The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-11
PRESEYTERIANS PROTEST
ADDRESS TO PRESIDENT M'KINLEY
ON THE DRINK QUESTION.
Sore disappointment Over the Fact
that Alcoholic Liquors Are Sold
I'm the Philippines.

PITTSBURG. Jan. 1O.-Pursuant to the
order OF the General ASSEMBLY of the Pres
byterian Church in the United States. the
permanent committee on temperance has
prepared a communication to President
Mckinley against the sale OF liquor in
new territory, and this paper will leave
Pittsburg to-morroy for Washington with
prayer to the President that he look into
the matter at once, and give the committee
some recognition of their action. The COM
munication is addressed to Hon. William
Mckinley President of the United States.
and is as follows:
Mr.. Presidcnt-This communication Is
sent 10 you In pursuance of the following
action taken by the General Assembly OF
the Presbyterian Church, in the United
States of America:
Resolved, that the General Assembly.
having heard with Indignation and pain
OF the unholy activity of brewers and dis
tillers in Introducing alcoholic liquors into
the territory newly acquired by the Nation,
instruct its permanent temperance COM
mittee to investigate existing conditions,
and, If IL be deemed wise to address in the
name of the Presbyterian Church In the
United States of America the President Of
our Republic asking his power TO the pre-
vention of this great wrong.
THE duty thus imposed by the General
Assembly on its permanent committee hav-
ing been allotted to the undersigned, men,
bers composing a subcommittee, desire
respectfully to represent to you that so
far We have been able TO investigate
existing conditions. the reports which oc-
casioned pain and Indignation in our Gen.
cal Assembly do not seem TO have been
exaggerated"
Since the recent accessions to our ma
tional domain in the Indies. East and West,
anxious eyes have been directed toward
those lands by the Christian people OF
America. Recognizing the fact that oppor-
tunity involves responsibility, deep solicit
tude has been felt as TO the results that
shall follow in those islands from the as
sumption of authority by our government.
The unfurling of our national flag should
be to those peoples the pledge of the start
ing of influences that shall be elevating and
in every way benefcent- And surely the
hope of such results seems justified, In view
of our avowal of dis.nterested and philan-
thropic motives in entering on the recent
conflict with Spain.
Sore disappointment has come, therefore.
from the discovery that a vast stream OF
intoxicant drink from American distilleries
and breweries is being poured into our
newly acquired possessions. The official
records at Washington show that the
amount of alcoholic liquors exported to
those countries has doubled in six months
The American saloon, that foul blot on our
civilization, has already gone 10 curse
those lands. In the single city of Manila
are to be found more than four hundred or
those breeders of poverty. vice and crime.
Whatever blessings of a higher Christian
civilization we may have hoped to bring
to those distant islands, il is TO be feared
that the benefits conferred viii be counter
balanced by the Generalization and ruin
inflicted by the American liquor traffic.
''Deprecating the coming Of such sad
calamitfes on these helpless races. ana
with trembling apprehension or Gods
righteous judgments on our beloved coun-
try we come in the name of the million
communicate members and OF other mill
ions of adherents of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States of America, to
address you, the President of our Republic,
earnestly asking the exercise of your power
to the prevention of this great wrong.
The paper is signed by j. +. Hill, VIM. G.
Lilley and Oliver l.. Miller, NJ ID.