The Newtown bee., 1908-09-25
TOWN TOPICS.
WHO PAYS THE BILLS9
TEMPERANCE SERMON BY REV ALEXANDER STEELE.

day morning, Rev MT Steele gave vigorous sermon on "The American Saloon-Its Outlook" He said in part: "Who pays Uncle Sans ex- penses" is the title of four-page pamphlet put out by the Liquor Deal ears association. It was used last spring to intimidate voters in the last primary election in Pennsylvania. From this title choose the subject of this sermon. The text is used as an accommodation, yet there is striking similarity between them. Saul, some- how, became partner to the stoning of Stephen. He threw no stones. He may have gone as a looker-on, but Scripture tells us he was consenting unto his death, we do not know if he could have preventedJt. Text implies that he could and because he failed he consented to it. The world held Paul responsible in some for it. How simi- lar to the American Saloon. An insti- tuition that is killing one hundred thousand every year. Is not the Amer ican nation become involved in certain measure in that while tis not directly responsible, has it not become by it's silence a partner to its awful work. There is one thing Paul could have done, he could have protested against. How this nation consented to it, is that it receives as revenue, taxes from the saloon, giving it sanction, placing the business on footing with grocery, butcher, baker and all other legitimate business. The question raised by the title of the pamphlet is gan important one. A question of vital importance to the farmer, business man and every tax payer. We are in commercial age and look at things from an econ- omical point of view. We are living in a day when men are considering the value of thing not by moral but by monetary worth. Does it pay? they ask; if 1t does, no matter how the moral law is broken. The saloon ques- tion is great economical as well as a great moral question; the greatest enemy the American people have to face, socially, economically, morally. Look at it from the economical side of it. This is the smallest and meanest side to view 1t from. How we can see one hundred thousand souls slaughtered every year; children by the thousand left destitute, robbed of comforts, let alone educational advantages which are their rightful inheritance; mothers robbed of home comforts, carrying the burdens of drunkard's home; and will look at an institution, so despicable as rum shop from money consideration is beyond comprehension. What can we hope when men in the halls of congress will talk against d bill and the only argument produced against 1t, was it would kill half of our distillries and ruin half of our revenhe. Are we re- beating history or prophecy to say to such "Woe unto that nation that buildeth her walls of blood" But the question to ask ourselves is does the liquor traffic pay our bills? Is it a revenue producer or bill producer? What are the facts in the case? Does it relieve us of our burdens or does it add to us burden ten times as large and heavier to carry. The fact of the case is that for every dollar the saloon puts into the treasury it takes from ten to sixteen dollars to take care of its product. Gov Greene of North Carolina says: We talk of the wrongs a of a protective tariff, the ills and B crimes engendered by monopolies and trusts, but all the evils and iniquities If the tariff or the robberies and ag- -kressions of greed and monopoly to- gether, do not begin to compare with the sorrow, the ruin, the misery, the crime, the poverty, the madness, the vice, the degradation, the death and the damnation produced by strong drink; and therefore in the interest of business, for the protection of helpless women and children, for the suppress sion of disease, the preservation of life and the salvation of human souls, in the name of more than million true, brave and noble North Carolina men, women and children, l ask you at this session to abolish this demon of destruction. Gov Campbell of Texas says: The saving in the court expenses from decrease in crime is believed to offset the loss of revenue from the saloon. Here is one item alone the court expenses have met, not taking into account the expense of jails, extra police, taking care of the poor. It is costing Newtown about six thousand to take care of the product of the sa- loon for which they pay about two thousand. Who pays Uncle Sam's bills? Surely not the saloon, but the tax pay
 CT. These men are not what the world
 would terminate enthusiasts, but men who have come face to face with aw-
 full facts as they exist with the glowing statement before us we do not realize it is not the liquor dealer, but the hon. est taxpayer, who pays not only Uncle Sam's, but the brewers and distillers' bills besides. Every legitimate bus mess glves us something in return for the money expended. They all add value to the raw material. The saw
 mill returns boards for our logs, the flour mill returns us flour for our gram, the baker gives us bread for our man, the shoe man shoes, the clothier clothes, but what have we gotten in return from the gin mill? The raw material IS the bright boy from your home for they depend upon these boys to keep them alive. This monster lives on hu- man life. At this Bacchanalian altar we are satisfying one hundred thousand of our boys as an offering to appease the
 wrath of this monster. what does 1t give us in return? Has the rum shop added anything to the raw material? Has it fed it with truth! Has it made any improvement upon it? No; it has doodoned if. filled it full of obscene