The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-09-01
w. CT. U. COLUMN
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. L. HOBBS.
DistiIIers and Liquor Dealers as Church
Members.

this way. The Warren Street Bap-
tist church, the largest OF that place,
and one of the largest in the coun-
try, with membership of some sew
enteen hundred, has been having a
series of revival meetings, at which
Rev. T. +. Martin, OF Colorado, as
sisted as evangelist. In his sermon
he made most powerful and ten
der appeal to the church, to make
itself tree from the reproach OF Tel
lowshiping liquor dealers in It's
membership.
AS is we'll known, Louisville Is
the largest whisky market in the
world, and the liquor business has
an immense deal of money invested
lin it, and has been regarded as thor
oughly respectable. The distillers
and wholesalers have been received
in membership at most OF the
churches. This Warren Street
Baptist church has been seeking for
years to have clean record in this
respect, and not for long time has
one engaged in the business been
received to membership; but some
of the old stock remain, and their
sons took up the business OF their
fathers, and so it seemed likely that
the reproach of the church would
continue indefinitely.
On the Wednesday night after
Evangelist Martins sermon, at a
Iarge congregational meeting, Sc
ries Of resolutions were presented
and passed, which forever iorblds
he reception of any engaged In the
ll,quo, trade to membership. As a
matter of fairness, it was resolved
to give those now in the church and
so engaged. one year in which 10
change their business.
The pastor writes, that the action
was well considered and adopted
after brief discussion, with only
three dissenting votes.
The Louisville Courier Journal
the leading paper Of the city, comes
to the deferse of the distillers, in a
lengthy and labored editorial, that
is really quite amusing. 1t heads
! it. .Should Distilers be Permitted
to 90 to Heaven" and makes the
statement taat those thus prescribed
by their fellow churchmen, "are In
behavior, in liberality, in general
character and value To the church,
the peers of the most energetic and
devoted members OF the congrega
ION" Ii then goes on to argue
that the business in which they are
Engaged, distilling whisky, is one
that is useful. Alcohol is neces-
sity in the arts and for medicine,
and bt cause some injure them
selves by its excessive use as a bev-
erage, those engaged in the manu-
liacture should not be held account
able for this. 1t would pat them
on the same plane as manufacturers
of powder, and of bowie knives and
other weapons, and all chemi t
who manufacture and Geal in po
onous drugs, etc. If the distiller
lis to be excluded from the church,
iii argues, why not those who man
ufacture and deal in the other ar
lticles mentioned?
A very small percentage OF the
whisky or alcohol manufactured is
used for the arts and in medicine.
Whatever is required Tor these pur-
poses should be strictly under gov
lernment control. TIE distiller with
his millions, when he erects his
great still house, does so for the
purpose of furnishing intoxicating
liquors to be used as beverage BY
the people, well knowing the conse-
auences of their use. In spite OF
that knowledge-in spite of thus be-
ling the exciting cause OF three
ltourths of all the criminal acts in
he country, and more tran that
proportion of the paupeilsm-he,
for paltry gain, is willing TO engage
in that business. The disiller and
the brewer are the men who are
back of all this saloon business. 1t
lis they who open and push every
lchannel for extending their trade
and increasing the sale and use OF
this liquor. They, more than all
|others, are responsible for the great
growth the trade has had in this
country during the past thirty-fivt
wears, and for its dominating power
lin the politics of the country. II
1.-The keeper OF the barrel house and
Ilow-down dive, and the go called re
lspectable saloon, are not worthy O
entrance into any church, much les
1.-The wealthy distiller and brewer VIII
are back Of them in this devilisl
business,