The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-09-02
UNION, S. c., SEPTEMBER 2, 1904.
BISHOP POTTER'S
SUBWAY SALOON.

luo OpollDS VI llquOE sdloou III
the great city of New York by a
Bishop Of great church has doubt
less caused greater CONSERVATION
among the churches Of all denomina
tions than any other act of clergy or
lsyman in the history Of the church
organization during the christian era.
The wrath and condemnation Of the
clergy is scathing in expressions of
unqualified denunciation of such an
act on the part of Bishop of great
church. M. B. Wharton, d. D., pas
tor Of the 1st Baptist church Of At
lanta, said, "It does not help the
matter to say it is an effort to elevate
the saloon. Bishop Potter will not
SECURE the suffrage of the christian
world in his movement and the un-
IDLY world will laugh him to scorn.
Tne minister who yields to sinners,
i like the crow that whftewashed his
feathers that he might mingle with
the pigeons, will be Stunned there /;
and going back to his own flock will
b avoided there"
There is one thing Of which the dis
tnguished bishop may be assured.
His customers will be "clay in the
h h,nds of the Potter" and the spade,
while he calls it the club, will soon
do the business for them, and there
is one thing he has neglected and
that ,s TO have cemetery near his
saloon, for it will be needed; and
would suggest as the most appropri-
ate name for this burial place Of
drunkards and paupers, the Potter's
field.
Sunday night, August 81, Rev. A.
G. Wardlaw, pastor Of the First Pres
byterian church Of this place preach
Ell a most interesting and convincing
sermon, his text was taken from /
Peter As, "Who shall give account
t. him that is ready to Judge the
quick and the dead" His subject
was, "The ethics of public life." He
said the incident in public life which
suggested the subject of this sermon
was the formal opening Of the Sub
way Tavern, model saloon by
Bishop Henry G. Potter, in New
York on August 2. Bishop Potter
concluded the formal opening by
singing the doxology. This act gave
the sanction of the religion of Jesus
Christ to a saloon and gave thanks to
the Triune God for the results of the
saloon. This is reform move m ent,
80 called. This is a question that
the christian church has got to face;
there is no manner Of escape from it;
the church must either commend or
condemn it, or supinely accept it
without resistance. II Bishop Potter
had acted as an individual, his acts
might have been passed over without
comment; but as the head OF a great
and influential church and using a re-
ligious service for the opening of a
saloon his course cannot escape criti-
cism.
One would suppose from Bishop
Potter's position that moderate
drinking and social intercourse in the
taverns was the chief end or aim of
man. He ignores all domestic pleas
ures and removes all restraint of re-
ligeon as well as it's comfort, substi-
tuting strong drink and the saloon
for the troubles and needs of the
working man. Will not strong drink
set apart by religious services, intox-
icate the brain Of the laboring man as
quickly as that over which no service
was held? Bishop Potter seems to
forget that strong drink is the great
est evil and curse that this country
has to deal with, and particularly to
the young men and laboring classes.
The sense Of personal accountability
to Almighty God is the crying need
OF the time; men in official life, in
the church and state, seem to have
lost in a measure, the perso nality.
power and presence Of God. The en-
tire discourse was most powerful
arraignment Of Bishop Potter's move
ment and the use OF intoxicating
drinks.