The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-03-07

surprise and regret I learned. from
reading The Wageworker last week,
ttat you have taken an adverse posi-
ton with reference to nolicense in
Lincoln. cannot avoid the feeling
that in this position yon have made
great mistake as time will show.
And cannot help the feeling that the
reasons you give for your position
are wide of the mark and miss tho
real point at issue.
For one thing, with reference to my
own figures. utterly fail to see how
you can infer from anything I nave
G, er said. that I'VE are going to de-
mand a legislative enactment compel
ing men to put it up to divert (the
money spent for liquors in Lincoln)
irto fund for furnishing dress suits
ana decollete gowns for the naked
ssvages of the Fiji islands" fail
10 see the relation of this to the
question at issue; and ask you to
point out one word in anything
have ever said that gives you the least
ground for this sentence
In another editorial you seek to be-
little this whole movement for tenn
perance reform by legislative action,
b. carrying the principle to an absurd
length. Why stop with such things
as liquors. you ask? Why not go on
and seek to prohibit by law every
other thing that may have some pos
sble Injurious effect upon mankind9
The Safety of the People is the Su-
pi eme Law; it is the business of the
state to determine what are the things
that are manifestly Injurious to man;
t. enact laws against those things
Sour bread, can easily believe. has
been the cause of much discomfort
and dyspepsia; / am ready to con.
fess that If had to eat some peoples
bread that / should want to drink
whisky or possibly something worse.
Now ii it should appear that bad
bread is cause of social demoraliza-
tiou, tudt IL WCohCAS iiCu Units
them for the discharge of their duties.
then the state ought to intervene and
declare that bad bread should not be
sold. The fact is the law does inter-
vene and does seek to prohibit the
sale of adulterated flour and sour
bread. l am sure that you are firm
believer in the pure food laws.
Again, you say that every preacher
who is beseeching the aid OF man
made law is confessing that the Cos
pei OF Jesus Christ has failed. Now
that is one of the most surprising
statements l have seen in print for a
long time. and | can hardly believe
that 1t reflects your maturest judg-
ment You seem to suppose that the
Gospel of Christ is kind of weak
milk and water doctrine, goody-
goody sentiment, vague and indef-
nite influence that remains up in the
air and never gets down to real life.
Now l am sure you agree with me in
this, that such doctrine as this is
o"WOA lily VI An0l anu APoSOAl An INC
world. And from what / have read
in The Wageworker you have nothing
but scorn for the preachers who deal
In that sort of stun. You want a
Gospel that gets right down 10 earth
that means something and somebody,
that grips the conscience and is a
terror to evil doers
Then there Is another thing that
must be remembered: If Christianity
is to be a real thing in the world. it
must soon or late express and incar
nate itself in human institutions, in
sc cial customs and in civic laws
Christianity is hatred of the things
that are evil; it is a declaration OF
warfare against the things that hur!
man and hinder society. Then Chris
tianity must maintain warfare, in
every legitimate and natural way
against every custom and institution
that is destroying man and is iemor
alizing the state. Instead of saying
that this demand for stringent law.
against the saloon is confession tha
the Gospel of Christ has failed, it il
the declaration that this Gospel i,
really becoming effective. 1t is ere
ating a social conscience which Il
feeling the woes Of society and is NOV
ing men to maintain warfare agains
them. This modern opposition to tn
liquor business is the evidence tina
at last we have a Christianity that i
active and militant enough to be wortl
or honest mans consideration. Jesu
Of Nazareth, as you very well know