The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-06-01
SGUDDER APPLAUDS. !
Says the Religious Spies Did
Right to Drink Beer
and Whiskey.

|
The Rev. John L. Scudder, in the pre-
lude to his sermon last night defended
the spies sent out by the league of rirl-
lsters from among the members of the
Christian Endeavor and Epworth League
societies, to drink beer and whiskey in
order to obtain evidence against saloon
keepers for selling on Sunday. He said
The Law and Order League of Jersev
| City should be exonerated from varieils
| aspefsions and exaggerations resulting
| from rom the Valuable service rendered by
christian Endeavorers last Sunday in se-
curing evidence against the saloons that
| opened IN defiance OF law. We expected
! this outburst of calumny and discussed
II II IN advance. but we pursued an unde-
waiting course, nevertheless. Detective
work IS unpleasant business, and vet
many unpleasant things must be donegto,
Keep society right side UP. II the police
haG done their full duty and kept The
saloons closed, there would nave been no
necessity for Christian Endeavorers to
serve as detectives and obtain evidence
OF Illegal liquor selling by entering the
saloons and buying intoxicants
There is only one way to get the
evidence, aud that is to order up the
liquor This was a severe cross for
many Christian men to bear, and many
refused when spoken to on the subject,
Tor entering saloons is essentially dis
tasteful to Christian Endeavorers; but
modern Christians are not towards, and
eross-bearing and fighting disagreeabIe
battles for righteousness sake
1T is really laughable to see notorious
sinners, who are breaking the law them
selves and doing all they can to turn the
Sabbath into a day of drunkenness and
debauchery, grow ultra pious and rage
against the moral enorrnity of the church
in sending detectives to saloons on the
ground that thereby young people viii be
taught to drink and be otherwise led
astray. All of a sudden they have taken
10 preaching, and they make poor work
They would have the church fold its
hands in holy contemplation and dis
course 3omniferously about the here
after, and tile mcment live Christians
leap into the arena and fight sin along
practical lines, they inform us we are
arnssressing our proper limits But it
SO happens that we discredit them as a
source OF authority, and consider them
a point or two off in their theology
They little understand the virile nature
OF twentieth century religion and its de-
termination to MAINTAIN, Righteousness
10y positive and aggressive methods
We understand our business and need
mo points from law-breaking saloon
Keepers and their haclSers and sym
pathizers.
League is putting temptation in the way
OF young people by sending them to the
saloons for, evidence is another ludicrous
aspect of this sudden liquor-selling piety
Tor only such detectives were sent as were
cordial haters of saloons, and none of
them were callow youths. They were in
structed to call for beer and taste it, SO
as to testify that it was beer, or to buy
Whiskey in small TASKS and carry it un-
tasted to the Grand Jury, If they were
conscientiously opposed to sampling the
lager beer. have not heard of any Chris
tlan Endeavorers suddenly developing ap-
petites for intoxicants, or being started
on the downward road by their half-hollr
work in behalf of law and order. The inn
aglnat1on of Satan's followers is only
matched by their unexpected solicitude
1or the moral welfare of Christian En-
deavorers. l never was SO proud of this
Endeavor movement as am today, for
see in it a mighty bulwarl1 for law and
order, and a fearless and practical spirit
that augurs well for the future useful
ness OF the church. What the Law and
Order League has done it will do again.
and we give notice to saloonkeepers who
violate violate, the Sunday law to look out for
similar churchly visitations In DAYS to
come. We propose to make it a dangerous
proceeding to sell liquor to strangers on
the Sabbath day. At amy time a score Of
saloonkeepers may be indicted by the
Grand Jury, and those who offend repea +
edly may expect to be fined heavily or oc-
cupy a prison cell. Law and order are NOT
meaningless words, and combination Of
churches is an organization not to be
trified with ~