The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-04-12

now of ST. james Methodist Episcopal
church Of New York, would deliver
the address of the evening.
Tue service, which was presided over
by Rev. I. F. Hall. Of Balm bridge, n.
Y, opeptd.b by song. Prayer was Of
fered by Rev. George NJ. Colville, OF
B~inghamton.
In Introducing the speaker Of the
evening, Rev. Mr.. Hall said that the
liquor question was an old but live
one and Involved the very existence OF
the government.
When DR.. Price came forward he
was greeted with applause, He said be
was thankful for the atmosphere of so
cordial u welcome. In substance his
remarks were as follows:
THE ENEMY's STRENGTH.
The theme ought TO inspire MS and we
should profit by military experience and
ascertain the strength Of the enemy.
Atterwards.let US make more OF our own
forces.
First, the liquor traffic is entrenched be.
hind a vast physical appetite. Can We
imagine the distress which accompanies q
thirsty or its power n pain we ind
many tigurative lessons in the scripture.
1.-The Lord is my inheritance and my emp"
for instance. We eau more accurately
estimate it by going to the side of O fever
stricken patient In the hospitals, to the
soldier who on the field Of battle cries for
just one cup Of water or to the man dying
on the desert.
We cannot know how the habit intensi-
hes the thirst-we can only imagine 1t.
Drop q stone from a height: IL falls sixteen
feet the first second, thirty-two feet the
next and so on; a man VINO has become a
victim hurries on his downward way TO
destruction at the same ratio.
The susceptibility Of his being and his
whole nervous force are SO grooved and
fixed that the slightest desire or tempta-
ton makes it impossible for him to resist
the cup. We cannot estimate this suscep-
tibility! its results are SO abnormal, so ex-
traordinary when compared to other ply
steal appetites that We can scarcely com
prehend them. 1t IS weight that drags
him down, down, down.
Again, this business is e]ntrenched be-
hint the love OF money and a rampant OF
greed and avarice. If it could be done.
there are men who would locate a factory
on the field Of the battle Of Gettysburg
and grind the bleached bones OF Union
soldiers into phosphate: but this sacrileGe
would not compare with tue existing
meanness OF the liquor business.
SALOONS ARE PROFITABLE.
We have got to put ourselves against u
vested interest, the large profits Of which
even enable them TO pay III the larger
cities q rental OF s.. 600 where &, POO IS u
fair price for decent enterprises. II is
said that 5000, 00O, 0G0 are paid annually for
drink, | claim IL is So. 900, 900, 900. Why?
Because the addition of the loss Of energy,
crime and pauperism make it that sum.
This Is not legitimate: it is waste, and
waste only.
This suggests the recent financial depres.
sion. Some point to v free trade or a
tariff, say create Il seigniorage or vacuum.
! am for the latter if it will vacuum" the
saloons, or for any or all Of them il 1t will
do the same thing.
The foe is %entrenched in politics. The
conducting Of primaries. caucusses and
the very nominations are infected with 1t
and dictated by it.
The evil is slso protected by the statu-
tory enactments aud the saloon has as
good q right 10 float the stars and stripes
as tue Thirteenth regiment armory.
Now where are our forces. l can tell
you nothing new; we have merely the old
methods at our command-political meth
DDS, for instance. Any man Of us can do
no wrong in voting for the party he thinks
best, if he is honest in his intentions to do
the greatest good thereby. However, there
should be less, us q consequence, of taunt
answered by taunt. Nothing but harm
will come Of il.
We should consider this a battle crisis
like that on the soil Of Pennsylvania when
the Union was or was not to be. Our reg
iments paused not to differ over colors.
mechanism OF guns or details, but united
in one grand purpose, and were victorious.
For the actual suppression of the traffic
we must not rest on our arms, but keep ON
the march and fight,
We have a force IN our publicl schools.
The next army will be of the generation
now in training. They get it to a large
degree from the scientific books which will
make them rise and strike the blow when
the time arrives for the demolition of the
liquor business.
CITIZENS ARE AT FAULT.
viii it astonish you when | say we all
have u proprietary interest in the saloons,
and are as much responsible for the crime
Of a drunkard IA the man who sells him
drink: We sold him that license and there
fore we have a proprietorship. The sal on
keeper says he got his license from the
court; tie court says the law authorized
him to 10 so: the law was framed by legis-
%lators, and the Legislators were elected to
Office by tho votes Of so-called responsible
men. Why should they not as well be ar
rested as the man who sells the product OF
their ballots.
There is cue remaining force on our side
the church. We ministers can do much.
Get pledges from the boys, interest the Up.
worth and Youths leagues, press the
Older men to abstinence, and submit PLAIN,
everyday preaching, | would not sound
the pleas of S%criptural custom nor
science. There is one argument almost
invariably responded to-the law Of
Christ's life and His love for the sake Of
others. For the sake OF example they Will
desist, not for what it costs them, but for
the sake of others. On this point the pull
pit must take its stand aud make it n last
and final appeal.