The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-10-19
WHY A PROHIBITION PARTY?
Address by Professor Samuel Dlckie at
the rockingham Last Night-Says 1t Is


Address by Professor Samuel Dlckie at
the rockingham Last Night-Says 1t Is
Political Question.
Professor Samuel Dickie, the cele-
brated leader of the Prohibition party,
delivered one of his enlivening adj
dresses at the rockingham theater
last evening. The lecture was entitled
why Prohibition Party?" In the de-
livery of which the lecturer was in his
usual happy mood and said:
There are few points which l shall
attempt to answer this evening; the first
is this, Is this an issue which is i'm
portant enough to justify the organiza-
ton OF new party" There Is no
moral question in American politics
except the question of prohlOition
! There are two classes of questions in
| our politics, moral and financial, and
| there is nothing in the first class but
! prohibition. Every minister ana every
| Christian man and woman will admit
that the saloons are bar to the work
| of religion and tear down what the
churches of Scranton are building up.
| Saloons besmear the name and biacken
| and deDauch the fame of your city.
Mr. Hastings and several gentlemen
will address you shortly, and the hall
VIII ring with the changes on the al
mighty dollar throughout their
| speeches, but do not believe that as an
American citizen that dollars are the
leading question. We have the case OF
the first magnitude in political reform.
Money in the Question.
There is more money in this question
for the baker, the butcher, the dry
goods man, etc. 1t must be so, as a
billion and a quarter Of dollars was
spent in drink in the United States
during the last year alone. What is
the size of the tariff problem as be,
tween the Republican and Democratic
parties, S6O,O00000. Compared with the
size OF our problem you cannot see il
with compound microscope. The
drink bill for two years is equal to the
whole amount of silver coined since the
Revolutionary war.
Brewers and distillers, although gath.
ering all this wealth, are not wealth
producing. A pickpocket robs the
pockets of people and cracks safes, but
he is not an industry, and the same car
be said of the saloons; they take money
from their victims and give nothing oi
value in return, and this is the Wors
species Of fraud.
GIVE us prohibition and let tn,
money spent in drink be spent in tn,
dry goods store for organs, etc, and /
will create employment for labor fo
every individual out of job in tn,
United states. The question is larg,
socially, morally and financially.
1t Is Political Question.
rs it of political character? Can 1
be solved in any other way? In 1862 /
was found in politics, when the liuuor
men who have no patriotism decided [,
oppose all parties and candidate
pledged to total abstinence. 1t is a DO
litical question inasmuch as we neet
officers who are in sympathy with tn
law and are In favor of carrying ou
the law. You give us prohibition ant
a party to back us up and prohibition
law will be carried out as easy as an,
: other law on the statute book. There i
no prospect that the Republican o
Democratic party will take up thi
= question.
Would to God that the churche
were as sensitive to their rights as tn
: stloon keepers are to their preroga
tives. l am Methodist, but | regre
4 to say that the vast majority of my fel
: low churchment go to the ballot bo
e and record their assent that tn
r saloons SHALL continue"
Professor Dickie concluded his lee
. ture with an earnest exhortation [
Christian members to carry out thei
duties upon the temperance question,
a Celebration Was Success.
The Baptist celebration services hay
III | .Itn IL, 4
o the first, and most important. aspe,
they have been the means of impress.
ing more firmly than ever the deflnit
and broad doctrines of the church. Tl
address of the Rev. George C. Lorime
of Boston, on Wednesday evening wa
ample recompense for the labor and ey
pense involved in promoting the SCI
vices. Mr.. Lorlmer was perfect in II
enunciation Of the five articles of faitl
i which were included in the report of h
address in yesterdays Tribune. TT
d address In this respect was broad
e its views and could not by any NEAR
VI offend the sensitive ear OF any membC
y. of the Christian community His d.
e scription of the attempts of early Bal
lists to set up more government wt
y humorous, but the logic was crushir
J. and demonstrated, with the create
e lucidity, the utter absurdity of d
70 parting from we'll established rules ar
p forms.
,e The anniversary services have a
le complished the valuable work Of ed
eating many people in the history
e. their own denomination, and many
IS bright historical gem has been u
B. earthed during the three days Sc
o, vices. For example, 1t is safe to So
o. that the majority of Scranton Baptis
r. were not aware that the followir
well-known lines were written by mel
bers of their denomination: "All Ht
the Power of Jesus Name" "Savi
Thy Dying Love-" my Country 'Tis
m Thee" "How Firm a Foundation :
Saints of the Lord" "Blest Be the I
es That Binds" Did Christ Ger Slime
IN Weep" mid Scenes of Confusion
ne Several others could be quoted, but Il
VI VI will afford a sufficient criterion of t
practically unknown authorships.
ne Shown the Marvellous Growth.
it They have also afforded a practic
tie lesson of the marvellous growth of |
IT. Baptist community in Scranton, plac
" in such a concise manner that it cot
Al. be grasped by every one. The result
b. these figures must tend to a deep
spiration to the younger members
It. reviewing the triumphal records of t
ua past. 1t may also tend to little who
by some pride, which will assist In me
ss enthusiastic work in the many orga
hs cations Of the churches, specially pi
ms NOTED for developing the energies of t
younger members.
They have also demonstrated the |
erallty of congregation in dischal
ing their religious obligations and [
subscription list of over $4,000 of Il
rd Sunday is sufficient proof OF Il
munifcence. Lastly, they have estt
,st lished the fact that the Baptist chur
ne is church of the great common p
ln pie, and proof has been casually a
re unintentionally adduced that the m
Ire of the poor has swelled the huge off
nd tories of the past twenty-five yea
he This will, to a great extent, explain [
'as great temporal progress of the part
nd ular churches that have made a stu
,99I of this commendable and necesss
'ie work, and in this the anniversar
have indicated the glorious work of [
f,,tttra which hv anprQv and anthucia