Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-02-22
THEY OPPOSE PROHIBITION
CATHOLICS AND EPiscoPALlANs
AGAINST sumPTuARY Law.
Hebrews Even More solid Against the
Movement Than others--cteray-
men More outspoken.

$500 f''~t~ SF>Ntt'
Washington. Feb Congress and
ardent prohibition workers seeking
federal legislation are Immensely sun
I prised at the very large number OF
i clergymen who are now opposing pro
/ hibition. Tie developments show that
Leading charchmen OF two of the great
churches OF the country Catholic and
E,piscoyalian are Nacrayed against
sumptuary laws not only by congress
but by the states. The Hebrew
church and its membership IS even
more solid against the move than the
other two and to these three may add
i ed the Lutheran and several ether
churches. Heretofore clerggmen .op-
posed 10 prohibition have had little 70
say but FOR some reason or other
they are becoming more ontspoken.
Private adyices are that many OF the
church leaders of the denominations
named have come to the conclusion
that IN proportion as religious bodies
press for prohibitory laws they lose
the GOOD will OF liberal minded men
and thousands OF Others who feel that
The churches should accomplish what
4 they desire in the way Of temperance
by moral EFFORTS and suasioii
Cardinal Gibbons. the head OF the
Catholic church in this country. has
recently given two authorized inter-
views putting himself on record as
hagainst the present movement espec-
. ialy In the larger cities, He favors
! high license and local option In rural
communities and small towns. The
Pope at Rome has recently author
lied similar statement as to hi OBJ
position to sweeping sumptuary laws.
Archbiship Messmer, of Milwaukee, Is
not only out against the attempts to
reform men by law, but ne thinks the
army mas been immensely harmed by
the anti-canteen laws. OF the same
church there is Rev Daniel j. O'Suli-
van, rector of st. Marys church. at
st. Adams, Vermont. who announces
himself in complete accord with Car
dinal Gibbons.
Bishop Donohue, OF West Virginia.
recently wired friends In the West yir-
ginia legislature, protesting against
threatened prohibition legislation in
that state. He asks for high license
with heavy penalties for giolation.
Stronger than the Catholics are the
Episcopalians, headed by Bishop Pot
ter, Of New York; Bishop Sattorlee, OF
y Washington; Bishop Webb. Of Wiscon-
!. sin; Bishop c. G. Grafton, of the same
church: Bishop Hall, of Vermont. and
| numerous others. backed by their
ciergymen. Bishop Potter declares
that enforced total abstinence has
been, in America, the parent of i'm
measurable dishonesty and hypocrisy
From this II would seem that the best
, temperance movement was that
which, in free land. inculcated the
principle OF selfrestraint." Bishop Sat
terlee denounces prohibition as Il ex-
lists in most states, especially IN
Maine as a huge fraud Bishop Webb
says his church is not radical In It's
views and Bishop Han says prohibition
drives the mischief sought to be cor
rected underground. Bishop Grafton
I declares that prohibition in the south
may possibly turn out satisfactory
because of the negro question. but
in the North ii Is different. Prohsb-
ition here is not practical OF the
clergymen OF the same church there
are dozens openly against prohibition,
notably among them being Rev. viii
i liam A. Wasson rector of Grace Epis-
copal church at Riverhead, H. l., who
i successfully led movement that re-
Z stored the license form OF whiskey
1 control in his town after ii had been
dry two years; Rev Joseph p. Nc
Comas, rector Of ST. AIMS Episcopal
church, Annapolis. Md, who goes so
far as to disapprove local option: Rev.
Walter G. Haupt, of Philadelphia
The Jewish rabbis are so unanimous
ON the subject il is hardly necessary.
to pick out names. Or. Emil G. fiirsch,
of Sinai tempe. Milwaukee, is very
clear in his views. He does not think
the appetites of people can be regulat-
ed by law any more than they can be
forced to accept any particu'ar sort
of religion. The jew is pointed to as
model Of sobiiety the world over
and the claim is made that he learns
temperance while growing up as
child.
In the cities of Louisville. Lexing-