The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-20
BISHOP PoTTER,s SALOON IDEA.

Notwithstanding the storm of adverse
criticism with which Bishop Potters
Subway Tavern scheme was received
by ministers of the gospel and many
other good church people, announce
ment is made now and then of a con-
vert of prominence to it. On Thurs
day Right Rev. Bishop Cortland White
head of Pittsburg, Pa, expressed him
self as being very much in favor of 1t,
and he called on the moneyed men of
that city to establish drinking places
similar to it,
Bishop Whitehead is of the opinion
that such refoTlners as Carrie Nation
should be suppressed, and that there
are many other temperance reformers
who, though jealous in the temperance
cause, do much more harm than good
According to his view most of the
harm In drinking places comes from
the practice of treating. If that prac-
tice were abolished there would at
once be a marked decline in drunkness
and in the amount of intoxicants con-
sumed.
In the course of his remarks. Bishop
Whitehead said: 1--WE all admire
Bishop Potter as a man who has the
courage of his convictions, and / GER
tainly think that If Pittsburg capital
lists would unite in the establishments
of drinking places where there would
be no treating, where the line would
be drawn between malt and spirituous
NJ
temptation to get drunk. it might be
a step in the right direction" Further
along In his talk he said. 1.-THE chill
dren should be brought up with the
proper idea of this question. They
shouldn't be taught that to take a
drink is a wicked thing, for they will
find out differently; but they should be
taught that there is temperance in all
things, even in REFORM"
Bishop Potter thinks such a reform
can be wrought in drinking places as
TO make them comparatively HARM
less. Such places are to be found, for
instance, in Copenhagen. In the course
Of an address which he made last week
at Cooper Union, New York city
in the smallest degree that the doc
trine of prohibition, wherever II has
been presented, has produced anything
else than hypocrisy. I do believe 1t
is entirely possible to persuade ra-
'tional human beings OF the peril of
intemperance and that is the only rule
for curing it,"
OF course, Bishop Potter doesn't
mean to be understood that those who
advocate prohibition are hypocrlts. He
simply means to say that the doctrine
OF prohibition produces hypocrisy and
there is, no doubt, great deal of
truth in this view. The Subway Tav-
ven, to which he gave encouragement
when IL was opened. has not proved to
be all he hoped IL would, for the rea-
son that the promoters of It were more
concerned in making money than In
advancing the cause of temperance;
and also because the advocates of strict
prohibition have done all they could
to break It down.
But. doesn't It seem as IL the prohl-
bitionists ought to be willing 10 give
his plan for lessening the saloon evil
a fair chance? They have been try
ing their way for many years without
much success. That ought to convince
them that In regard 10 the drink ques-
tion they are not endowed with ali
OF the wisdom. Besides, they ought
70 be willing TO admit that the re-
formers along the line advocated nv
Bishop Potter are just as honest as
they are IN their endeayor TO lessen
the peril OF drink. II the bishops
plan should fail after being given a
fair trial, u would then b. time enough
70 condemn Il. This Is a fact well worth