Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-01-18
CHAPTER ".

Pursuing the plan he had originally
mapped out when he came to Milton,
he spent much of his time in the after
moons studying the social and civic life
Of the town. AS the first Sunday of
the next month drew near. when he
was to speak again on the attitude of
Christ to some aspect of modern socie-
ty, he determined to select the saloon
as one of the prominent features of
modern life that would naturally be
noticed by Christ and doubtless be de-
nounced by him as a great evil.
In his study of the saloon question he
did a thing which he had never done
before, aud then only after very much
deliberation and prayer. He went into
the saloons themselves on different oc-
casions. He had never done such a
thing before. He wanted to know from
actual knowledge what sort Of places
the saloons were. What he saw after
a dozen visits to as many different
groggeries added fuel to the flame OF
indignation that burned already hot In
him. The sight of the vast army Of
men turning into beasts in these dens
created in him loathing and hatred
of the whole iniquitous institution that
language failed to express. He won
dered with unspeakable astonishment
In his soul that a civilized community
in the nineteenth century would toler-
ate for one moment the public sale OF
an article that led, on the confession OF
society itself, to countless crimes
against the law of the land and Of God.
His indignant astonishment deepened
yet more, IL that were possible, when
he found that the license OF S5UO
year for each saloon was used by the
town to support the public school sys-
TEN. That, to Philips mind, was an
awful sarcasm on Christian ciyiliza.
ton. 1t seemed to him like selling
man poison according to law and then
taking the money from the sale to help
the widow to purchase mourning. 1t
was full as CHASTITY as that would be.
He went to see some Of the other
ministers, hoping to unite them In a
combined attack on the saloon power.
1t seemed to him that IL the church as
a whole entered the crusade against
the saloon it could be driven out even
from Milton, where 1t had been so long
established To his surprise, he found
the other churches unwilling to unite
In public battle against whisky men.
Several Of the ministers openly de
Tended license as the only practicable
method of dealing with the saloon. All
of them confessed it was evil. and only
evil, but under the circumstances
thought 1t would do little good to agi-
tate the subject. Philip came away
from several interviews with tfe min
listers sad and sick at heart.
Ee approached several of the promi-
nent men in the town, hoping to enlist
some of them In the fight against the
rum power. Here he met with an un-
expected opposition, coming In form
he had not anticipated. One prominent
citizen said:
"Mr. Strong, you win ruin your
chances here IL you attack the saloons
In this savage manner, and Ill tell you
why: The whisky men hold tremen-
tlous influence In Milton In the matter
OF political power. The city election
comes of the middle Of next month.
The men up for office are dependent
for election on the votes OF the saloon
men and their following. You will cut
your head OF sure IL you come out
against them in public. Why, there's