The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-04-30

Haven Evangelical, Rev. Geo. II
Wade, of Detroit; Rev. II. G. Whit
ney of Detroit, at Easton, in the
morning and Henderson in the even
ing; Prof. Goodrich also spoke in the
morning to the men s class at the
Congregational Sunday school.
Evening meeting were held at the
First NJ. E. church, union service,
addressed by Messrs. Crandall and
Hudson; CoPunna Ave. NJ. E. church
Prof. Goodrich; Asbury NJ. E. church
Rev. Wade. A synopsis of Prof.
Goodrich's morning address is given
herewith:
Prof. Goodrich's text was from
Luke 10, 29:r "Who then is my
neighbour" The parable of the good
Samaritan teaches us TO help the
man who is in need. The study of
Christian sociology proves that
nearly all the problems that perpleX
the people of this country are con,
nected with the licensed liquor traf-
fic. A large part Of the divorces,
criminality, pauDerism insanity
feeble-mindedness, and misery of
this country is due to this traffic.
The national drink bill last year
was 81, 1000. Turn this into the
Legitimate channels of trade and we
should have an era of prosperity
such as neither this country, nor any
other has ever known. On a conser-
vative estimate for every dollar re-
ccived in revenue from the saloons
we lose SIS. In Calhoun county we
found that the saloons were costing
us as dead loss $750.000 per year
In Albion we have twelve saloons
paying into the city treasury $4,000
a year. 1t is estimated that the aver
age annual receipts of the saloor5
there are $4,000 a piece. Th4r
take in about 100000 a year and
pay back into the city treasury So
600. What would you think of a
business firm that would pay a col
lector 100000 to raise $4,000? A
somewhat similar disproportion Will
be found to exist in most places
where there are saloons.
1t is sometimes said that saloons
They increase the business of the
doctor, sheriff, policeman, insane
asylum, almshouses, jail, home for
the feeble minded, dependant and
neglected children, the undertaken
and the grave digger. But where the
saloons are closed there is an in
crease in the sale of bread, boots and
shoes and other necessities of life.
Abraham Lincoln said in sub
stance: The saloon is a cancer in
the body polite, destroying it's vital
ity and threatening its life. All at.
tempts to regulate it will fail. 1t
must be. eradicated. He predicted
that the time would come when there
would no longer be a slave nor Il
drunkard in America. He brought
it to pass by one stroke of the pen
that there should no longer be a
slave in this country, but he did not
live long enough to exile the saloon.
He left that work to you and me and
everyone who loves his country.
The saloon is the greatest foe the
church has to face. 1t opposes our
missionary effort, blocks the evan
gelization of this country, debauchos
our boys, seduces our girls, depletes
our treasures, mocks at our prayer
burn our petitions and defies our res
olutions, yet people take the blood
stained bribe Of the license fee and
say: "Thank you, gentlemen, that is
ample satisfaction for all that you
have done" Ample satisfaction for
widows tears, orphans groans. ru-
ined homes and lost souls. There
are some things money never can
pay for and these are among them.
"A friend of mine saw saloon in
Bay City, which had the sign Cup TO
Date aloon'' He. looked through the
window and saw that the saloon was
empty! That is the UP to date sd
loon. The up to date brewer Is the
one who reads the handwriting on
the wall and is preparing to go into
some other business.
We have been receiving in Michi-
gan about $2,500,O00 revenue from
the saloons but it is estimated that
every year $4,000 boys begin the
drink habit in this state. AS mere
ly economic proposition boys are
worth far more than 500 each.
The saloon cannot run without boys
any more than saw mill can run
without logs.
Forty years ago there were g.
OOO,000 people in America living
under prohibition. Eight years ago
the number had increased to 16, ,0OO,-
OOO Now there are over IN OOO OOO