The sun., 1898-01-13
Temperance and Total Abstinence.

PhihSipAo "AA
Temperance and Total Abstinence.
The temperance question has been brought
into new prominence by several recent in
cidents. First came the movement of the
New Brunswick Presbytery against the
taproom of the Princeton Inn, with the
consequence of the retirement of DR..
SHIELDS from the Presbyterian Church
and the closing of the taproom. We OBJ
serve also that on the map Of the univer-
sity grounds the arrow which used to indi-
cate the situation Of the Inn has now been
removed. Then came an assault by the
Prohibition organ on Yale University stu
dents because Of their noisy conviviality
after the winning of the last football game
with Princeton. The serving of wine at
the late alumni dinner Of Wesleyan Uni
versity has also provoked an indignant pro-
test from the foremost Methodist paper.
The temperance discussion has received
even greater impetus from the proposition
made few weeks ago that the Republicans
controlling the Legislature of this State
should put through amendments to the
Raines law, to confer upon cities of
the first and second classes the option Of
permitting liquor saloons to be open
within certain restricted hours on Sun
day. The suggestion, however. has not
been adopted by the Republican lead
ers. They will father no such amend
ment, and the subject will not be
brought up in the Legislature by the Re-
publicans. Bishop DoANE of Albany, Of the
Episcopal Church, assailed the proposition
at meeting of the Church Temperance
Society ON Tuesday evening, however, as II
it was actually on the programme of pro-
posed Republican legislation, saying:
1--WE are striving for two objects: one is to protest
against the idea that local option to Sunday OBJ
servance can be granted by the Legisature and the
other protest against the option Of opening saloons
on Sunday. thing may be legalized but It cannot
be made right by any earthly law when it is wrong
according to higher law.
Tho sale of liquor Sunday is worse than any
other day because tho workingman is then at leisure
and the subject to temptation, and because he
has Just received his weeks wages. 1t is peril
than the sale OF dynamite or poson because dy.
namie and poison tagged. as It were by the red
flag Of danger; but whskey has such Danger signal
The Iaborer is selling his birthrght OF independence
not for mess OF pottage. but for mug OF beer"
Inasmuch as the Sunday local option
question will not be raised by the Legisla-
ture at this session, as Bishop DoANE
seemed to assume, 1t can be dismissed from
immediate consideration but the perils of
opposing his "higher law" to the law Of
the State should have prevented the rash
and contumacious remark by Bishop on
the subject. In this republic the State and
the Church are separated absolutely, and
there Is no authoritative interpreter of the
"higher law" Local option is an earthly
and human policy, and it must be treated
as such simply; it cannot be mixed up with
the "higher law" according to the vary
ing definitions OF theology and conscience.
Opposition to such local option is reasona-
BILE and we'll founded, but not on any as
sumption of a divine commission to enforce
the "higher law"
Bishop DoANE himself proceeded to treat
Sunday liquor selling as a measure con-
trary to sound public policy; as a privilege
which should be refused on grounds of ex.
pediency, saying that "the sale of liquor
on Sunday is worse than on any other day."
because of the greater temptations to exces-
sive indulgence. Why. then. did not the
Bishop oppose the "higher law" to the sale
ON those other days, when the evils
wrought by it are only less bad, according
to his Judgments
1t cannot be denied that the Rev. DIR. Mo
KIM, who succeeded him as a speaker at
the meeting, took more logical ground
when he made an appeal for total absti-
nence. If the evils Of the sale of liquor are
as terrible as Bishop DoAHE declared.
"more perilous than the sale of dynamite
or ,poison," DIR. MoKIM's remedy would
seem to be obligatory, for these reasons as
he gave them:
because ~ tho use of alcohol is unnecessary to
man in ordinarily good health; (a) because OF tho
peril from the OF intoxcants to any young man,
and (8) because tho peril OF developing heredi.
| tary taste for drink"
Subsequently. too. the meeting adopted
unanimously a resolution offered by the
| Secretary OF the Church Temperance So
ciety against indulgence in liquors. AS we
understand 1t, however, this society Is
rather for the purpose of promoting tenn
perance In the use of alcoholic beverages
than for the total abstinence advocated by
DIR. McKIM. Probably great part of it's
members, clergymen and laymen. are tenn
perate drinkers; and, in closing the meet
| ing, Bishop POTTER made no reference to
the subject of total abstinence, 80 far as we
find in the reports of the proceedings. He
simply recommended "coffee stands for the
use of such laborers as coachmen who
have to stay out In the weather at very
cold temperature, and frequently In rain
and snow" 1t was a considerate sugges-
tioD, but 1t did not imply any disapproval
of wine drinking at the festivities outside
| of which the coachmen wait.
The total abstinence people, therefore,
are consistent If the drinking of liquor is 80
terrible az evil as Bishop DoANE declared