The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-17
IN THU CHURCHES.
What the Good People Of Portland
Heard Yesterday.
TWO SERMONS IN THE TEMPER
ANCE SERIES.

Rev. Mr.. Rogers breaches One of them al
the Pine Street Church and Rev. Mr.
kimmeH Addresses a Large Congrega-
tion at the Church of the Messiah-
DR.. Blanchard On Lincoln at Congress
Square.
Rev. F. C.Rogers pastor of Pine street
Methodist church, delivered q sermon
last evening on temperance, one of the
| course that is being delivered by the
different Portland pastors
| MI. Rogers commenced by saying that
the addresses made recently by some of
the clergy, had thrown an electric light
on the disgraoeful scenes of the liquor
traffic. Sensation, is better, however.
than apathy. Liquor selling. said he,
Is greater crime today than it hns ever
been. He spoke of the facilities for
modern travelling and the crowds whose
lives were in the hands Of pilots and
engineers. who if given to drink, placed
these lives in jeopardy. Fifty years ago
few travelled and each stage or vessel
carried but handful of passengers
Now long trains and great ocean steam
ers are filed.
Turning to the liquor traffic in our city
and state. the speaker made these points !:
First, there should be q division of blame.
We are apt to censure the pulpit for it's
silence. Beyond educating ana warning
the young, the clergynen cannot do
very much. An abs5raot from q Lewis
| ton paper was read, telling of the liquor
sellers of that city, fearing police raid
on account of an enforcement meeting,
sending their liquors away, and whel
they found it false alarm, they returned
the liquors and opened the bars to catch
tho 10. 80 O'Clock, home theatre goers. The
church is not wholly blalGeless. It's
members should not vote Tor men who
will not favor protection laws, and for
admitting liquor sellers into good society.
But if the pulpit and general public are
not blameless, that duesn't t lessen the
oulpability OF public officials. No cry
of 'slaok of public sentjment'' should
direct censure from men who have sig
naily failed to do their duty. We need
law for the elevation of the people, t1
protect them against themselves. If the
law is only partially successful it is
because it is spasmonic Th news iourn-
ais IN ust bear some measure of blame
Let our city press give more aid to hon
est efforts to create public feeling.
Third-There is more need Of common
sense in dealing with drinkers. Manu-
IA turers and merchants would surely
prefer sober men than drinking men for
employees. They would be safer, more
| capable OF endurance and in every way,
better for business. Think of the thou
sands of dollars that find their way into
the till of the ruruseller every pay day
One hrm paid out to employees 400
marked ten dollar bills and the next
Wednesday they came into the banks
where they were deposited by saloon
keepers. There is way TO stop this.
The railroad companies and trolley COM
panies do make sobriety obligatory upon
their employees. That rules, looking to
the employment of only sober men are
| adopted by great factories, mills and
founurlas, am aware, and Hnou only
does public opinion from upon intoxioa-
tlon IL the closing years of this country
as never Eefore. but the whole develop
ment of the industrial world has operat-
ed to deter men from drunkenness. The
railroad companies become temperauce
organizations of tremendous influences
when they dsbar from employment the
man who even patronize the saloon,
and is then liable to cause disaster and
immense loss of life and propeity'' In
temperance is becoming more and moro
barrier to success. Even the managers
OF the greatest liquor trust in this ooun-
try recently adopted an ironcIad rule TO
employ none but strictly temperance
men. But the railroad companies ana
other corporations do not insist upon this
rule with the tirmness demanded. For
work and places in which men are not
likely to endanger property, men are en-
ployed by subordinate officials though
6ney a.e Incorporate. And if IN erohants,
builders, painters and publishers en-
ployed only temperance men, the saloons
would have liGtle patronage. The saloons
of this city are supported largely, is it
not SO? by the wages of workingmen
The Civic league stands for the Best OF
ideas, for best education and agitation
and for the election Of true men to office.