The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-24
PROHIBITIONS FUTURE.

nVlllDl llVN - TT ME-
Rev.J. c. Hogan, of Forest City, Expounds
Ills Idea Of 1t, and Challenges Any
Scranton Minister to Refute His Asscr.
tions.
The recent editorial discussion in The
Tribune of the future of 1.e Prohibi-
ton third party movement has elected
many comments from dissenting read
ers who belong to that partisan faith.
Among the most interesting of these is
the following letter from Rev. j. c.
Hogan, of Forest City, which says:
Editor of The Tribune:
Sir.-I have just read your remarks
on Third Party Progress" in your
issue of Nov. 20. For the general good
and because you make an indirect allu-
sion to me l send you these few lines.
You speak Of 1.-The recent remark of q
Third party clergyman Of neighbor-
ing city who declared that all Chris
tians who failed to vote the Prohibition
ticket were either knaves or fools"
My remarks, which you allude to in
the above sentence, were made at the
recent Prohibition Preachers league
held in Scranton, and l was speaking
to preachers. What / said on that oc-
casion l now repeat: THE pulpit must
lead In. this reform. The minister who
does not know his duty in regard to the
Prohibition issue is too big a fool to
preach the gospel and the preacher
who knows his duty but fails to perform
1t, is too big knave to be intrusted
with the holy commission"
Ministers Are Responsible.
l am aware that l am in the habit Of
making strong utterances, but believe
the ministers of the gospel, as moral
leaders of the people, are mostly re-
sponsible for the condition of things in
our country; and can say, as William
Lloyd Garrison said of slavery, II do
not wish to think, speak nor write with
moderation" on this subject, such is
the curse Of the liquor traffic both in
private and public life.
l can have the greatest patience with
an honest, ignorant man; can have
long suffering charity for the honest
busy layman who cannot see his way
clear on the Prohibition question: while
do not excuse him l am compelled to
be modest with him so long as he can
point with pride" to SO many preach
ers who lead him in supporting the H.
cense political parties. | have neither
the face nor the faith to demand that
Democrats and Republicans as such
shall observe a higher standard in
their public life or political morality
than many of the ministers. q remem-
Der that there are thousands Of noble
spirits In the ministry, but l am not
now writing about them)
do not ask these old party preachers
to vote the Prohibition ticket but to
stop voting the license party tickets.
The minister of the gospel who prays
that we may be delivered from evil with
his mouth and with his hand votes to
continue the evil is not only sinner
but hypocrite, his own resolutions and
church declarations being witness. He
not only associates with the liquor men
politically, but personally aids them
with his ballot.
l am not alone in such opinions. Jo-
seph Cook on his recent visit to Scran-
! ton, said: Il had rather be the lowest
drunkard than the rumseller, and |
had rather be that man than the church
member who gives him the license"
Scorns 0ld.Party Preachers.
The Rev. Mr.. Murphy of Canada, re-
Gently said Jesus would not shake
hands with most of the modern clergy
men. The craft of the liquor traffic and
the Diana of rum have a stronger pull
with our well-fed and weil-paid minis
try than the inspiration of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The smile of Demetrius
the brewer, and Demetrius the saloon
keeper, and Demetrius the rum-made
politician is industriously cultivated
because it stands for gold and the wall.
ings of the poor commonwealth made
poor, too, by the saloon, fall upon frozen
ears The watch dogs on the towers OF
Israel are muzzled and the stones are
crying out that the wolves of the liquor
traffic are mercilessly deYouring the
fold for whom Christ died.. .-y
have nothing but intellectual scorn
| AS' SfA P"iNy SoNhSiS, anu L ucIcpy
challenge any of the guilty crowd in
Sranton to show the consistency of their
political relations and associations, OF
that they are not sinners and hypo-
critics in this respect. In the words OF
Jesus Christ to the Pharisees of old
who correspond to the policy preacher.
of the present, say Woe unto yol
scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! fol
,ye pay tithe Of mint and anise and cum
min and have ommitted the weightiel
matters of the law (politics) judgment
mercy and faith; these ought ye to hav,
done, and not to leave the others un
done. = Ye, serpents, We genera
tion of ytpers, how can ye escape tn,
damnation of hell?"
Remember these words were ad
dressed not to the drunkards and pub
llcans of Jesus day, but to the religious
leaders of the people-the scrlbes anC
Pharisees who sat in Moses seat
You intimate that the Prohibition
lists can never succeed; and tina
sooner or later between the Re
publican party on the one han,
and the Democratic party on the other
we will be crushed out of existence
Well, as one has said, In that case W,
will console ourselves with the reflection
that Jesus Christ was also put to deatl
between two thieves, and we may safel,
follow His illustrious example. Again
: we are told that even admitting the cor
| ruption of the big parties, 1t would b'
! better for US to stay with them ant
help to purify them, instead of splitting
off and Joining a new party. Now, WI
are In favor Of purifying anything tha
can be purified; but It is much easier
for hen to lay one good egg than t
purify two rotten ones.
Cordially.
J. c. Hogan.
: Forest City, Nov 20.
p. SIN conclusion, Mr.. Editor, Il
the name Of Prohibitlonists and We
mems Christian Temperance unio