Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-05
COMMITS
GRAVE OFFENSE
MINISTER SCORES SPEAKER
FOR OBSTRUCTION
DIR. LOCKE TELLS OF EVILS OF
LIQUOR TRAFFIC
breaches Stirring Sermon in Which
He Tells of Encouraging Growth
of Temperance Movement
In America

DR.. Charles Edward Locke's subject
at the First Methodist Episcopal church
last evening was 1.-THE South Is Going
Dry" The house was crowded to its
utmost capacity to listen to DIR. Locke S
strong words against intemperance and
in favor of the great temperance re-
vival which is rolling over the land.
He said in part:
1.-THE peace of our home, the purity
Of our characters and the permanency
Of our republic are threatened by the
whisky traffic and it's diabolical abom-
nations. We must not cease fighting
this arch foe. If we do not fight we
are lost. The whisky traffic Is en-
and corrupted tastes and appetites, and
vested interests and politics of the ma
ton, and in the so-called principle of
individual rights.
Recent legal decisions by noted
judges in the circuit courts of Indiana
are sharply against the saloon as a
nuisance to and destroyer of society.
And some day, when such decision
shall be rendered by the supreme court
of the United States, the atrocious
traffic shall be outlawed forever from
this land which 1t has so long cruelty
cursed.
"There are many evidences that this
nation is tired of the saloon. Seven
states are wholly prohibition and fifteen
states are more than half prohioitlon.
Last year more than twenty states
passed laws restricting the liquor traffic
and not one in favor. More than thirty
six millions of the population of this
country are now living in prohibition
territory. The reform steadily grows
and anti-saloon sentiment spreads over
the land.
Kentucky Almost Dry
"The great southern states are rapidly
entering the prohibition ranks. Even
Kentucky is 50 per cent dry, ninety
seven out of the 119 counties.
The punch-bowl holds carnations
And the south is going dryl
1.-THE liquor dealers are on the run. A
leading official paper of the whisky
traffic warns the trade that the busi-
ness interests dependent upon it's pros
perity are threatened with disaster!
Leading newspapers and magazines are
refusing to place liquor advertisements
In their columns. Is not a newspaper
which advertiseS whisky on the same
level with the man who sells 1t? The
grand lodge of Masons in Missouri last
week excluded from membership all
persons who sell liquors as a beverage,
whether saloon keepers or druggists
selling without q physician's prescrip-
tion.
''Uncle Joe Cannon has aroused the
Indignation of the nation by his arbf-
tratory action in preventing the intro
duction of a bill in congress which is
intended to prevent liquors being
shipped into states which have passed
prohibition laws. Cannon has COM
mitted an unwarrantable act and un-
pardonable sin. He cannot stem the
tide, and If he does not repent and
change his mind he will be swept into
ignominious oblivion. This is no time
for obstructionists. and the nation VIII
not stand 1t. The liquor business be-
comes increasingly disreputable. The
rules of banks and railroads for their
employees is, You must not enter any
saloon.
A Mothers Anguish
"A Sunday school teacher who has a
mems class testified that out OF his
class seven men entered the ministry
and seventeen were ruined by liquor.
This is the usual proportion of the men
who go to the devil through strong
drink, and sensible people are out of
patience with such deadly force In the
nation.
"a mother rushed down a church
aisle In Kentucky crying, The saloon
has by boyl' and thousands of mothers
have sobbed out the same cry. And
the gallant men OF this nation for the
boys sake and the mothers sake do not
intend to rest from the combat until
this boy-destroyer and mother-mur-
derer is gone forever. There is not an
ennobling feature about the saloon. 1t
cannot be reformed. If the devil should
be eliminated out of the saloon 1t would
mean the elimination of the saloon it
self May God save all the saloon
keepers, but help us to destroy by
proper legal enactment all the saloons"