Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-12-27

In st. Paul's NJ. Il. Church, Sunday,
the Rev. L. Il. Terry began series of ser
mons on Temperance Reformation
His text was: Acts XXvGr, 10.
We are III the midst, he said, of n great
conflict. We are confronted by mighty
foe. There are in this country $4,000
saloons. This means the same number of
bartenders, and if we allow each one am
assistant that means 900, 600 men. Back of
these are the wholesale dealers and manu-
facturers, the Liquor League and the
Whisky Trust, with their grip on the legis-
latlve machinery of the nation. Then, ON
the other hand, there are the gambling
houses, the brothels and the Anarchist
lodges, all in league with this business.
This foe has grown old with age and is
the prolific source OF poverty and crime.
We have in this country $1,000 adult and
1900 juvenile criminals. with a pauper
population of 27,00O, and it is safe to say
that a large majority of this is traceable to
strong drink. This traffic is moral and
commercial vulture, as shown by the fol
lowing comparison; $4,000 invested in
the boot and shoe business gives employ
ment to $4,000 employees, i'll mems clothing
manufacturing II employs $4,000; brick
and tile manufacturing $4,000, while the
same amount of money invested in the
liquor business gives employment to 1000
or 1000. According to the statement OF
local paper recently the drink bill of the
city of Wilmington III malt liquor alone
for the month of August was 100000.
The secret of this strength Of the enemy
of all righteousness, he continued, is that
tits intrenched behind Il depraved appetite,
the love OF money, and law.
Under the head of money power he
stated that in II years cooperative con-
cern in New York distributed among its
employees $l36, 3i67O. Under the head of
law he made the statement that it is time
to stop abusing the saloonkeepers and the
courts. IL is business provided for by
law and so long as Christian men elect to
office men who are in sympathy with or
can be bought by the liquor power they
must stand sponsor for the whole BUSH
ness, with all its attendant evils, its name
less crimes and its unblushing villainy.
Recognizing the evils, he remarked,
many expedlents have been tried among
them moral suasion through the pulpit
and total abstinence societies. These have
not fully succeeded, because appetite is
stronger than reason. Regulation at best
is but compromise. License high or low
is wrong in principle. The latest phase of
regulation is what is known as the Gothen-
burg system, which originated in Sweden
and is now being considered by several
States in this country. This plan releyates
the sale of intoxicating liquors to COM
panies but they cannot sell except in
towns which vote in favor of license, SO
thar it embraces the principles of local
option. Near akin to that is the dis
pensary system, which has been tried i'll
South Carolina and declared both consti-
tutonal and unconstitutional by the courts
of the State.
He advocated prohibition pure and
simple. What is prohibition may be asked.
The answer is anything that prohibits.
Our license laws are in some sense prohi-
bitory. Local option is local prohibition.
which is the objective point OF all temper
ance work ana the watchword is no COM
promise.
Various agencies are employed and are
working together for the accomplishment
of this purpose, at the forefront OF which
stands the Woman's Christian Temper.
ance Union, with its several departments
of Christian work; also, cooperative
evangelical work among the churches and
the distinctive and independent political
movement known as the Prohibition
party. Neither of these alone can succeed
All are helpful. We may educate the boys
but the saloon will tempt them. We may
reform tine drunkard but so long as The
saloon remains he Is not secure IN Ills
reformation. A political party may serve
the interest OF the cause, but this is moi
purely political question.
Touching this point a conscientious mar
can only be Justified in following his con
science, no matter where that may leaC
him. For my own part have little Con
tidence in any reformation that Is not .
direct outgrowth from the Christian
church.
This is moral question, he contendGd
and the force that wins must be divin,
and it must radiate through every mean!
employed. This is fight to the death fol
either the saloon or the church. The dut,
of the Christian man and of the good Cit
question by every possible means. lnsis
upon good men for every office, be it local
State or national. Let no corrupt man bl
corrupting other men succeed. Insist upoi
it that men who are elected to office sinai
be incorruptible. In this fight woman ais
has part. 1t is to teach, agitate, combin
against the wrong and condemn it with al
her power and influence and to these unite
forces God will ultimately give the victory