The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-24
TO EPWORTn LEAGUERS.
Chairman Dickie Tells Them Some
Wholesome Truths.

llSieltu W All aiuicso ~ '''eN'
Dickie. national chairman of the
Prohibition party, at their recent
international convention at Toronto,
and cheered his utterances to the
echo. Here is the concluding por-
ton of the address, and it is good
reading for every young Christian
in the land:
Applying the utterances OF my
church to myself as lay member
thereof, they may be summarized:
/. AS to my personal habits: |
must totally abstain from the use OF
intoxicating beverages.
2. As to my relations to the traf-
fic (a) may not engage in it;
(b) nor rent my property for use in
connection with it /; (c) nor sign the
bonds of others who may wish to SO
engage.
cannot drink, sell, rent nor sign
without being liable to discipline.
This is certainly no small infringe
ment OF my personal liberty, and !
shall probably stick some of you
when say that in this respect, il
seems to me, the Methodist Episco-
pal church has gone too far or 1t has
not gone far enough.
Seeking to exercise these whole
some restraints, we nevertheless
consent that the laymen, the pastor,
the bishop may 60 to the ballot
box, and in the exercise of the
elective franchise may give his con-
sent for the continuance of a sys-
TEN whereby other men-not Meth
odists-may 60 to hell on a road OF
our providing, bat upon which
Methodists-are not permitted to
travel. The time is not yet, but
it, will come when the great Metho-
dist Episcopal church must at this
point advance or recede. 1t must
open its big front door to receive in
to good and regular standing the
pious saloon keeper, or 1t must
open a convenient side exit for the
license voter now within its fold.
This is no doubt radical doctrine,
but it is radically right and as solid
as the sermon on the mount.
Repeating the sentiment uttered
a few moments since, pardon me il
| saw again. and in this connection,
that so long as God is God and
right is right, it can never be wrong
to run a saloon and at the same
time right to vote that saloons may
be run.
Let me not be understood as criti-
cising the utterances of the church,
but rather as bemoaning the fact
that the average church member so
sadly fails to live up to the high
standard Of his church declarations.
When the individual Methodist, or
Baptist, or Presbyterian is as good
as the organic Methodist, or Baptist,
or Presbyterian, then the beginning
of the end will be at hand.
What we need is Christianity in
action, even at the expense OF mere
resolving" The quadrennial blow
inpof ecclesiastical pithballs through
a paper tube, with a preacher at
one end and anapologetic politician
at the other, may be a source OF
entertainment, but it can be safely
warranted to do no damage, unless
it he to discount the sincerity OF
those who make the effort.
In the name of all things sensible
and practical let us have a little
less Of dress parade, fewer blank
cartridges and a more liberal supply
of solid shot. When the church
lines up against the saloon let her
shoot to kill.
vote for the black flag. Fling
it out from every Methodist spire,
and run it up the staff of every Ep-
worth League-the flag that means
no quarter, that stands for death and
determination. Let it speak love
AM tenderness and kindly sympa-
thy and Christian charity tor all
who sin, but death, death, death,
nothing but death and hell for such
a traffic!
Let the church have more scrup-
ulous care, and, if need be, more
vigilant oversight Of her own, and
let her cease to do honor to what
the world calls success, at the ex-
pense of the standards she has her
self set up. Let her be the tender
guide and spiritual counselor OF the
week aud wayward everywhere; the
yearning mother with open arms
for the penitent child, or the return
ing prodigal; but let her refrain for,
ever from placing in positions OF
honor and prominence in the church
,,,an whose practices belle the