The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-02-11
HOME SALOON IDEA.
Practical Sermon by Rev. Charles T.. Rob.
insOn Last Evening Based pom an Tx
cerpt from Tribune Editorial.

Rev. Charles Il. Robinson delivered
practical and logical sermon at the
Second Presbyterian church last even
on "The Home Saloon Idea" basing his
remarks upon the following excerpt
from The Tribune of Feb. 3; being the
sentiments of Il young Scrantonian,
which We're reproduced in an editorial
IN the issue of that date:
"rhe foregoing recalls to mind con-
Versation recently had by the writer
of this with young Scrantonian who
expressed much the same idea when he
said: i go to saloons. Why? Be
cause | have no other place to go to,
wherein | have the same freedom and
meet with the same companionship. l
am not married, | have no home, and
no present likelihood of one. In day
time | work; but at night it is almost
like being in a prison to sit solitary
wise in my little, third story room
When / go out, | drift into well-kept
saloons for the reason that there Is,
in Scranton, SO far as | know, no better
loafiing place Offering equal facilities
for conversation, smoking. and tenn
perate indulgence in food or drink. y
Ut. RODlllSOn ulStuSStu lIlt tNttlpl
in terse and pithy manner and met
the arguments of the young Scranton
ian directly with experiences of persons
he had known. and dilated upon the
evil results of their following upon the
methods referred to.
With regard to the argument that
young man would patronizc saloon
because of the freedom obtained, he
gave instances to show that the saloons
gave unlimited freedom for q down
ward course, but no freedom for an up
ward course. In Christian communities
there was Il restraint to the downward
course, while there was unlimited free
dom upward. The freedom of saloons
was downward until they who aVailed
themselves of it were ultimately shut
up in hell. The freedom of Christian
communities impelled towards heaven.
Such "companionship" was an arEu-
ment which DR.. Robinson treated with
scathing ridicule and argued that such
companions were habitutes of slums
and gambling hells and saloons "side
by side" Such companions were
found in the penitentiary, state prisons
and they were to be found in hell.
The reference of the young man to
the fact that he was mot married"
elicited the ejaculation of thank God"
| from the preacher, who, in graphic
terms, depicted the wife and children
| of a drunken husband at midnight,
searching the saloons with shame. an
guish and humiliation shown on their
| faces.
He also replied to the argument of the
young man that he had mo home" and
replied that he would venture to say
| that he would have no home. and prob
| ably in short time would have no en-
| plOyment. He also rdiculed the wall
of young men who complained: In
| day time / work, but at night it is al
most like being in prison to sit soli-
tary wise in my little third story room.''
| In replying he referred to the many
| men who, before the organization of the
| Albright library or Young Mems Chris
tian association, had progressed in their
| solitary rooms and lived noble lives
| under the same circumstances. This
was the sin Of self-indulgence, and was
q rotten spot in the character of the
young man who uttered the words.
DR.. Robinson emphasized the fact
that he did not know the name of the
young man who spoke the words, and
his name was not published in the news
paper, but he replied to the sentiments
for the benefit of any young man who
might be disposed to entertain similar
| thoughts.