The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-08-21
COmmonweaIIh Without Saloons
Sermon Delivered by DR.. Harry Omar Scott at the
Presbyterian Church Aug. 10.

TEXT Righteousness cx1lteth a state. |
but sin Is a feproach TO any people.
Neve- before in the listory Of the for
nation of new states has there been
such an opportunity to accomplish some-
thing grand and glorious as Is now pre-
seated to the citizens Of oklahoma.
WITH seventy thousand square miles
OF rich soil yielding greate- variety
of crops than any other known territory
with oil and coal in abundance; with a
climate that rivals that OF southern Call
ifoina. and with "a million and a half
people. the brightest and most energetic
gathered from an the older states, they
ought to achieve something surpassing
in the way Of statehood But notwth-
standing all these things If Oklahoma
adorts a constitution that is mediocre IN
It's aims and ideals instead Of a con-
stitution embodying the advanced thoug't
Of the age and then using It's splendid
resources for the attainment Of its fun
realization. Oklahoma will be one Of the
saddest disappointment Of the age. We
read IN the book OF supreme wisdom that
righteousness exalteth the state. We
want. therefore. this morning TO think
how 60 win ,Nalt the new state to be
free from the al-pervasive evil Of the
HQu.r traffic. We have therefore chosen
as our theme "A Commonwealth With
out Saloons"
we make no apology for presenting
this theme from the pulpit inasmuch as
IL Is MT O. question OF party politics but
purely a question of morals. And now
when party preiudices are supposed 20
be isid aside in the formation OF con-
stitutioa for the whole people. it Is
certainly the proper time for the church
and the ministry TO speak out on this
subject
A Commonwealth Without Saloons
What VIII It be? wha, place OF exalta-
ton VIII II occupy among the other
states Of the Union2 What olevatilg
power has the righteousness OF sobriety?
J. commonwealth without a saloon
Is free commonwealth. The applica
ton Of the term free to any other is un-
warranted A commonwealth ruled in
any sense by rum is. not free common-
wealth. The saloon Is bulldozer. des-
perado. tyrant If the community is
not quietly submissive to its wishes It
y ready to spread ruin everywhere.
Some time silce a petition was circu-
lated by the Young Peoples league. ask
ing that the saloons and the theatre be
closed on Sundays According 10 law
neither has any right to be open on
that day All that the petition asked
was that the saloon keepers and the
theatre managers be law abiding like the
rest of MS.
The moment the saloon keepers heard
]
ness houses by threatening boycott.
They we're determined to have their own
way OF ruin every mans business pros
poets. who was not In sympathy wish
them. Later because an attempt was
made by the ministers 70 enforce the
Sunday law. an the interest OF public
morals a threat was made to smash the
| Assembly about to be held IN Island parN.
ana wish was expressed by saloon
sympathizers that every blanked church
IN town would burn to the ground. What
was the occasion Of that wrath? and OF
that threatened vengeance? Simply a
demand that the saloon men be law
abiding ike the rest OF us. There was
not In the demand one silgle thing in
finging on their legal rights. / -epeat
"the saloo is a buldozer. a desperate
and a typnt"
a citizen who stands high IN political
circles said to me recently and by the
way he Is not nrohlbtionist. that II
he had his way he woul1 raise the llcenae
to 81 600 and thus cut down the number
Of saloons TO about one third. and reade,
them less Of factor IN politics What
prompted his remark? He had learned
by practical experience that the salool
Is a bulldozor, tyraut and desperate
ia policies.
Ny grandfathers grandfather fought
seven long years to overthrow the ty-
ganay OF George the III OF England and
TO establish democratic -ule in Amarlca
His blood is In my veins. / want TO sas
that nothing N quarter OF a century
has so stirred that blood as the bull.
dozilg. ty9annicai spirit Of the saloon
element in Guthrie.
II is a tyranny with which II I know
American history Tyranny Of George th'
/ III. bears no comparison.
/ say, down with IT. Vote the saloor
out Of the state. for It has al-eady had
abundant opportunity 70 show that 4
will be subservieat to law and ir. ever,
Instance it has beeA determined to have
It's own way.
The trusts are regarded as hearuesi
tyrants A constitution that did no
make ample provisions fos their cont o
would not be accepted by the people @
oklahoma They are determined 10 Do
free state WIN they accept con
sttution that permits the saloon TO con
tnue lis bull-dozing and It's tyranny? A.
citizen OF oklahoma, I say "sic. sem
per tvrrlnis" Down with the saloon
We viii bee a free people.
II. A commonwealth without saloons
Is a commonwealth composed of mel
with am their faculties az thei- best
The American people are CONSTANT
using subte~ agencies, investing mor
complicated machinery and undertlkin
more dlGicut tasks. Each advance re
auires quicker thinking and quicker ac
tion. and yet this -anidity Of movemen
must not fende- the action OF the hu
man machinery irregular or ulcertah
o A century ago a young man sat ON ia
Z arm OF an upright horse power, drivin
/, an animal that would rather rest tha
work. He could have his attention any
. where. he could think about alythinl
T. He could 90 10 sleep, fan on and no
l. under the horses feet Tht ho-se woul
b. stop aad sleep also Today young ma
sits IN the cab Of a mammoth Baldwl
locomotive driving a hundred tons
e steel sixty. seventy and even eighi
g miles an a0ur. as he pulls the fast MAJ
nsha Noifa. NAV aspio1a fraa fa1 6lN