The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1908-01-24
MADE AN EVIL BY LAW
Rev. A. S. Crapsey Discusses
Saloons in America.
Says Solution Is More Freedom
For the GrOg Shop.

Chicago, Jan. 22-''I do not believe
the saloon would be an evil of any
consequence if it were not made so
| bv law. The solution of the saloon
question lies in giving the greatest
possible freedom consistent with the
maintenance of order"
| That was the answer of Rev. Al
gernon S. Crapsey yesterday when
asked: What is the solution of the
| liquor question in America 2"
DR.. Crapsey, who is at the head of
an association known as THE Broth
erhood'' in Rochester, n. Y, came to
Chicago yesterday for the debate
which he will have tonight at Or
chestra Hall with NJ. NJ Mangasarian.
The question to be debated is 'The
, Reality of Jesus as an Historical
Character" DIR. Crapsey will argue
that Christ was an historical person
age, while Mr.. Mangasarian will up
hold the contention that Jesus was a
myth.
DR.. Crapsey came before the public
very prominently in the fall of 1906,
when he was found guilty of heresy
| by the ecclesiastical court of review
of the Episcopal church in New York,
his expressed opinions being too broad
for the high church authorities to
countenance.
Praises European Idea.
1.-The European idea should prevail
in this country as to the liquor ques-
tion," continued DR.. Crapsey, in his
discussion of the saloon problem. ''In
Europe there is freedom as to the
sale and purchase of intoXicants. The
result is that there is comparatively
little drunkenness, as against condi-
lions in this country.
"One is very much impressed on the
continent with the fact that the OBJ
iectionable features which surround
the liquor traffic here are conspicu-
ously absent There is virtually no
disorder over there and one sees little
evidence of drinking to excess.
"When the law makes a thing a
crime it becomes crime. To surround
the trade in liquor with the restric-
tions which prevail in America and to
cast upon that trade the stigma
which attaches in this country is to
have the effect of lowering the per-
SONS who patronize the places where
liquor is sold. The American method
makes the matter worse instead of
better. In my opinion man should
be as free to sell wines and liquors
as he is to sell molasses, and his Gus
toners should be as free to purchase
wines and liquors as they are to pur-
chase molasses. The attempt to regu-
late peoples lives by law is not a
success
Plan Here Is a Failure.
'.The individual should be made re-
sponsible, but the community as Il
whole should not try to throw checks
around the traffic such as are found
in this country. 1t does not work
out well. Men who desire to buy
intoxicants should be able to do SO
publicly, sitting Oh the sidewalks as
they do in Paris, OF in liquor shops
which are entirely open to the public.
There should be none of this hav
ing to 60 behind curtains and closed
doors to buy liquor If there were en-
tire freedom in the liquor traffic it
would be found that the matter would
largely right itself and that drunken
ness and disorder would decrease.
There should, of course, be a tax up
on liquor for purposes of revenue, as
there is upon other commodities.
"The attempt to close the saloons
on Sunday or close the saloons alto
gether in "a city like New York or
Chicago is, in my view, not at all
practicable | do not think a Sunday
closing law would be feasible in this
city. The Raines law in New York
Ia reform measure-has not helped
morality in the slightest. AS / have
said, the only possible solution of the
liquor question is the greatest possible
freedom consistent with order"
What Church Must Do.
in discussing the status of the
church in America today Dr. Crapsey
declared that the church must take
a more active part in the practical
life of the community.
"There is to be change as great
as the coming of Christianity said
Dr. Crapsey. ''In fact. that change
has already begun Fifty years ago
the churches were the dominant fac
tor i'm the life of most communities.
But today the church is on the de-
fensive everywhere The churches to-
day have to 60 outside the church
buildings to get at the people. Meet
ings in the interests of the better
things have frequently to be held in
theatres in order to get people to
attend In that view the theatre
buildings are greater spiritual centers
than are the church edifces."