquor
enslaved politicians are on board or
not.
The ultimate end at which we all
should aim, is the total extinction of
the saloon. Toward that ED we
must move with unfalterIng step.
J with buoyant heart and with radiant
face. God and eternal truth are on
our side.
It is certain that many of the great
est economic, social and religious
problems of the present and future
are to be solved in America. The ma
ton which slew and buried the mon
ster slavery, after four years of tears
and blood, can STAY and bury its twin
monster-the saloon. For this work,
o church of the living God, now grid
myself in the might of thy conquer
ing Lordi The conflict Is long and
bitter. It was begun in Eden, it
shall end in Eden restored. Jesus
Christ is King. The seed of the wom-
an shall crush the head of the serpent.