The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-12-23

church before.
Phillip had not announced his subject.
but there was an expectat tion on the part
OF many that he was going TO denounce
the saloon, In the two months that he
had been preaching In Milton he had at
tracted great attention His audience
tins morning represented a great many
different kinds Of people. Some came
out OF curiosity. Others came because
the crowd was going that way So II
happened that Philip faced a truly repre-
sentative audience OF Milton people. As
his eye swept over the house he saw four
Of the six members OF his church who
were up for office at the coming election
I'm two weeks.
For an hour Philip spoke as he had
never spoken In all his life before. His
subject, the cause II represented. the i'm
mense audience. the entire occasion
caught him up In genuine burst Of elo-
quent fury, and his sermon swept
through the house like prairie fire
spoke OF the power of the church COM
pared with the saloon and showed how
easily II could win the victory against
any kind OF evil IL IL were only united
and determined
"Men and women OF Milton fathers.
mothers and citizens" he said this evil
Is one which cannot be driven out unless
the Christian people Of this place unite
10 condemn II and fight II regardless of
results. IL is too firmly established.
IL has It's clutch on business the NUM-
cipal life. and even the church itself II
is fact that the churches In Milton
have been afraid TO take the right stand
In this matter. Members OF the churches
have become involved I'm the terrible en-
tanglement of the long established rum
power. until today you witness a condi-
tion Of offairs which ought 10 stir the
righteous Indignation of every citizen and
father. What is 1t you are enduring?
An institution which blasts with It's
poisonous breath every soul that enters
II. which ruins young manhood. which
kills more citizens In times of peace than
the most bloody war ever slew I'm times
of revolution; an institution that is es-
tablshed for the open and declared pur-
pose OF getting money from the people
by the sale of stun that creates crimi-
nails; an institution that robs the honest
workngman OF his savings and looks
with Indifference on the tears of the wife,
the sobs OF the motheri an institution
that never gives one cent OF its enormous
wealth To build churches. colleges or
homes for the needy; an institution that
has the brand OF the murderer, the har-
lot. the gambler burned into IL with
brand OF the DEVILS own forging I'm the
tuition so rules and governs this town
of Milton today that honest citizens
tremble before H. business men dare not
oppose II for fear of losing money. church
members fawn before Il In order gain
place In politics. and ministers OF the
gospel confront its hdeous influence and
say nothing. II is high time we faced
this monster OF iniduity and drove Il out
oi the stronghold II has occupied so long.
Il wish you could have gone with me
this past week and witnessed some Of
the sights ! have seen. No, | retract
that statement | would not wish that
any father or mother had had the heart
ache that have felt as contemplated
! the ruins of young lives crumbling into
the decay OF premature debility, mocking
! the manhood that God gave them I'm the
1 intoxicating curse of dcbauchery. What
have seen? o We fathers. o ye
| mothers! DO YOU know what is going
4 on in this place OF CO saloons licensed by
| your own act and made legal by your
| own VIII? You, madam. and you, sir.
| who have covenanted together In the fell
lowHhip and disclpleshIp OF the porest in
| stitution of God on earth who have sat
here I'm front OF this. pulpit and partaken
OF the emblems which remind you of your
Redeemer. where are your sons. your
! brothers. your lovers. your friends? They
are not here this morning
| The church does not have any hold oil
mem, rhey are growing up to disregard
| walking down the broad avenue OF de-
struction. and what is this town doing tc
prevent IL? ! have seen young men from
what are called the best homes In thi,
town reel In and out OF gilded temples oi
| evil, onths on their lips and passion n
their looks, and the cry OF my soul hs,
and and The home might 2' 'ns Combine S cnhrS, thsI
| mighty force To drive the whisky demon
| out OF our municipal life so that ",
might feel the curse OF it again never
more
II speak to YOU today In the name NJ
! my Lord and Master. II is Impossible,
God were standing here this morning n,
would advise the licensing Of this cor
! ruptlon as the most feasible or eNpedi
ent method of dealing with q; ! canno
saloon must bc licensed Tor the revenu
that may be- gained from u Ia support tn,
school system. J cannet, imagine Chris
whisky power than that OF uncompromls
ing condemnation. He would say II wa
evil and only evil and therefore 10 b
opposed by every legal and moral rcstric
ton that society could rear against it. II
his name. speaking "a I believe he woul
speak II he were here this morning. sol
emnly declare the necessity on the part o
everv dlsciple OF Christ In every churc
In Milton OF placing himself decidedly an
persistenty and at once In open BATH
| Aktlnrl the tdioon until W iS neFtrONeo
until It's power I'm business. politics an
society is thing OF the past until "
have rid ourselves OF tho foul viner whc
has so many years trailed its slnny fold
through our homes and our schools
"CitISens. Christians. church members
! call on you today 20 take up arm
against the common foe OF that we hof
dear in church. home and state. 7 kno'
| there are honest business men who hav
long writhed In secret AT the lenominv q
! tho halter about their necks hy whic
thev have been led There are citizen
| who have tho best interests OF the com
| munltv az heart who have hung thei
heads IN shame Of American politics 500
! ing this brutal whisky element dictai
ing the government OF the towns an
| parcelinx out their patronage and man
agirg their funds and enormous stealing
| % the peoples money. I know there ar
church members who have felt IN the
hearts The deep shame of bowling IN
4 knee 90 this rum god IN order to max
advancement, IN political life And 7 ca
/ on ali these TO-DAY 20 rise with me and I've
| gin fight against tho entire saloc
| hus'ress md VII sbv riilc ~ Milton mt
by tho help ~ The Lord ~ Hosts we hav
TT no the victory. Men. women. broth
ers sisters IN the great family of Go
on earth will YOU slt tameiv down or
worshin the great beast of this country
| VIII YOU not rather gird your sword