The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-03-18
THE CHURCH; THE SALOON,
Keen Analysis OF the Relation Between
These Two Opposite Forces.
By John RatliH.

taxing INTO CONSIDERATION tHhl III
our Republican form of government
. every male citizen OF the age OF u
years is a sovereign and factor il
government; also considering tina
every church of standing both cath
olic and LIotestant, has in an ofiicia
capacity condemned the licensed sa
loon as an enemy to God and man
have mind to present few fact'
based on existing conditions touch
ling on the responsibility for our sa
loon system.
Our last census reports place our
church membership in round nun
bers at IS 900, 900. The Cathoi,
and Quaker denominations have al
infant membership; that is, all
children born of Catholic or Quaker
parents are born into the church as
members by birthright. The CEN
sus puts the Catholic and Quaker
mem bership at about $500, 900.
The rule for estimating voters is one
a little less than five Of population,
tut counting one in five we will
have LOO, 900 Catholic and Quak-
er voters in the United States. The
balance OF church population, 49, =
800, 900, is made up Of more adult
mem bers, birthright not being rec
ognized. Counting adult members
and minors of advanced age who
have joined the church, it will pro-
baby be fair estimate to count
one-fouith as voters, which
will give us 1875 900 in churches
not recognizing birthright member
ship. This will make our total
church vote 6,575, 900.
Counting the church vote at g.
900, 600, and counting the Prohibi-
ton vote at 200, 200. and conceding
all Prohibition voters to be church
members, which is not strictly true,
we have about 81 in every 100 of
church voting members voting with
and for political parties committed
to the license policy. Giving the
license voter the benefit OF all frac-
tions in the calculation, we put the
license church vote at 96 in the 100
or "a in % Of church votes for lie
ense and l in % sgain It the saloon.
This state of facts is revealed by
the election returns and the census
figures.
Where then does the American
church nobility stand? They stand
against the saloon on paper, but SO
per cent. of them stand with the
distiller, the brewer and the saloon
keeper on election day, for license
and against the only political parl y
of our country that seeks the over
throw of the saloon and its attend
dant evils.
In 1860, voters opposed to slav
cry extension voted for a party op-
posed to that extension; but now
voters who denounce the saloon
vote for a party that favors the Ii
censed saloon, and to defeat party
seeking to destroy the saloon the,
profess to hate. Solomon, in Pro-
verbs, ch. 80, found four things
"too wonderful" for him to under.
stand. If he were here today be
might add the fifth puzzle, "The
way Of the church and the saloon. !"
The attitude Of the Methodist
Episcopal church, the largest prot
estant denomir alton on the globe,
probably reflects the supreme in
difference of the American church
on the licensed and protected liquor
traffic.
In the last days Of October, 1896,
Just before the presidential election, :,
the following press dispatch was
sent out from Pittsburg:
ga poll was taken yesterday,
Oct. %, OF the Is Bishops of the
Methodist Episcopal church, who
are in session in this city. They all
pronounce themselves in favcr of
Mckinley and sound money, and
expressed a desire to see the repub-
lican nominee elected"
Samuel w. Bower in presenting
the President TO a representative
Methodist meeting, is reported as
saying: "All over this broad land
is making Christians
and it is making Republicans, and
it is making Just as good Republi-
cans as it is Christians"
DIR. Pierce of the New York con-
ference is quoted as saying: "The
presiding officer Of the convention
that nominated Mckinley was al
Methodist. That he who nomina-
ted him was Methodist, and he
who seconded the nomination was o
Methodist. That a large number