The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-08-09
ENDORSE SUBWAY TAV NJ
And Gives His Reasons for So Do
ing-Sharp Words of DR.. Car
wardine.

Methodist Episcopal church, de-
nounced Bishop Potter's action in at
tending the dedication of a New
York subway tavern. In part he
said:
cor all tie absurd and unfortunate
episodes for which the ministry is
made to stand sponsor, the indorse-
ment of the New York City Subway
Tavern by Pishop Potter caps the eli
max. The bishops heart may be
right, but his judgment has led him
into a disgraceful snare.
"With all respect to the great and
honored position that he occupies, we
may presume to ask, has the bishop
been fooled? Was he actually in
earnest, or was he the clerical dupe of
a company Of sharpers who used him
as a tool to further an enterprise for
sensational profits? There is no class
of men in the world who are so cas-
lily gulled and made to stand sponsor
for doubtful enterprises and carried
off their feet by fake reforms than
the ministry.
"Sacrilege, blasphemy, indecent use
of holp things, the perversion of a
sacred calling, an evil example to the
young men Of America by great &C.
clesiastical prelate, shock to the
moral sensibilities of the Christian
people of this country, and clog to
the wheels of the temperance move
ment-all this and much more are the
results of this unfortunate move of
the New York Episcopal bishop"
Bishops Reply.
New York, AugustS.-Bishop Hen
ry c. Potter, who few days ago
spoke at the opening Of the new SUBJ
way tavern, is not at all disconnected
because of adverse criticisms of his
action. In a statement from him to-
night in answer to his critics the bis
hop authorized the following:
81 have publicly stated that I new
err regarded the present saloon as
either blessing or necessity and no
word of mine, whether uttered recent
ly or at any other time, warrants any
such inference. I simply have re-
garded it as an inevitable, necessary
evil until it is displaced by something
better.
"My controversy simply is with
those who, with no other aim, are
dealing with a miscellaneous institution
rather than suppress it, whereas the
only hope of reform here is in dis
placement of substitution
Further on he says:
"There is inordinate and ostenta-
tious display of wines at our public
and private entertainments and civic
banquets. On such occasions, both So
cial and official, sometimes are wit
messed a species of national barbar-
ism if not an illustration Of national
vulgarity. The treating custom in
clubrooms and bar rooms, the 'hideous
free masonry of drink as some one
has said, does not too strongly de-
scribe the symbol of friendship which
consists in ealing for what one does
not Misunderstanding when one is not
thirsty-this is usage to which bar
barism and vulgarity are fifty mar
ried.
eff I am sent here Of God for moth
ing else, [ am sent here to tell you,
and entreat you, to discern that most
Of our methods Of dealing with the
drink evil Of our day and generation
are tainted with falsehood and dis
honored by essential unreality and
discredited by widespread. consistent
failure.
''There is the drink evil, and you
and | must ignore it. There is a task
for Christian men and women to per-
form. and you and | must not shirk it,
But let us begin by trying to recognize
the facts and let us deal with them
in way worthy of their portentous
significance.
Gone kind of man goes to a saloon
to get an intoxicant and for no other
reason Another goes there for any
one of a half dozen purposes-re-
freshment, amusement, information,
physical easement, business appoint
ment, or mere change-for which last
you, my brother, 60 next door to a
club which all sensible people regard
as wholly innocent.
"Now, then, the saloonkeeper has