Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-13
GIVES OTHER SIDE
Rev. Ira o. Northstein Answers
Open Letter from Model
License League Head.
SAYS TIMES HAVE CHANGED
Practices That Were Followed in
Christ's Time Now IndefensibIe
Under Modern Conditions.

Rock Island, Ill, Nov. 11.-Editor of
The Argus: VIII you kindly permit
brief reply to Mr.. Gilmore's open
letter to the ministers, as printed in
this evenings Argus? I have not re-
ceived copy Of the letter direct from
the Model License league, and an
answer sent direct to Mr.. Gilmore
would probably make no impression
on the interests which he represents.
Some of your readers might be inter
ested to know what a minister of the
Lord Jesus Christ has to say in reply
to the question in the open letter.
1 speak only as an individual and
cannot say what other ministers would
reply, but if I were to answer Mr.. Gil
more personally 1 would say: AS a
minister of the gospel must oppose
The liquor traffic, no matter what John
D. Rockefeller's university teaches.
must oppose it because it is an abso-
lutely bad and Iawless business. No
tice what the saloon has been doing
to Rock Island since the city voted
vet.
Different In This Age.
We do not live in the first century
A. D., but in the twentieth. What
may have been permissible then is
not so now if the Spirit of Christ en-
llghtens us to see more clearly than
our forefathers did. Because polygamy
was tolerated in 1000 B. c., is no rea-
son for excusing it today, otherwise
The Mormons are right In their teach
iags.
We must grow from age to age as
race, and put one great national vice
sstar another behind us. Christs
teachings are the greatest ally the tenn
Eerance cause has today. His golden
rule does not tolerate the liquor traf-
&c. His Sermon or the Mount does
uat tolerate making merchandise Of
mems bodies and souls.
ST Paul, the greatest interpreter of
C..si lists teachings who ever lived. says
i.at when the use of anything causes
: brother to stumble, it is the duty
Ct q Christian TO abstain from using
L even though it were otherwise no
evil IL itself. See Romans 1921. This
;Gle applies not only to the use of
strong drink. but the apostle says, ito
do anything whereby thy brother
ssumbieth"
It is unnecessary here to multiply
reference to the teachings Of Christ
and His apostles, but if Mr. Gilmore
is sincere in his request for iuforma-
ton I for one shall be glad TO give
him a complete list Of Christ's teach
ings which makes 1t impossible for a
Twentieth century Christian to stand
with the lawless saloon element
Backed by Science.
When. in addition to Christ's teach
ings, we have accurate scientific proof
of the harmful effects Of the even
moderate use of alcohol, when the
brightest inteIlects of the day. such
as Edison, tell US that they have bet
ter use for their brains. than to steep
them in alcohol, when great railroads
find that they can only run their trains
with safety with the assistance OF total
abstainers. when the economist proves
to US that the saloon is a bad national
investment, when the best legal talent
of our day calls the liquor traffic a
business that has no legal right 20
existence, when the students of sociol-
ogy show US the crime, poverty, in
sanity. etc, that are caused by the
use of alcohol, how can Christian min
listers take any other stand than
against the great slavery" of our
century as Abraham Lincoln called ttP
How can any clean, conscientious, God