The herald., 1895-06-03
The Council for the Suppression
of the Saloon
THE FORCES OF MISRULE
Power of a Massed and Concerted
Attack
Rev. W. n. McDougaI Of San nateo at
the First Congregational Church
Last Evening

The Rev. W. H. McDougal spoke at the
First Congregation church last evening
on tine Council for the Suppression OF the
Saloon. He said: We are today in the
tide of ''cIvic Renaissance, of a
national movement fol better govern
ment. OF all the problems of good gov
ernment. admittedly the most critical is
that of the city. Wendell Phillips foresaw
this and said: Municipal misrule will
shatter this body polite as slavery never
did,"
And of the problems Of the city by far
the most critical factor is the saloon. All
the forces of misrule center there. AS
even the New York Tribune says: "This
monstrous evil lies at the center of all
social and political mischief"
What is the weakness of the force OF
sobriety before this vast menace? Plainly
not the smallness OF mum bers, but their
division and disorder in the face cf a
united and disciplined foe. Edward Ev-
erett Hale saw this and declared that
these forces could unite simply for the
suppression of the open bar, the saloon
would cease to exist within five years in
nine tenths OF oul safes, perhaps in all OF
them"
But is any union of the widely divided
forces possible? | am glad to say to you
that it is actual. In Oakland, for in
stance, within their Council for the Sup
preston of the Saloon is every temper
ance organization in the city. with the
strong Municipal league, the Prohibition
party and the leading churches, includ-
ing those as conservative as the Episco-
pal and Unitarian.
And that is a distinctive feature of the
council Ita ia fQHprafiya not
merely associative. Its units are organ
izations and not individuals. 1t there
fore avails itself of the large and disci-
plined forces now in the field and uses
ra ther than impairs their esprit de corps.
Nor does it impair the distinctive actlvl-
ties of these several organizations. 1t
simply gives to the activities that are
com m on--those directed against the
dramshop-the power of massed and con-
certed attack. That is. it calls the leaders
of the disordered forces into council of
war. 1t there proposes an orderly and
ive' is the saloon, and as to this it seeks
nothing less than its entire suppression.
as strategic steps in this campaign it
proposes four movements.
Frst-"To close drinking saloons in as
many places and in as many hours Of the
day and days of the year as possible" j"
In Oakland the council is seeking to
prohibit saloons on Sunday. in Berkeley
within the mile limit around the univer-
sity, IN San Jose all saloons outside
the fire limits. The second step is ito
break the baneful political power of the
saloon" by massing the moral powers
against it. The third step against it is
social attractions" as by removing
screens chairs, music, lunches, ETC., as
done now at Santa Ana.
But this council seeks not only to sup
press but to supplant the saloon. To put
something better in its place "to provide
sort" somewhat on the line of Bishop
Follows in Chicago. Not mere reading
looms where men may go, but places of
social diversion and in TO rma lity, where
they will 60.
The plan of the council has met instant
and enthusiastic approval, although but
two months old. The Pacific Coast Uni
tarlan conference, the State Christian
Endeavor convention, several local Ep
worth leagues, w. G. 7. U. and other
conventions and of numerous secular and
religious journals, including the California
Prohibitionist. General Bidwell sends
cordial approval.
l have been asked whether this courcl
would conflict with the newly formed
anti-saloon league. No. 1t would sim ply
bring 1t into cooperation with all the
other organized forces of the city.
Tomorrow morning at IL :l5 a special
meeting the Ministers union will be
held to consider the plan. But this is
not a movement of churchmen, as such,
but of citizens. 1t is movement whose
inspiration is love of the fatherland.
Yet who can love the fatherland as they
who serve the Father-God? AS the vic
torious German soldiers at Sedan raised
by thousand camp fires their voices in
the grand old hymn "A Mighty + ortress
is Oar God. so, when God hastens our
Sedan will we lit above the land of our
fahters our praise t. our fathers God.
God speed the day.