The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-12-24
FOR PROHIBITION
One of the Three Addresses Delivered
in the Christian Tabernacle, Sunday
Night, December p


Reproduced from Shreveport Journa)
Hon V. Grosjean, editor of The eau
casian, speaking at the Christian Iaber-
nacle, said:
My friends, | am here tonight, IN this
Christian Tabernacle, on the invitation
of your beloved pastor and my esteemed
friend, Rev. c. L. Jones. To have been
called to address this audience of intel
ligent and earnest workers, Of loyal c1ti-
zens, men and women who are enlisted
in a struggle for the emancipation OF
the people from the baneful power of
the saloon, is a compliment | appreciate
beyond the expression of words.
In your presence, at this time, | feel
somewhat out of place and diffident III
speech, since this is the first time in my
career as man engaged in public affairs
that | have been called upon to address
an audience from a pulpit However,
should l fail to interest you or to evlnce
the faith that is in me, | trust you will
at least take the will for the deed.
Why is it that special meetings are
being held tonight in churches, at which
laymen have been requested to JOIN the
| ministry i'll the expression of their
! views on an issue which is agitating the
city of Shreveport and Caddo from CEN
ter to circumference?
| Why is it that in this movement for
prohibition, which, if successful, as |
fully believe it must be, there are ar
rayed on one side the judges of the
civil, the criminal and city courts and
citizens of every walk of life, who have
no interest in the saloon?
Why are these distinguished jurists,
all these good citizens not on the side
of the saloon, for whose welfare some
Of the opponents of prohibition are
seemingly SO solicitous?
Why are not these gentlemen, who
favor prohibition, not urging their IN
Ihuence to promote and maintain the
saloons as being necessary revenue pro-
fducers, without which, as pretended by
tsome of our friends of the opposition
shreveport must retrograde and become
Involved in ruin?
Will any one venture the assertion
that the saloon is essential to the we'll
being of any community?
Who can, or who will, defend the
saloon from the view of morality?
While indisposed to indulge in per
sonal reference, I may be permitted te
explain that | occupy a position in this
contest which is not satisfactory to some
of my friends, who had not anticipated
my active support of prohibition.
It is true | have some good friends
them personally and would not injurt
them in the least, yet when an issue sc
important is pressed for action | coult
not be neutral nor could I join them
, rot even for revenue only.
! | am not an extremist. To each in
dividual | accord unquestioned his RICH
. of thought, of action and of free speech
| am one of the great middle class, who
entertain views and opinions on all sub
jects and dare to express them when
ever necessary, but / could not BIT
aligned against what some of the saloor
men would deride as "churcl1men. II
explanation | would say that not Ions
since, and before the question of proli
bition had been developed to its presen
stage of activity, in discussing the pos
sible issue, I announced boldly that
whenever the issue against the saloo1
, was called | would be found On the side
of the church and the preachers, who
. are charged with meddling in public
affairs which do not concern them Goo
bless the churches and the preachers Of
every denomination.
If it were not for the influence of the
churches and the preachers, if the
preachers and the churches were e6in
mated from civilization and in Their
stead the saloon should have full sway
picture, if you can, in the most fancifu1
flight of the imagination the woeful con-
dition which would follow.
immortality and impurity would domi-
nate over public order and public
health and public morals, and public de-
cency, and the evil would contamin ,te
every home. The saloon would sit SUI
lpreme and our loveful surrounding
would soon be transformed into very
hell, with all its heartlessness, its cru
lelty, its curses, its despair. There would
be no hope for man, who, enslaved to
| the power, would sink into the lowest
depths of depravity.
God bless the churches, | repeat
heartily. These are as beacon lights
which direct the mariners to safety
IL