The national prohibitionist. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1907-1911, 1908-01-30

spondence Clinton N. Howard made yesterday,
his third appearance in four weeks, before the
Rochester preachers, addressing first the Presby
terrain Association, then the Ministerial Associa-
ton of the city, and yesterday the Methodist
Preachers Meeting at First church.
The subject assigned to Mr.. Howard in yes
terday's address the outgrowth of his address
two weeks ago, and was entitled, Sources and
Meaning of the Ethical Wave" This third adj
dress did not meet with entire appreciation as did
the other two. At its close ministers on
their feet to take sides, some condemning and
others warmly defending the statements and
conclusions of the speaker. The discussion grew
so warm and general that time for debate was
extended nearly one hour before peace and har
mony were restored.
One minister insisted that such criticism could
not be directed against the Methodist church,
that her voice was unmistakable in opposition to
the saloon and that years ago she had set UP her
standard that "It could never be legalized with
out sim" Others, among the foremost members,
admitted that Methodism did SAY that, and
stopped right there, admitting the sin, and even
the very bishops who wrote the declaration keep
ing right on SHINING, voting in every succeeding
election for the party that legalized the sin her
voice condemned, and that the famous declaration
is not worth the paper it was written until the
church backs up what she said with her votes.
That part of Mr.. Towards address which
awakened the eruption was in part as follows:
Towards Prophet Voice
An ethical revival followed the execution OF
old John Brown Standing by his dead body,
from which slavery had strangled his heroic
soul, Wendell Phillips cried, Marvellous old
man. He has abolished slavery in the land that
slew him. History will date emancipation from
his death" An ethical revolution was on, and
in six years the moose that sent John Brown to
heaven became the halter that sent the slave
power in the opposite direction.
What was the source of that ethical awakening!
Shall the impartial historian give the credit to
a church that whipped William Lloyd Garrison
from every church door and opened for his phil
pics against the curse of slavery the public hall
of an infide society of Boston? Shall it give the
credit to church that sawed the floor from I'M
der the pew of Wendell Phillips because he leaped
over the bolted door with black man as his
guest in the house of the Lord? Shall the credit
go to church that, even in Methodlsrn, expelled
ministers of the Gospel because they dared to
preach against theacurse of human bondage! 10
a church that Henry Ward Beecher said was
"busy busting the fitches of worn out truths
that hung in the smoke house OF decayed the
ology, while God was laundering through the age
the rights of humanity with the voice OF trum-
pet?
Shall we lay the laurel upon the brow of
church over whose completely with the curse
Abraham Lincoln wept bitter tears, as he looked
over the canvass of the Protestant ministers in
the city of Springfield and said "Here are twenty
seven ministers of the Gospel and all of them are
three I do