Willmar tribune., 1900-03-14

speak 20 YOU toda ai,,p ~
my Lord and Master II lis imlnpss il,s,.
fer me. o lley,' that II hat ,llrlsf e,l.
tod We're standing here this morning
lie we,,.ii advise the licensing of his
EenrlMptioll as the most feasible or tx 4
.ry;ien, met t,od of dealing with il e
E.;l!i!lOt Imagine llini* using tlt. irgu
,nent that the saloon must be licensed
for the revenue that may he. gu lned
from IL to support the school system.
cannot imagine Christ taking any
other position before the " hisky power
than that OF uncompronlising condem-
nation. He would say it was evil and
only evil aud therefore 10 be opposed
by every legal and moral restriction
that society could rear against 1T In
Ills name. speaking US believe he
s*ould speak II he were here this mo-
ment, solemnly declare the necessity
on the partof every disciple OF Christ in
every church in Milton CT placing him
self decidedly and persistently and at
| once III open battle against the saloon
until it is destroyed. until its power iii
business, politics and society is Il thing.
Of the past, until We have rid ourselves
Of the foul viper which has SO many
years trailed Its Shiny folds through
our homes and our schools g5@s:,'2 ~. =
Citizens, Christians. church mem
bers. call on you today to take up
arms against the common foe of that
we hold dear in church, home and
state. know there are honest bust
ness men who have long writled in Sc
cret at the ignominy Of the halter
about their necks 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. l 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
call on all these today to rise with me
and begin a fight against the entire
saloon business and whisky rule in
Milton until by the help Of the Lord
Men. women, brothers. sisters in the
great family of God on earth, will you
sit tamely down and worship the great
beast Of this country? Will you not
rather grid your swords upon your
thighs and go out to battle against this
blasphemous Philistine who has detied
the armies of the living God? have
spoken my message. Let us ask the
wisdom and power of the Divine to
help u.s."
Philips prayer was almost painful in
its intensity Of feeling and expression.
The audience sat in death1y silence.
and when he pronounced the amen Of
the benediction 1t was several mo-
ments before any one stirred to leave
the church.
Philip went home completely ex-
hausted. He had put into his sermon
all Of himself and had called up all his
reserve power-a thing he was not Of
ten guilty of doing and for which he
condemned himself on this occasion.
But it was past. and he could not re-
call 1t. He was not concerned as to
the results Of his sermon. He had
long believed that II be spoke the mes.
sage God gave hin, he was not to
grow anxious over the outcome of It..
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 roused 1t was
not in the habit Of having it's authority
attacked In that bold. almost savage
manner For years it's sway had been
undisturbed. 1t had insolently estab-
lished itself in power until even those
citizens who knew it's thoroughly evil
character were deceived into the belief
that nothing better than licensing it
was possible. The idea that the saloon
could be banished. removed. driven out
altogether. had never before been ad-
vocated in Milton. The conviction that
whether it could be it ought to be sup
pressed had never gained ground with
any number Of people. They had en-
dured it as a necessary evil. Philips
sermon. therefore. fell something like
bomb into the whisky camp. Before
night the report of the sermon had
spread all over the town. The saloon
men were enragel. Ordinarily they
would have paid no attention to any
thing church or a preacher might say
or 7tlo. But Philip spoke from the pul.
pit Of the largest church In Milton.
The whisky men knew that if the large
churches should all unite to fight then,
they would make it very uncomforta-
bic for them and III the end probably
drive them out. Philip went home that
Sunday night after the evening service
with several bitter enemies The whis-
Ky men contributed one element. Some
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