The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1909-04-22
THE CHURCH IN ACTION
AGAINST PRoHI5ITIoNl

rev. j. f.. MllDanK, rector or st.
Pauls Episcopal church at yelling
ton, Kansas, writes as follows:
"You ask for my opinion as a
priest in regard to this great issue.
First let me say, dislike prohi-
bition intensely. To my mind it is
| all wrong, or at least it goes about
that which it desires to accomplish
| altogether in the wrong way.
ITO my mind prohibition is tanta-
mount to moral weakness. 1 have
| seen a great deal of it-have watch
ed its comings and goings and have
even done my best, as a just-minded
man, to see reason in it.
''TO me it stands weighed in the
balance, and as working factor
even in that which it desires to ac-
Complish or promote, found sadly
wanting.
"I believe a nation of prohibition
lists would be a nation of hypocrites
Prohibition breeds and fosters sus-
picion among neighbors. It means
behind DOORS 1t means all that is
not open and above board. 1t not
only breeds a sort of secretiveness
of ones actions, but worse still it
introduces a condition of espionage,
which is something repulsive to any
free English-speaking citizen.
Il hate drunkenness; it is beastly,
ineXcusable; but l fear and loathe
prohibition still more. | would rath-
er see a son of mine come home
drunk (beastly as that would bel
than to think my boy was a sneak
and liar. You can cure and sober
drunkard. Many have been re-
deemed. But never yet have | known
a sneak or a liar changed into a de-
cent man
mo, l hate prohibition intensely
because, as l have said, 1t breeds
dishonesty and lack of candor, and
were my church-the Episcopal-to
commit itself to such an unscriptural
platform (as many churches have)
l would resign tomorrow, send in my
vestments and go to work at some
thing else.
But there is one thing which two
churches in America, and through
out the world, will never dol refer
to the Roman Catholic and Episcopal
churches-and that is to take up this
prohibition question as it now stands
and is now managed. Indeed, one
cannot be a prohibitionist and still
believe in the inspiration OF Holy
Writ.
Temperance is one thing (and 1t
applies to all our appetites and de-
sires); prohibition is quite another.
The one is strength-the other weak
ness.
after living some years in an
anti-saloon state / have come to the
conclusion that the absence of the
Qicense) saloon proper by no means
abrogates or does away with drink,
ing or drunkenness. 1t only seems
to me to help the druggists grow
rich on that perniclous signing a
lie as l call it when a man sneaks
into drug store and whispers what
he wants-holds up his hand and
swears. But to what2 myself
have been asked in a Kansas town OF
fifteen thousand, when went into a
drug store for a bottle of wine fol
Holy Communion, to sign lie. so
refused to celebrate the Holy Sacra
ment until I could openly procure
the wine without subterfuge.
What more could | say? might
quote great men-Gladstone Bismark
Lincoln, back to Washington, ant
further yet, back to Cana's marriage
feast. l feel that l am in excellent
company, and in the society and com
, panionship of the men who have
made, or helped to make, the worlt
what it is."-The Saturday Review
Peoria, III.