Willmar tribune., 1909-03-24
REV. GRAYS DISCUSSED THE
LICENSE QUESTION SUNDAY

LICENSE QUESTION SUNDAY
The Rev. Crawford Grays, pastor
of the English Methodist church,
had for the subject of his evening
discourse last Sunday christian
Citizenship" !" The text was from
Romans $50 -"Love worketh no i'll
to his neighbor. = After stating
what he meant by Christian Citi-
zenship, and endeavoring to prove
that person who was a professed
Christian had an additional Iespon-
sibility in being a citizen of the
highest type. Mr.. Gravs went on to
deal with the city election by say
ing:
mo person can neglect the NOR
al issues Of local questions without
in reality despising the Will of our
Father, God. We are TO be pitied
when we have not public spirit.
Pitied, if we are not concerned
about the all-important moral issue
of the coming city election. Sa-
looms; No-Saloons. or even total Alb
stinence, is not a question of party
politics but of good citizenship. 1t
is in the highest interests of this
city that it be without saloons.
And cannot but feel that the NOR
al forces in the city will defeat the
movement to re-establish the saloon.
But, because this is not certain, /
have felt constrained the sake
of others welfare-to draw yours
and the city's attention to this mat
ter. say, we are not certain of
victory, because at the last election
the majority in favor of No-Saloons
was only 88; 467 voted against sa-
looms and 379 for saloons. That
does not impress me as a sure sign
of victory for the continuance of
dry city. We need to consider that
about 25 per cent of those who vot-
ed last year have left the city and
new people have taken their place.
and we are not sure of the temper
ance attitude of those who have
gone or of those who have come. l
do not think there is any need for
me to keep you,' by speaking Of the
power of the liquor traffic as a him
drance to progress and civilization.
Its evil has been proved up to the
hilt over and over again. Some
&C, 900 persons die in these States
annually from the effects Of intoxi-
eating liquors. Then there is
great army who indirectly come to
sad end thru this licensed indus
try, and multitudes of women and
children who are living like Lazar-
US of old because of this murderous
commerce.
Il am persuaded that any indus
try or individual making money at
the expense of human life deserves
the strongest condemnation. The
presence of a licensed saloon in a
community is like unto an epidemic
of some infectious disease. Some
may escape it's contagion, but there
is an ever present danger to every
member of that community. The
moment a saloon door is opened,
Iyour morals, your physical strength,
your financial well-being, your am
bition, your municipal life are face
to face with one Of the most dan
gerous foes that ever laid wait for
the destruction of humanity. In
the coming conflict between self-in-
terest and the public welfare, be-
tween dividends and morals, be-
tween the pecuniary advantage of a
class and the highest welfare of the
people, l beg of you citizens to see
to it that you vote and labor for
the public good. l beseech of the
citizens of Willmar to arise as ne.
yer before-in Christian spirit
and smite hip and thigh this mon
strous liquor traffic on Tuesday,
April 6. It is just as important tt
make the saloon people understand
that we will control them as it wa:
for the Parliament Of Germany re.
Gently to make the Emperor under
stand that they must control hi:
prerogative for the nations wei
: fare. l cannot but think that the
ten men who have signed the dis
graceful petition to re-establish tht
. saloon, did so in utter forgetfulnes
of the good of the city, and of th'
: hundreds of dollars that would b,
wasted to the detriment of the ply
steal, mental and spiritual condi
tion Of a large number of men
women and children that live al
, around them. Nothing but tn
worst form of sin could hav,