St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-20
That Is What Rev. Edwards
Vehemently Calls the
Rum Shop
In One Of the Typical Sermons
Preached on Temperance
Sunday.
If Aught Is to Be Done, Now
Is the Time, the Church
Must Lead.
One Must Survive - Which,
Il the Church or the
Saloon

Yesterday was temperance Sunday,
and in many of the churches sermons
appropriate to the subject were
preached. Rev. E. r. Edwards. of the
Church of Christ, talked on 1.-THE
Church and Temperance, and said:
"The saloon is the enemy of the church.
1t is time for the church to become the
enemy of the saloon. We do not know
that the church has been friendly to the
saloon, yet there seems to be nothing
more that a negative position assumed
by one in reference to the other. We
can not permit the question as to our
duty in the premises to go by default.
This is a practical age. Sentiment is
excellent when accompanied by prac-
tcaI effort. Mere sentimentalism,h how
ever, never won battle. 1t is, at best,
a poor foundation upon which to erect
a reform. 1t seldom natures, and gen
orally fills an early grave. The senti-
ment against the curse of the age pre-
walls in most every quarter. A unlyer-
sal opinion exists in regard to the abol-
ishment of the liquor traffic. When 1t
comes to pass that an opportunity is
given to smite it, this opinion takes
vacation and only returns when the
heat of political controversy has ceaSeG
Previous to and succeeding ali election
the friends of temperance, so called,
are loud in their denunciatiOn of the
business in strong drink. When the
time arrives for a practical demonStra-
ton of our conviction we can not re-
member to have ever had any conyic-
tons concerning the matter. 1t is all
we'll and good for us to cry aloud and
spare not. That may be called posi-
ton that is sound, and we agree that it
is sound in another sense. We have
talked much on the drink question, and
many good things have been said. 1t is
now
Time to Act.
| The world depends largely upon the
| church to lead the advance against the
| foe. Sometimes the call has been in
| vain. If we claim to have God with US
we need not be surprised tnat the
! church is expected to take the initiatOry
! the problem alone. 1t must be bravely
met, and with loyalty solved. The sa-
! loon is today the most pronounced foe
| of Christianity. 1t is the prolific source
of crime, and by its existence raises an
almost insurmOuntable barrier to the
| extension of ChriSt'S kingdom. Its
! activity is ceaSeleSs. No workShtp of
| the devil furnishes as much maerial
| for hell as this mandatory. PauperS,
! criminals, insane, red noses, rotten con-
! situations, mHddled brains, empty head
and empty cupboard, dirt, disease,
| death. These are some of The products
of the rum factory. They will take a
/ man created in the image of God and
| transform him into a creature so vile
! that dog will siun him. This factory
'needs a great deal of material.
! Two million souls required to
keep it running from the
beginning to the end of the year. Who
! is willing to furnish some of this ma
| terial? 1t will be taken from the home,
and some of you may supply this in
dustry with boy, who shall be bloat-
! ed, blear eyed drunkard. If the tippler
would cease throwing his dimes into the
pocket of the saloonkeeper, his family
would probably attend the house of
| God. AS it is, they are unable to de-
Gently clothe themselves, and feel
ashamed to appear in public. Do you
not think it is time to cease standing
men Oh their feet, and begin thrOttling
| the power that holds them down? What
| we, as Christians, need is not so much
| dependence on bi-chloride of gold, but
bI-chloride of grace and grit. The
church has made magnificent progress
| since its inception. In overwhelming
circles its sweep and compass have
! opened the continents and islands.
Her development and growth has
claimed the admiration of friends, while
| her enemies
Gnash Their Teeth
in rage as they see her moving gradu-
ally onward and upward. Let us not be
| unnlindful of the fact that by her side
is another power growing stronger and
stronger day by day. This monster of
iniquity damns and hurls into the bot
tomless pit those who otherwise would
augment the army of God and march
straight forward for the eternal city.
Two things can reach the summit Of
the pyramid-the eagle and the snake.
Two'poWers have reached the apex of
Diled-up centuries-the saloon and the
church. Both are equally prominent.
Shall we permit each to stand beside
the other? That means, one of them
must die. Need l ask which shall it be?
You cannot ignore the danger. AS the
serpent, who was Graded In hell. and
whose lullaby was the wall of last souls,
stretches its slimy length along. we
must kill it or permit the poison to
work our own destruction. The Scrip
lures are sometimes quoted in juStifica-
ton of strong drink. Most any pretext
will suffice to Justify tipping. A
man who was enchanted by the
habit signed the pledge on condition
that he be allowed the use of liquor in
case OF a snake-bite. The next day he
was found walking in patch of weeds
with pants rolled up looking for snakes
to bite him. You often near 1t said that
Jesus Christ made wine at the wedding
feast. He did, and He also made light
ming, and yet you would be very fool
ish to tamper with that. Every church
membership should be considered
total abstinence society. If this curse
of curses is permitted to enter the
church, the living God will make it
blasted and withered tree, the sport
and jeer of the paSSer-by. The spirit
OF God cannot affiliate with Satan and
his works. Let US recognize our duty
and perform 1t. No quarter must be
given OF asked. As long as one home is
made desolate We must strive. Let us
pledge ourselves that whenever an op
portunity is offered to sihite it we will
strike. The stories of the wreck and
ruin following after this serpent of
death is enough to curdle the blood of
Christianity in its veins. With the
cunning of snake, It's sends it poison
through society; with the
Power ola TAunderbOIt
it strikes millions dead, and llurls them
in dishonored grave: with The cruelty
of an assassin it clptts in twain the
heart of mother, daughter, wife; ferO-
ciuus as n lion when it inflames the
blond OF drunkard. it will cause him
TO leap upon helpless woman and beat
her to death; with the concentrated and
reinforced subtlety OF the devil. it .ad-
tEre, upon its victim with smile on
us tacp and murder in its heart. These
81 lracterislieS make it a power that
) I've shacklrd. and hurled over the
Ite3pi t OF terl1l-co &c unation. Ii
lItA BeiOrr. men ibis night. | be-
seech y0a. determine la stand upon the
Siht. that pXalIS God, protects home, and
makes Rs prou ut orr aaliye land. Lei