New-York tribune., 1902-01-06
SUNDAY SALOON OPENING
DR.. NELSON, OF ROCHESTER, CONTRO-
vERTs BISHOP POTTER.
do AS YOU PLEASE IDEA OF PERSONAL
LIBERTY" FRAUGHT WITH DAN
GER TO COMMUNITY.


Rochester N Y. Jan. 5 (speciaD.-The Rev. Dr.
Samuel Banks Nelson pastor of st. Peters Pres
byterian Church of the influential churches OF
this city this afternoon delivered a reply his
pulpit TO the arguments advanced by Bishop Pot
and the Rev. DR. Rainsford in favor of Sunday
opening OF saloons and their criticism OF prohbi-
ton and Womans Christian Temperance Union
theories of temperance legislation. Dr. Nelson
was the speaker who attacked Justice Jerome
when he delivered his Chamber of Commerce din
ner speech In this city several weeks ago
Dr. Nelson holds that Bishop Potters and DR..
Ransford's utterances indicate a popular tendency
In New-York City toward the doctrine of natural
law, or. as he expresses II, the do you please
theory Of government. Dr. Nelson declares that
Bishop Potter over0oks the fact that man can
become a slave to drink, and adds that such a
theory could only be addressed with safety to a
congregation of carny Scotch elders. and even
then not without peril. DR.. Nelson said
9Th The BreP0s9 to the saloons Of riy NeWTGrk ~ DIRK
cusson of the SUPPOSED T s evils Of Sunday opening
but also to the more general question of the meth
and Dr. d. have ed the on the
n the statement that ieeisaxe restrction of in
toxicating beverages is unmanly and un-Christan.
row minded Dolicy which they say is Tepresened
by Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists. ought
adopt the broad policy Of toeration, If not cot of
This is the application to a public evil of the law
of nature, or the do as you please idea OF per-
Now, in the United States the law Of nature is
IN the Declaration Of lndependence spscincaLy d
that document reads THE law of nature and of
ed By it speak of the {ne the
World" the Sovereign Ruler and the Legislator
liberty with the restrictions OF conscience and
Syen nnjoae rbarose to t6 6e democrae gov
ernment Of this country, and inspires such true
Hamilton, when. he said that he considered the the
q
French novel is like the Puritan matron OF New
No mans personality is debased in this land by
me me genera! rule Of sq6leetion to e majoTity n OF
mission for conscience sake 1t is easy TO obey
recognizes conscience even If he does not recog-
nlze GOD No government is. according TO Bishop
is true It IS mechanca ie like e' the Stick that is
placed beside plant to hold it up and the growth
ference. This is always an interference that
springs either superstition OF priests and
princes or from the superstition OF the people
eos hs 6 @ hold 3 that f ba be is ehv
RaPPy when the law Of nature Is & HnFes5sainTd:
the separa ton of society from the superstition OF
the priests and princes but its most honored and
for eternal vigilance against the evils OF the popu-
ar Gt nature wGrshiP sce % % s raa M
pie Of disdan for statute laws which interfere In
for curbstone phosophy over ali mature reasoning
and q contempt for the lessons Of experience.
ishment, but an attempt TO shield from tempta-
uOn ana lessen public offence. and all men
the crimes directly traceable to drunkenness.
would be better prevented than punished. To buy
liquor during closed hours Sunday is not an
evil per Sc, but II is malum prohibtum, and no
government can exist that does not create this
class OF offences. DR. Potter and Dr. Rainsford
must logically attack the excise duties and
all forms OF taxation liquors which OF
unique character for these are made high by law
above the capacity of the multitude to buy them
in dangerous quantities. This Is doubtless
breach OF natural law but the greater offence is
the justification for the lesser. II Is remarka BILE
that the religious journals have treated the pro-
than the secular journals. This may oe due what
DR.. Parkhurst calls moral muddle headedness."
Of the safeguards OF the public veal. The liquor
vote, the licentious vote the dsorderly class vote
sent the more ignorant strata of the population,
and It IS always characteristic OF ignorant man
from the interests of his fellows.
There is no natural instinct that be called
the leaders of all people that the passion for in
toxicating LIQUOR may be eNtirpated without doing
any injury and hence thar legal restraint is not
IN any good sense unnatural. Sunday closing does
not exclude any wholesome pleasure from a poor
mans life, and cannot further harden his lot.
un-Christian restriction? Bishop Potter's argu-
ment assumes general wisdom and frugality that
are Imaginary and Ignores depraved and mis-
directed consumption. 1t IS sort of nature
ship that is only ht to be addressed to audience
of sober canny Scotch church elders, and even
them 1T would be fraught with peril Bishop
Potter scouts the statement that may be a
slave or a martyr TO strong drink nd regards
John B, Cough as not only mistaken. but as ex1
ercising vicious influence by his tea achings. 1t
is a sad truth that experience favors Cough and
not Potter and that legislators have been com
PEELED to save men from themselves. well
society from the drulkard.
than the doctrine he represents, and hope that he
may never have to learn from experience as Cough
did, the ensaving power OF the seductive wine cup