Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-15


mighty force To drive the whisky De
mon ont Of our municipal life 50 that
we might feel the curse Of It again
never more.
! ~ speak 10 you today in the name OF
NV Lord and Master II is imposslple
) for me to believe that II that Christ OF
/ God were standing here this morning
he would advise the licensing OF TINS
corruption as the most feasible or eA-
Incident method of dealing with II. l
cannot imagine him using the argu-
l ment that the saloon must he licensed
for the revenue that may be gained
+ from il to support the school system
. cannot imagine Christ taking any
/ other position before the whisky power
( than that of uncompromiSing eondem-
nation. lie would say il was eYn ana
only evil and therefore 10 be opposed
by every legal and moral restriction
that society could rear against it,. In
his name. speaking as l believe ne
would speak If he were here this mo-
ment. ! solcmnly declare the necessity
( on the part Of every disciple Of Christ IN
every church in Milton Of placing him
self decidedly and persistently and at
once in open battle against the saloon
until il is destroyed, until its power III
business. politics and society is thing
Of the past, until we have rid ourselves
of the foul viper which has 50 many
years trailed its Shiny folds through
our homes and our schools.
Citizens, Christians, church mem
bers. ! call on you today To take mp
arms against the common foe Of that
we hold dear in church, home ana
state / know there are honest bust
ness men who have long writhed in Sc
cret at the ignomiuy OF the halter
about their nccks by which they have
been led. There are citizens who have
the best interests of the community at
heart who have hung their heads in
shame of American politics seeing this
brutal whisky element debating the
government of the towns and parcel
ing out their patronage and managing
their funds and enormous stealIngs OF
the peoples money ] know there are
church members who have felt in their
hearts the deep shame OF bowling the
knee To this rum god in order to make
advancement In political life. And l
call on all these today 10 rise with me
and begin fight against the entire
saloon business ana whisky rule In
Milton until 10y the help Of the Lord
of Hosts we have got MS the victory.
Men. women, brothers, sisters i'm the
great family Of God on earth, will you
sit tamely down and worship the great
beast of this country VIII You not
rather glrd your swords upon your
thighs and 80 out TO battle against this
blasphcmous Ihilistine who has dcied
the armies of the living GodE / have
spoken my message Let us ask the
wisdom and power Of the Divine TO
help us"
Philips prayer was almost painful in
It's intensity of feeling aud expression.
The audience sat in dcathly silence.
and when hc pronounced the amen Of
the benediction it was several mo
mcnts before any one stirred 10 leave
the church.
Philip went home completely cN-
hausted He had put into his sermon
all of himself and had called UP all his
reserve powcr-a thing ne was not Of
ten guilty Of doing and for which he
condemned himself ON this occasion.
But II was past, and he could not TO-
call IL. He was not concerned as 10
the results of his sermon. lie had
long believed that II he spoke the mes
sage God gave him ne was not 20
grow anxious over the outcome Of IL.
But the people Of Milton were deeply
stirred by the address. They were not
in the habit Of hearing that kind OF
preaching. And what was more. the
whisky element was reused. 1t was
not in the habit of having its authority
attacked IN that bold. almost savage
manner. For years its sway had been
undisturbcd 10 mad insolently estab-
lished itself 60 power until even those
character were deceived into the belief
that nothing better than licensing IL
was possible. The idea that the saloon
could he baBishcd, removed, driven ont
altogether. had never before been all
vOcated iu Milton. The conviction that
whether Go could be it ought TO be sup
pressed had never gained ground with
any number Of people. They had en-
dured it as q necessary evil Philips
sermon. therefore. fell something like
a bomb into the whisky camp. Before
night the report of the sermon had
spread an over the town. The saloon
men Were curaged Ordinarily they
would have paid $50 attention to any
thing a church or a preacher might say
or do. But Philip spoke from the pull
pit Of the largest church In Milton.
The whisky men knew that if the large
churches should all unite 20 fight them
they would make it very uncomforta-
BILE for them and ia the end probably
drive them out Philip went home that
Sunday night after the evening service
with several bitter enemies. The wills.
Ky men contributed one element. Some
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