The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-08
PROTEST OF THE
I MINISTERS
They Adopted Resolutions Con.
demnirg the Board of Trade

At meeting OF the, Ministerial Union
of Wilmington, held at Union ME-. Church
on Friday afternoon last, the Rev. John
d. C. Hanna was appointed committee
to draft resolutions expressive of the dis
approval Of the union of the action of the
Board of Trade in opposition to local op-
,tion. On Saturday afternoon the follow
ing resolutions. signed by ministers as
representatives Of the various denomina-
tions taking part in the meeting, were
unanimously adopted:
"Whereas, The Wilmington Board Of
Trade has at the request of three or four
brewers of our city passed resolution
disapproving of the effort now being made
to have the principle Of the referendum
In relation to the liquor traffic engrafted
in our new constitution and has appointed
committee to appear before the constitu-
tional convention to oppose the granting
to the people of the right to say by ballot
whether or not the saloon shall be contin-
ued in a given district therefore, we,
members Of the Ministerial Union, and Of
the laity Of various churches, desire to ex-
press our disapproval of the action of the
Board of Trade in the following resolu-
tions:
"Resolved, Q) That in view Of the evil
character and destructive effects OF the
liquor traffic as now patent in our land
and especially In our own state, and in
view of the fact that the best civil author
tiles have declared that the licensed sa-
loon is the greatest foe Of the home, the
debaueher of moral character, the prolific
source Of crime, the inflicter of greater
calamities than war, pestilence and fam
ine,' the corrupter of political life, the
main cause of pauperism, the greatest evil
with which social reformers have to con-
tend and further because in our own
work as Gospel ministers and Christian
workers, we are compelled to witness the
sad ravages of the saloon, and to recog-
nize it as the greatest foe to the temporal
and moral welfare of our people; in view
of these and other facts of like character
it is our judgment that the request being
made Of the constitutional convention that
the new constitution shall be so framed
that a given district shall have the right
to say in a legal manner whether the sa-
looms shall be closed in that district or
continued in operation, is an exceedingly
Resolved, (2) That 1t is with feelings
of sadness and essn shame that we have
read the report Of the proceedings of the
Board of Trade concerning this matter.
That this body, representative of the busi-
ness interests of our city and containing
many men connected with various Chris
tian churches, should have allowed them
selves to become apologists for the saloon,
and its defenders is past belief, were 1t
not for the following resolution which
they adopted:
Whereas, 1t is proposed to insert
clause in the new constitution of this
state, allowing of local option in the man.
ufacture and sale of Intoxicating liquors;
"'R6soived, That the Wilmington Board
of Trade believes that the came would be
detrimental TO the interests and morals of
the state, and recommends that the same
be not done"
"And that this resolution was passed
without a dissenting vote or word Of op-
position, is a sad comment on the moral
tone Of our city, II the Board Of Trade,
as such. has anything to do with this ques-
tion. it certainly might have shown a bet
ter knowledge of the temporal and moral
needs Of the state. and taken higher hu-
mantarian grounds than to oppose re-
quest now being urged by nearly all the
Christian people Of our commonwealth,
and to array itself on the side Of the sa-
loon.
Resolved go That we heartily approve
the prompt and independent action of Mr..
Washington Hastings and endorse the SEN
timents expressed by him in 'The Morn
ing News in his communication Of Satur-
day, February 6, in the following words
When the Board Of Trade of Whining
"'When the Board of Trade of Will
mington becomes the, advocate and cham
pion of the liquor business and the ''sa-
loon," as ] think it did become by its ac-
tion last evening, it is time for members
who do not wish TO he regarded as sup
porters of or even apologists for the liquor
traffic, in this state, to 'line up" and show
on which side they wish TO be counted on
that question.
Therefore, AS one member of the
board, who repudates the action of the
meeting last evening, hereby resign my
membership Of the organization
at is our opinion that similar action by
our Christian merchants and other bust.
ness men, would emphasize the well mer-
tied rr6ulse given by Mr. Hastings to the
unwise and disappointing action CT The
Board of Trade.
Resolved. (l That we are certain that
we only consult the welfare Of the state
when we urge the constitutional conven-
tion tn grant to the state the principle of
local option. 1t is reasonable, it is nNOder
ate; It is democratic Why Should not the
people be allowed to decide this matter as,
at the polls, they decide other questions of
state policy.
with the greatest respect. and yet with
the greatest earnestness,we therefore pray
the convention to make the principle OF
the referendum part Of the new Corstitu-
tion.
"Signed for the meeting by John D. c.
Hanna, NJ. Z. Church. Lafayette Marks,
Presbyterian Church; o. G. Buddington,
Baptist Church; Thomas ]. Mason, Re-
formed Episcopal Church"
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