Backbone. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. ;) 1897-1906, 1903-08-01

but who is now most self-sacrificing
and efficient Christian worker. So
God is at work as well as the devil.
f. +
On the occasion of this visit, as
three years ago, the main streets Of
Crookston were ''all torn up This
would give stranger very unfavor-
able impression Of the city did he not
remember that this condition would
be quickly succeeded by beautifully
paved streets. Herein lies moral.
A city cannot change it's twenty-year-
old license policy nor can nation
abolish a license system a hundred
years old without encountering some
difficulties and raising some dust. 1t
is unfortunate that this dust so fills
most think it is "the whole thing
rather than merely incidental to the
Inauguration of better era
4 X
At one of my Crookston meetings
steps were taken preparatory to the
organization of an excellent club. 1t
is doubtless well under way by this
time. Splendid timber was in sight
and the field is an immense one.
Crookston is the metropolis of an en-
pire. A Massachusetts W. C. T. u.
worker asked Mrs. Bayrell, president
of that w. C.. T. U. district, how large
her district was. She was somewhat
surprised on receiving the reply,
about the size of Massachusetts" In
1888 Polk county gave us 900 votes.
Later the Populists made inroads upon
our ranks in that section, but we are
gaining again.
The sign of certain Crookston law
yer reminded me that years ago he ap-
piled to the state committee for en-
ployment as a lecturer. He stated
that he had rendered the Republican
committee efficient service upon the
stump in the preceding campaign but
had since had change of view upon
political matters. My reply advised
him to first make announcement of his
conversion. 1t would be soon enough
to talk about employment after that.
never saw the announcement. When
the Prohibition party has loaves and
fishes to dispense, no baskets will be
necessary in which to gather up the
fragments.
At Perham I saw the programme of
up by the local Catholic church. 1t
contained the advertisements of eight
of the nine saloons of the village. No
wonder that the friends of decency
there are not very hopeful. Catholic
opponents of the drink habit and traffic
are up against hard proposition in
their own communion. This is why
Backbone gives more space to news
of the growth of the movement in that
church than it's volume would entitle
it to. We propose to stand by those
everywhere who stand by the right.
I was talking with a pastor, a Re-
publican. I asked him to name, if he
could, a single Republican or Demo-
cratic officer-holder or office-seeker,
known outside his own state, who was
also known as an enemy of the saloon.
Of course he didn't name one. In de-
Tense of his party, however, he said in
substance, ut might not be wise for
them to declare their views. A per-
son can sometimes accomplish more
by discretion and tact" 1 replied, I
suspect somewhat holly, 81 hope I am
not entirely without appreciation of
the value of discretion and tact, but if
the silence of political leaders on this
issue is defensible, the church has
no mission and should close her doors
and discharge her pastors" I will do
the brother the justice to say that l
think he was quickly ashamed of his
utterance. In what an embarrassing
position Christian men are put who
are compelled to either defend the
hellish silence of the old parties re-
garding the saloon evil or condemn
themselves for aiding by their ballots
to keep them in power.