Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-03-09
A ROUSING MEETING
The Union Temperance Meeting at
CongregationalC Church sunday
Night Largely Attended-Rev
w. l.. Munger Gave Fine
Aahraaa

gathered at the Congregational
church Sunday evening to attend the
un on meeting which had been sched-
uled for that date. After the pre-
liminary part of the ceremonies that
included Scripture reading by Rev.
+. Il Porter, prayer by Rev. j. w.
Sheehan and solo by Rev A Secord,
Rev. Munger was introduced and
spoke at length upon the work of the
Michigan Anti-Saloon League, his re-
marks being listened TO with marked
attention by all present, he said in
part:
1t has been said that hardly need
an introduction TO Bedding audience
but as look over the large audience
here assembled, l see but few famil-
lar faces before me, but many in
whose faces l look show in their
countenances that they are interest
ed in the subject that calls us to-
gether tonight. am with you to tell
as best | can something concerning
the work of the Michigan Anti-Saloon
League of which am at present. act
ing as field secretary.
We as an organization are hamper
ed 10 a greater or less extent by the
lack of financial assistance Possibly
this is because the people of the
churches are not aware of the extent
of our labors 1t is said of Henry Clay
that in all of his purlic career he new
er made but one mistake, and that
was when he voted to give himself d
salary of $500 dollars for services
rendered and it at once appealed to
10 the pocket books of his constitu-
ents and came near costing m his
position in Congress, but he explained
the IN ,tt,r satisfactorily to them by
assuming hat if any one of them had
a musket that had refused fire he
'ould pick the lock and try it again
President Roosevelt had won sue
cess almost unparalleled in the history
of the country because of his attitude
result had come simply, it had touch
ed the pocket books of the American
people The Anti-Saloon League has
been hau.pered for lack of funds and
he thought that ev-ry one in the
church ought to make a portion OF
their benevo ences to the eradication
of this great evil. There are three
prominent factors in the country that
are working against us in our battle
against this great evil, viz Appetite
| Greed an Ambition.
An app title born of indulge &c or
of an h r. ditary nature is hard TO
conquer, and it seems hard to react
the hearts OF those who have acQuir-
ed it. Gre, d also forms a great OPP
ponent IN this battle for right, If II
we're not for greed would it seem hat
the saloon forces would ship liquor TO
the child like nat ons Of Africa and
the indian territory where 10 men b.
come drunkards TO every one who be
come a christian b means of tn,
missionaries In Oxford recently, a
woman made the request of a
saloon keeper not to sell liquor to her
husband and be told her thai he won d
sell 20 him because that was his bust
ne-s He paid his respects 10 the man
who was so ambitious for office that
he would sacrifce all views of RICH
a d justice in order to secure a stand
ia with the saloon element and hoped
that the day was not far distant when
men would not allow ambition to ma Ike
them slaves to traffic whose OILY
claim on earth consisted in making
fools OF men and dethroning reason
from Its hallowed place.
The saloon and drink habit has come
down to US for centuries and the men
who have devoted their energies to
the traffic have been wiser than us
They have formed an organization
which has shown its power in many
ways and it is said that it controls
10000 votes, which they can conven-
iently shift one way or the other, to
secure what they desire. If the 100,
900 voters in the churches would only
organize like the saloon powers, we
could have any thing we want and the
saloon element are already showing
extreme carefulness in their work in
asmuch as they realize that it is dan
gerous to be open and above board at
this time
He told the stor of Jay Gould who
said that he was a democrat when be
was with the democrats and a repub-
lican when with the republicans, but
was an Erie railroad man all of the
time, anc said that when the chris
tian voter got SO he could say he was
a republican or democrat or prohibit
Zionist At any time. but an anti-saloon
man all the time, the work of Kidding
the country of the black curse would
| be easv The nearer we get 10 the