The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-11-20
CHURCH
and The
SALOON

Last evening at the services In Grace
Church Rev. e. S. Rousmaniere delivered
q very interesting sermon on the subject,
The Church and the Saloon" In the
course of his sermon he brought out
the fact that the saloon because IT offer
ed TO the workingman a social attraction,
and that the best ways Of eliminating IT
would be TO establish an Institution which
would supplant Il by supplying the needs
that the saloon provides, something 10
supply the demand OF the w~orkingman for
society and companionship.
His sermon was in brief as follows:
'The subject upon which / am TO speak
10 you tonight is one which must have
been thought OF at one time or another by
every man and woman I'm our country. We
are told that % per cent Of the poverty In
our land is due 10 the saloon. that count
less homes have been broken vi and their
members debased by It. l am not one OF
those who believe In an arbitrary law.
We are dealing with an Institution, and
law cannot abolish an institution. II Is not
only that II furnishes a means OF quenCh,
ing the thirst of mankind. but II is a So
cial centre. The saloon furnishes the So
cial life Of hundreds and thousands OF
people IN lnlS country. Inc only way III
which the law can affect the saloon is TO
rob IL OF its social power.
why has 70 a social power? Probably
20 the majority off the people here to-
night il has no such power. but what
about the workingman? Imagine him GO
ing from his hard days labor to his
home, n few squalid rooms. perhaps Can
that place satisfy his longing for society.
his longing for "A place 10 rest after his
DAYS work?
There IS no more Democratic institu-
tion I'm our LAM than the saloon. Their
are no distinctions. A mans a man there.
whether rich or poor. There is n craving
for companionship. and where shall tho
w~orkingman satisfy It? II is the saloon.
and IL becomes his club.
1T is not by law that the saloon Is 20
be eliminated, but by the spirit OF Jesus
Christ that 1t Is to be supplanted.
Many OF the attempts 10 substitute
other attractions for the saloon nave not
been altogether free from patronage.
Men have tried at their arms length 10
establish institutions that shall attract
the poorer people and they have failed
The institution which shall supplant tho
saloon IL one that must meet the needs OF
the people who are now I'm the saloons. II
has been said that a large patronage OF
the saloon has grown from gangs OF boys.
M meeting at first on street corners.
gradually drift 10 the saloon. There arc
IN this country moro than 100000 men I'm
trade unionism and II is on record that "A
large percentage Of the various chapters.
for reasons or economy. meet I'm halls
either furnished gratuitously or at a nom
inal charge by the saloons"
Mr.. Rosumanier told OF a w~orkingmon's
club In New York with n membership OF
1900 and said: do you think that with 1900
men I'm the rooms OF this club tho saloons
were not feeling its eYect2 What we
Christian people need TO do 20 combat
his evil at the present time Is not 10 pass
new legislation. but 20 establish an insti-
tuition which shall supplant tho saloon by
fostering TINT very instinct that now
keeps the saloon alive"