The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-08-16
FUNCTIONS Of THE
ROYAL ARCH
DIR. w. A. STEVENSON SPOKE ON
TEMPERANCE QUESTION TO A
LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC
AUDIENCE LAST NIGHT.

DR.. W. A Stevenson, pastor OF the
Presbyterian church. addressed a
large audience last night on the sub
ject of the Royal Arch, It's Functions
and Purposes" He said in brief as
follows:
Tex. Hab. 81 and Is.
The word of Habakuk means liter
ally Beloved of God This old. pro-
phet lived in Jerusalem in the sixth
century, when the Jewish nation was
in iecadence. The principal cause of
their deterioration, which finally led
to the second captivity, was indulg-
ence in the wine cup. They became
a nation of drinkers, browlers and
drunkards, and when the eastern des-
pot camped outside the city and de-
manded its surrender. they, like
Rome and for the same cause, had
become so enervated that they could
not fight successfully.
"Hab. PIP says, Woe unto him
that buildeth a city with blood AS
we look about us we see that some
magnificent cities are being built by
blood This question is now being
brought to your very door, Mr.. Voter,
Heretofore we could lay the response
bility of the licensing of the saloon
upon council and the mayor-elect
them and step back and watch them
wrestle with the problem, but now
this is all changed-the responsible
ity is on you. Yes it is true that
$4,000 yearly would come from 10
saloons, but can we afford to take this
blood money? say no. First, be-
cause it is contrary to the word OF
God and when a city, nation or
people go contrary to the word of
Goa they are going in the wrong di-
rection. Second, I say no. Because
it is poor financiering. This liquor
business costs more than 1t comes to.
asked an experienced superior judge
of this state what per cent of the
criminal cases coming before him
could be directly traced to drink, and
he said. AT least Is per cent For
the first six months of 1909 1S0 cases
came before our local police judge,
of those 1872, or "a per cent, were
charged with drunkenness. Fines? 1t
is a well known fact that every dollar
which the city receives from fines
costs it five dollars to feed those who
languish in jail.
Hob. 2:15. Woe unto him who
giveth his neighbor drink, that put
test the bottle to him and makest him
drunken This is Gods word. He
is here speaking to those who purvey
wares that make the strong weak and
destroy the weak The state presi-
dent of the Royal Arch, in speech
in Anacortes August 5, after def1n-
ing the purpose of the Royal Arch to
be the defense of the saloon business
AS a legitimate business went on to
say, first, Prohibition does not pro-
hibit.' The law against murder does
not absolutely prevent murder but
who is insane enough to desire to
have that law removed from our stat
ute books? 1t keeps murder at a
minimum. Does prohibition lessen
drink? The United States revenue
from all kinds of liquors was $780,
100000 for '07, for '08 1t was $15,-
100000 less-a nearly 10 per cent
decrease. Let the percentage Of de-
crease go on for ten years and what
about prohibition?
IF prohibition does not prohibit,
and there is more liquor drunk in
prohibition than in high license as the
president of the Royal Arch claims,
why then do the brewers and distill-
ers fight the movement as they do?
The answer is easy The claim is a
lie.
Second, Mr.. Morrison said, Pro
hibition increases drunkenness. Peo-
pie will get liquor anyway and they
will get poor liquor, poisonous liquor
in the "blind pigs The facts say
no. In Jackson, Tenn, where pro-
hibition now prevails, the police re-
ports for April, 1907, under saloon,
show that "a arrests were made for
drunkenness; during April, 1908, un-
der prohibition, 10 arrests were made.