Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-28
Gov. HANLY At AUDITORIUM
Former Indiana Executive Talks I'm
der Auspices Of Anti-SaloOn League.
SAYS CHURCH SHOULD WAKE UP
IL Lacks the Power which Comes
with n Great conviction
Fight for Prohibi-
tion.

The Christian church of America today
lacks the power which comes OF a great
conviction said Ex-Governor J. Frank
Hanley OF Indiana at the Auditorium, sun
day night in addressing an guidance Of
5000 people, which had gathered to hear
Mr.. Hanley. The meeting was held under
the auspices Of the Anti-Saloon league and
nearly all the churches OF Omaha did not
hold night services that the congregations
might attend the lecture.
"If the church had this conviction It
would take this continent by storm In half
a decade. 1t lacks conservation. There are
too many tin horn soldiers in its ranks
who can only be mustered on dress parade.
There are plenty Of men and women who
dislike unrighteousness, but who will not
take arms against righteousness"
For Hanley held the audiance for an
hour and a half as he told OF the workings
OF the fight for prohibition as II has
come under his observation, while COVER
nor OF Indiana.
From the beginning Of civilization until
the present" he said, there has been
waged an irrepressible conflict between the
forces for good and evil. Some phase OF the
conflict has characterized every land and
marked every age. Sometimes It has been
tried by appeal to reason and sometimes
by might OF the sword. Sometimes It has
been waged to free the limbs OF fellow
beings and sometimes to free the souls OF
men.
End of Fight Far Away.
"A great civil war which nearly ruptured
the union was but a phase OF the struggle
and today this country is engaged in an
other great struggle. Some sanguine souls
think they see even now the beginning OF
the end OF this struggle, but 1 do not share
in their opinion. The hour OF Jubilee has
not come. Before that time comes many
men will fall and many ambitions will be
orucifled and many party affiliations
changed and we will find ourselves armed
and marching toward the sound OF the
gun.
w are a Christian people. Our institu-
tons and our literature are Christian. The
Christian chureh had it's birth amongst
scenes Of grief and sacrifice. Sacrifice II
the altar on which the Christian church Ii
builded. No just cause ever dies. A cause
may lose a battle now aEd then, but we
will not lose this war.
THE issues involve the faithful admins
tration OF government in every city and
state and the field Is nation wide. The
foe is the organized liquor traffic Of Amer
lea, a foe well worth while. It has great
wealth and touches tho financial interests
Of many men and Is prepared for anything.
It obeys no law and respects neither age
nor sex and its god lie mammon. Its re-
lIgion is the greed OF gain. 1t has no pity
that avarice does not strangie.
Church Cannot Run Awa
The Christian church 0f my country
must meet II or run away. Thank God
It cannot run away. 1t must stay and
fight, not one. but a hundred battles. II
It fights II will need men, not in heaven.
but In Omaha. There lie more mead for
men in Omaha tonight than in heaven.
''The liquor dealers tell us they have
81, 600, 900, 900 invested in the business, but
I beg oyu to remember that there are some
things worth more than property interests.
There are some primal t~hlngs-publlo
health. public peace and public morals-and
without these there can be no public lights
These primal things viii not be sacrificed
by the children OF the men who brought
back scars from Appotomax.
Local option will come as near restrict.
ing and prohibition as near prohibiting as
regulation will to regulate, and you will
soon find that out in Omaha. You cannot
keep saloons and the manhood and. the
womanhood and the childhood OF a city
together and keep all unimpairod.
Personal liberty is not personal license
to do az you please" Governor Hanley
gave several homely Illustrations Of the
faiiacy Of the personal liberty arguments,
saying 1.-THE rights OF the individual cannot
rise above the rights OF the community"
J. c. Wharton presided at the meeting
and introduced Governor Hanly. who was
greeted with loud cheers and the chautau
qua salute.
At the close Of the meeting Governor
Hanly made a plea for $500 for the Anti
Saloon league and the sixty ushers present
passed around subscription cards.