Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-01-29
Who Is Responsible

The saloon is the chief and most
audacious lawbreaker of the age.
1t is the arch destroyer of all that is
dear to man.
1t is sleepless, relentless, Unsuitable,
mighty.
There is but one power in the land
that is stronger, and that is the
church.
If the saloon is to be oyerthrown,
the church must overthrow it.
viii she?
The question is one of purpose, not
of ability.
She can do whatsoever she will in
this all-important work
The service which the church has
already rendered in antagonism to the
saloon is not, by any means, to be dis
paraged On the contrary, it is to be
acknowledged as well-nigh invaluable
More than all agents, she has res
cued perishing inebriates and softened
tht hthIlH vi lhoNt WIN Mtib luINihE
their brothers down to drunkards'
graves,
She, more than anything, or more
than anybody else, has created the SEN
timent which rules dramsollers out Of
respectable society, and places drunk
ard making in the list Of crimes.
Nearly all of her denominations have
cried aloud against the drink traffic,
and have denounced It in unmeasured
terms; and some Of those denomina-
tions have so legislated that none of
their members can lawfully buy,
sell, or use as beverage the deadly
liquid.
All honor to the church for her
warfare against the saloon
We give here great credit and thank
full praise.
Unquestionably she has been, and
still is the van.
Nevertheless, we are persuaded that,
before she can fully accomplish the
great mission to which we believe God
has called her, she must take n much
longer step in advance, and strike for
heavier blows
Her forces must be thoroughly and
permanently organized, and, combined
with kindred forces, must constitute
the opposition.
The foes Of the saloon must unite
against its friends
The issue must be fairly joined
The saloon has long carried the
black flag.
Henceforth tho church and her al
lies in this particular warfare must
carry it, too
The battle must be desperately
fought, and the field Of battle must be
the field Of politics.
This opposition must enter that field
just as did the opposition to extension
Of slavery, and it must remain their
until prohibition, like freedom, shall
become an accepted doctrine against
which no party shall daro to speak.
From every organization that sym
pathizes or comprises with the rum
traffic Christian men should separate
themselves and unite in AN organiza-
tion, every member Of which shall, at
all times, including election days, and
in all places, including the polls, and
with all powers, including the ballots
and against the giant evil Of the day.
The voting clorgymen and laymon
Of the church must become unit in
this great subject at the ballot.b box
the point at which they have been di.
vided in the past, and are divided
now
Here is a difficult problem.
But It could be solved and il
would be- solved were it not for the
strength Of political party ties, than
which nothing on earth seems to be
stronger
Prohibition measures are good, but
alone they are not sufficient
They need to be enforced. Thcy
cannot enforce themselves. As well
might we, at the very-outsot, ask that
they enact themselves as to ask, later
on, that they carry themselves into
effect The strongest cannon may b,
accurately aimed, but but It will never