The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-12-06
SERMONS ON SALOONS.
What was Said at the North Church last
Sunday by Rev. Geo. S. Mills, and at the
Methodist Church by Rev. G. f. Edge:t.

What was Said at the North Church last
Sunday by Rev. Geo. S. Mills, and at the
Methodist Church by Rev. G. e. Edge:t.
Rev. Geo. S. Mills spoke at the North
| church last Sunday forenoon on the subject,
1.-The City," from the text, Rev. 81 10 'And
he carried me away in the spirit and showed
me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, having the glory
OF God" He said in part: When the
prophet thought of heaven his imagina-
| tion could reach no farther than to picture
it as new Jerusalem. The beloved city
| was type and symbol of that place and So
clety where were tc be perfection and bliss
| unendng. So throughout the Scriptures is
| given this same exalted conception of the
| city. The city is the ideal. The city is the
object of the patriots loyalty. The vision of
the better which is to be always includes
the city. Jesus wept over the city. Such
description is strange to us. How absurd
to picture heaven a greater Boston, a larger
New York, a more beautiful Chicago. In
| deed the American city rather stands for
the other place. But we have the same
problem remains the problem of the city
how best to govern it, to redeem it from its
vice and corruption, to enforce its laws, to
make its citizens more public-spirited, to in
crease their loyalty to the municipality.
We are greatly interested in the crusade
inaugurated against msgovernment in New
York. Bishop Potter will not fail, as Dr.
I'arkhurst did not fail. No such appeal to
the civic conscience and strenuous struggle
for things righteous is ever wasted But
here for us is an interest at too long range
Let us not overlook crying needs in our
own home community, the shame and dis
grace of this little city. For you and me
Belfast ought to be a bigger town than
Greater New York 1t should be to us the
beloved city. l ought to preach for its
betterment, you ought to work for its in
crease and purity and health we all ought
to pray for its peace and weep over its
wickedneSS. 1t is in the air that Belfast is
decadent We are Inundated over our loss of
population, we confess to one another and
to strangers that the place is not growing,
that the outlook is dubious. We are fast
becoming a community of peSSimists
But for the most part we are studying the
wrong causes and seeking the wrong reme-
dies. The beautiful city of Johns dream is
the holy city, into which is allowed to enter
nothing unclean or he that maketh an abOm-
! ination and a lie. Insist upon the enforce
ment of the State law, the literal execution
of city ordinances-sh shut up the saloons,
smash the gambling machines, keep children
off the streets at night, allow no tainted
drama on the boards of your one theatre.
and you won't have city fairly described as
coming down out of heaven from God, but
you will be helping such realization. Re
pressive measures alone do not avail, but
they 90 a long way toward the creation Of
moral cleanliness and health. Prohibtory
law is educative in its principle, and when
enforced is d powerful incentive to right
living, especially to tempted, weak-wiled
men. Now the matter with Belfast is not in
this OF that administrative policy of our in
duStres and businesses it is not because we
haven't fine summer hotel, or trolley
line to NOrthport, OF a dozen other things.
The real trouble with us is a disease OF the
public spirit. A low sense of civic morality
is our chief curse. AS citizens we are not
sufficiently disinterested and unseItish and
generous towards the common veal. Tim
idity in initiative OF right, true, public prae-
tices has been for a long time characteristic
of our citizenship. We are either too cow
ardly OF too indolent to stand up for law
and order and necessary public improve
ments, to say frankly and boldly what we
believe in the case and why we believe it, and
then let our hand and our soul go with our
speech, proving our faith by our works.
From the view point of self-interest, it
| would be the best possible policy for you
business men to have this town clean and
law abiding. All your window advertising
| and free excursions would not bring in half
so much cash profit as would accrue from
the banishment of the saloon. There is
| quite a little money which comes in from
the country round about that enriches the
| saloonist that ought to enrich you mer-
chants and tradesmen You think you are
| keen in business ways, but you are really
| somewhat dull. Are you afraid of the law
less element? Stand together. The officials
ought to enforce the law without specific
instruction from you. By their oath of office
according to the ideal they are morally
bound to do it. But they are human. They
keep their finger on the public pulse. Some
of them may be in an anomalous positionfand
so far forth deserving of our forbearance
and sympathy. Let them feel that they
have the people, an interested, determined,
enthusiastic people, back of them, and pos
tively different conditions would soon pre-
/ vail. Remember that in proportion to clean
living, the enforcement of laws which make
for moral health and happiness will be gen.
eral prosperity. Righteousness exalteth a
city. What shall we say to the notorious
fact that most of our sister cities are pas
sing through convulsion o. reform and we
haven't had even a premonitory tremor!
And last of all came Belfast.
Two pictures! Our packed, ill-ventilated
| High school and the new ''store,'' soon to be
opened on Church street, another place of
that business which just now is our most
thrifty industry-the unmakng of men, the
damning of souls. Put the picture of dis
comfort and meanness and poverty beside
the other picture of convenience and luxury,