The Press., 1895-10-10
w. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT.
Have Me Excused.
BY EVA JONES.

push fOrWard the work Of the w. C. T. U. and other temperance societies, and to stand by the prohibition fight wherever the fight is on. Here are few that re- call, only a sample of many more that we, as the active workers, are constantly meeting.
 i. "Yes, the saloon evil is a dreadful thing, but l really don't see how we can help it. So many efforts are being made, and all seem to be of no avail"
 That is sitting down to nurse despair It might do for an agnostic or pessimist, but for one who fights the good fight of faith and believes in the Captain of our salvation, who bids us Ego forward" against the evils in high places To doubt is dislOyalty while God is God.
 3. "I think we are doing very well as we are. The business is restricted and kept off our best residence streets, and is closely watched. That is much better than to have the evil everywhere unre strained"
 It is like breeding 8 filthy, disease breeding sink of foulness, kept covered and concealed down cellar or in some oth- CT unobserved place, where it will be as little smelled and noticed as is possible. and letting it lester undisturbed, and, as much as we can, unthought of What we need to do is to think, to realize, to feel and be everlastingly conscious that this dangerous, deadly evil is with us, and to work away rapidly and earnestly to re- move it before it has brought death and sorrow to some of us. Better plant the saloons out in the sunlight of the best in- fluences, bring them close to all our sens- es, and see if we want such nuisances anywhere just out of sight to poison the | town.
 3. "I believe in the license system, be- cause take practical and business-like view of it."
 We bow our heads with shame that Christian men, church members, can be found giving this answer. I fancy that this is just the wisdom that actuated Mir. J. Iscariot once upon sad time He thought, no doubt that the apprehension of the Master by the Jews was bound to occur pretty soon anyway. It was in the nature of things, and it would be the practical business view to make what he could out of the inevitable. The over- ruling, all-powerful Master could and would look out for himself and His fol- l ho = lforfli treasury, (which was often sadly tempty. Judas had a regulated and re- stricted way of managing. And licensing the saloons for more or less silver is the tsame thing over again.
 4. eff had boys, might be more in- terested, suppose"
 This is like standing and looking on while neighbours house is burning and saying, eff it were my house I might be interested, suppose" Oh, for baptism of the Christly love that would make us care for the ruin, body and soul, of other peoples boys.
 5. ''I cannot afford to openly fight the saloons for it would injure my business" "
 That is, some Christians think that the Lord would not take care of them if they do right. Not only forgetting His prom ise, "All these things shall be added unto you," but also His warning, "He that saveth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." Dare Christian make this excuse on his knees to- God?
 6. ''If the w. c. T. U. were more pop ular I would work with it."
 That is the unspoken excuse of large class, and once in while one of those un- heroic souls is honest enough to say so. The w. c. T. U. would not be much like the Master if it were very popular, and has never deserved the "woe' that "all men speak we'll of it''
 z. 'I don't admire many of the lsadere of the movement" j
 E And they are not leaders because they want to be admired. Ministers do not stand up in their pulpits and ask you to join their churches because you admire them. Leaders want help to do the work that. needs to be done, and they want you to look at the work and come and help tC do it.
 8. "I take care of my boys. If others did the same there would be no need ot temperance work"
 Good for all the boys taken care of I But not every boy taken care of is safe and don't you care anyway about the boys l-yes, and girls, too-of parents weak wicked, ignorant, cal eless or indifferent enough to not take care of their boys How selfish is it best to be? Would it not be good to help make the world as nice as "our boys" are?
 9. "I am temperance, but I do not be. long to this or that society because can. not see that they are doing anything"
 This may be due to your defective eye sight. But every w. c. T. U. feels keenly how little they are doing compared with what there is to. The outsiders best way is tosincrease the sum total done }by the addition of all that one member more is able to accomplish, even if that seems to be very little.
 10. "Convert men and they won't want to drink. That is my way of doing tenn perance work" ....9 .-.- ... | r. And that; is all right, too. But tho Master not only preached repentance, bu cast out devils, drove out the money <: changers, cleansed the bodies of men ,EThere is so much whisky in some mel q that there is need to get some of it ou : fh9forsE Eo4;cah get muqh.religfon in. Ant since ie is an alnapestioned fact that thu balloons are doing moreto ruinsouls thai tHe churches are doing to-day to saw