The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-11
CHURCHES Will PIGH9.
The Rev. John L. Seudder Calls
Upon All Good Citizens to
Oppose Liquor Leg
islation.

Saloon Legislation at Trenton was the
subject of AN interesting prelude preached
by the Rev. John L. Scudder In the Taber-
nacle last night. He said
Dame Runor whispers THAT the liquor
interests of this State will make a bold eff
fort at Trenton this winter to secure legis-
lation in favor of open saloons upon the
Sabbath day. Be this Information correct
or incorrect, the Christian CitizernaFf p
Union of New Jersey proposes to forestall
amy such possible catastrophe by warming
the churches Throughout the State and
requesting the ministers to PUT their sid
Yer trumpets to their les and blow a blast
that shall be heard from Port Jervis to
Cape May; that shall make our represen-
tatives tremble and fear to offend the NOR
al and religious feelings of respectable
people.
1T goes without saying that the liquor
traffic is thoroughly organized and at this
juncture unusually defiant and determined
IN It's dia boaicaa attempt to batter down
one OF the principal safeguards of c.viliza-
ton. Like the burglar it works noiseless-
ly and in the dark, n some day 1T will
spring a surprise upon tine public, unless
the people realize the strength and OBJ
stinate perseverance of their willy foe, and
set themselves ait once to checkmate h S
ovemelt They will wake up SOME
morning and find one of our best laws
quietly removed from the statute book and
a vicious law substituted i'm it's place. The
liquor dealers are bringing every influence
to bear upon the members of our forth
coming Legislature to obtain a law legal
izing the sale of liquor pon thu Sabbath
day, and they will accomplish their pur-
pose unless church people rise In their
might and give their representatives to
understand that such a course will not be
tolerated by the Christian citizens of this
commonwealth. If their iniquitous bill
should be passed Sunday would be turned
into a day of revelry, of open drunkenness
and debauchery. 1t is evident that a bait
tie royal between the saloon and the
church is to be fought upon thts question
of Sunday liquor selling. We are to deter
mine whether the Sabbath is to be a
Christian Sunday or a continental Sunday.
Shall We as a nation be true ito our moral
sense and frame laws conforInable thereto,
or shall the ~saloonkeeper be placed ON the
throne and be allowed to DICTATE to the en-
tire State of New Jersey? Shall the holy
Sabbath become a day of noisy carousal,
or remain the quiet, respectable, peaceful
day it always has been? In the confiot
between right and wrong. shall church
people prevail or drinkers and drunkard-
makers become ~triumphaalt?
1--WE mince nc words in this warfare.
We brand the saloon as the tbeadliest enc
my of man. 1t lis the chief curse of civili-
zation and a blight pen human progress.
lit wrecks health, happiness and home. 1t
Is diametr cally opposed to the aims and
interests of the Church of Christ. 1t pulls
men down faster than we csln pick them
up. 1t deadenRs and damns, while we are
trying to save. Therefore. we shall never
compromise with it, and we shah give It
no quarter. We shall fight 1T as long as
we live, and cali upon coming generations
to fight more fiercely. An open saloon IS
a nuisance any day of the week, but ON
the Lords day, 1t lis a disgrace n whole
sale degradation.
while we do not believe in a Puritani-
cal Sunday which keeps young people In