The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-03-14
On the Liquor Question.

"a OU the Liquor &oS"
n iERev. Frank S. Lyon delivered ar
/ address at the First Baptist church
4 Sunday evening on Lessons From the
lrcuit Court-or the Triumph of the
ialoon" The text, from two passages
las: "Salt is good. We are the salt OF
ohe earth" The speaker emphasized
the fact that "Jesus has not presented
TO us In His Word a more striking SINH
e with which to illustrate the charac
ter and honesty Of His people, of His
church, than that of this text" The
three characteristics Of salt-its beau
ty, its usefulness and its abundance
are illustrative of the essentials OF
christian character. A synopsis OF the
latter portion OF the sermon follows
There was never a time when we had
eater need of the salt Of God s grace
our hearts than now. The liquor
aflic represented in the American
loon casts the darkest shadow that
fall across the threshold OF any
me.
was summoned to the circuit court
Feb. 81 for moral support on trial
the violation of the liquor law and
S held by the defense, which was
Iher peculiar thing. While there
learned some lessons, one or two or
which l wish to speak this evening.
FIRST, / learned that man who was
not in favor OF the legalized liquor
afllc could not be juryman ON case
the violation Of the liquor law,
it man who was in favor OF the
sgalized liquor traffic could be on the
Jury. A man who was not in favor Of
the legalized liquor traffic could not
sst on that jury and did not and am
greatly impressed with that idea, the
legal and illegal. The question was
pressed again and again as l learned
n the circuit court.
The question would be asked, are you
a favor Of the liquor business? that
would be objected to and the OBJ
section would be sustained 10y the
court and usually the jurymen would
not answer that question in that form.
Then the question would be asked,
'.Are you in favor Of the legalized sale
pfliquor?" and IL he said yes l, am In
favor of the legaliZed liquor traffic,
then he would be allowed on the jury,
nut If he said / am not in favor OF the
tquor traffic legalized, then he would
e excused Immediately. l learned
nat, very remarkable lesson indeed,
id l thought / would like to tell
me Of you gentlemen about it.
The saloon legal or illegal is just the
ne and when l hear a man say he is
act in favor of the illegal saloons, but
IS in favor Of the legalized saloons,
by then / have a word l would like
!, say to that man. What Is the
ference whether saloon is legaliZed
whether it Is not?
The saloons In this city are the most
~ institutions in it. They are sus-
by the very law OF our common
Oh. No other place is obliged to
upon the walls the certificate OF
government which gives them a
hit to carry on their business, ETC.,
nd when / contemplate the fact that
my country has this fearful curse upon
it md our government is standing by
1t, II breaks my heart to know this
thing. a
Tor three or four centuries the curse
~f slavery was upon our country. 1t
stood upon our constitution for hun
dred years. And want to say to you,
dear friends, that there is a greater
bondage upon the American people
than the bondage of human slavery
ever was, and that is the thing we are
considering tonight. Slavery was
legalized institution.