The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-04-02
Religion and Rum.


There are various plans and projects for
the suppression, limitation or regulation
OF the liquor traffic, but DR.. RAINsFoRD
of New York is advocating one that, to
say the least, is peculiar. Unlike most of
the clerical opponents of the business he
does not favor prohibition. He sees that
in nearly every part of the country pro-
hibition. however good as a theory, is
utterly incompetent in practice. He says
alcohol is here to stay, and therefore all
that can be done is to regulate its sale and
limit its evil effects.
That is sensible SO far as it goes; as to
the manner of control that he proposes
we have word or two to say. But that
prohibition does not prohibit, as rule
has become SO generally recognized that
it has passed into proverb. In places
where the majority of the people do not
wish the liquor traffic suppressed, it will be
carried on in spite of laws and ordinances,
and Nominations from the pulpit and the
press. If the principle is right that ma
jorities should rule, prohibition ought
not to be attempted in such communities.
/ And even where there is a respectable
minority who want TO indulge in the use
OF intoxicants, it viii be found very diff
cult to establish prohibition. Where
there is demand for them there will
come supply. Experience has demon
strated this beyond doubt.
This is not intended as an argument for
or against the prohibition theory; it IS
Dr. RAINsFoRD's scheme that we wish to
touch upon. He considers alcohol dan
gerous element in society and that it
should be placed in competent hands to
prevent its abuse. 1t cannot be put down,
but it ought to be held in check. 1t is an
evil and therefore cody men should
tackle it. The church should control the
saloons instead of the class of persons
who now run the business. This would
limit the evil, he thinks, to narrower
area and thus be popular benefit.
The idea of connecting rum and re-
ligion is not altogether new to the public
mind in another way. That is, it is often
asserted that in civilizing the darker
quarters of the world the twain go to-
gether. AS soon as the missionary OBJ
tains a foothoId liquor finds its way in,
and so Christianity and intoxicants if not
associates are nearly simultaneous in
truders into the regions of barbarism.
But to have the two alleged opponents &c
into partnership is a novel idea, and one
that like many other newfangled but
more feasible notions is likely to be re-
ljected both by the church and by the
world.
If the churches should regulate liquor
selling because it is s'here to stay, Z" why
not go into gambling? Is not that here
to stay, too? We will not pursue the
subject SO far as to include other evils
and vices which are impossible to prohibit
so as to suppress, ana which are very
difficult to control, but they will suggest
themselves in the same connection. i
the churches should go into one business
in that line why not into all?
1t would no doubt form big revenue
Tor religion if the churches gained The
profits that come from the liquor traffic
and they could expend it in the work o
redemption abroad. By dealing ou
''blue ruin'' at home they could greatly
enlarge their foreign missions and haster
the work of heather conversion. They
could make salvation free by putting big
price on the sale of "liquid damnation.
1t would be great thing for the churches
in that way but would it be anything a
all for true religion?
On what principle Dr.. RAINsFoRD coulc
justify the alliance he proposes, it is har'
to perceive. If liquor is an evil hov
could the churches dispense it? If it i
not an evil why should the churches seel
to interfere with it? The gentleman seem
to be in earnest but we fear his wisdom i
not equal to his zeal. If the sale of in
toxicants is Legitimate business TIL
churches should not denounce it, if it i
illegiuimate they certainly should not en-
gage in it. In either case this proposition
is not likely to be adopted by saints o
sinners.