Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1898-08-03

surrounding country, this evil is one
which cannot be driven out unless
the christian people of this place unite
to condemn it, regardless OF results
1t is being firmly established; it has
its clutches on the municipal life and
business life and even some churches.
It is a fact that the churches in Ritz
yillG have been afraid to take the
right stand in this matter Members
of the churches have been involved in
the terrible ENHANCEMENT of the long
established rum power, until to-day
:. you witness condition of affairs
which ought TO stir the right indigna-
ton OF every citizen and father. What
is it you are enduring? An institu
ton which blasts with it's poisonous
breath every soul that enters it, which
ruins young manhood, which kills
more citizens in time of peace than
the most bloody war ever slew in times
of revolution. An institution that has
a good thing to commend it; an in
stitution that is established for the
open and declared purpose of getting
money from the people by the sale OF
stuff that creates criminals: an insti-
tuition that rcbs the honest working
man Of his saving, and looks with in
difference on the tears OF the wife or
the sobs of the mother; an institution
that never gives one cent of its enor-
nous wealth to build churches, col
leges or homes for the needy; an in
stitution that has the brand of the
murderer, the harlot, and gambler
burned into it with brand of the
devils own forging in the furnace OF
his hottest hell-this institution will
some time so rule ard govern this
town of Ritzville-that honest citizens
will hive to tremble before it, if moth
ing is being done soon. Business men
dare not oppose it for fear of losing
money; church members favor upon
it in order to gain place in politics,
and ministers can't do it all alone!
1t is high time we face this monster OF
iniquity and driveit out of the strong
hold it is going to occupy. I wish
you could have been with me in the
past year and witnessed some of the
sights have seen. No! Iretract that
statement; I would not wish that any
father or mother had had the heart
ache that have felt as 1 contemp-
lated the ruins of young lives crumb-
lirg into the decay of premature de-
bility, hooking the manhood that God
gave them by yielding themselves
slaves to their passion and degrading
themselves below the beasts that per-
ish. What have 1 seen? Oh, yes,
fathers Oh, yes, mothers! Do you
know what is going on in this little
town of two saloons, licensed by your
own act and made legal by your own
will? Iwritethese few words in the name
OF my Lord and Master. 1 can not
imagine Christ taking any other po-
sition before the whiskey power than
that of uncompromising condemna-
ton. He would say it is evil and on
ly evil, and therefore to be opposed by
every legal and moral restriction that
society could rear against it. In his
name, writing as l believe he would
write if he were here, l solemnly de-
clare the necessity on the part OF ev-
cry disciple of Christ in every church
of Ritzville of placing himself decide
ly and persistently and at once in OPP
en- battle against the saloon until it is
destroyed, until its power in business,
politics, and society is thing of the
past, until we have rid ourselves of the
foul viper which so many years trailed
its Shiny folds through our homes and
our schools. "Christians, citizens,
church members, I call on you to take
arms against the common foe of all
that we hold dear in church, home
and state. Men, women, brothers and
sisters in the great family OF God on
earth, will you sit tamely down and
worship the great heart OF this GEN.
fury! will you not rather grid your
swords upon your thighs and 60 out
to battle against this blasphemous
Philistine who has defied the armies
OF the living God.
j. THIEL.
SUPREME COURT.