Evening star., 1909-03-13
Christian Endeavor Hour.
For Sunday, March Il. 1909.


Topic: 'what Are Our Liquor Laws and How
Are They Enforced?' Deut. iv Ia.
Law does not create virtue; but law
does assist virtue 1t removes obstacles
from virtues pathway" says one writer
on this subject.
The trouble with Christian temperance
people is that they. often do not know
what the liquor laws are, nor how they
may help to enforce them. A great re-
former along these lines says:
1T should be known that every citizen
has a law book at hand for his use. X
he but knew Ii, in the nearest police
station another in the nearest court
house another in the mayors Office. and
yet others in the Offices of public prose-
cutors sheriffs and other officers. all the
property of the citizens. One of the very
best methods of reform Is to publish In
the press and pulpit the substance OF the
laws and penalties relating to intemper-
ance gambling, impurity and Sabbath
breaking Such a publication proves to
be sensational news. so little do citizens
know of their own laws. When you turn
over stcne. how the bugs run! Law
breakers are similarly affected when the
light is turned on them. The wicked fee
when no man pursueth, but. as DR.. Park
hurst says. they make better time when
some one is after them
According to Encyclopedia Americana,
Congress passed the first national prohi-
bition law for white men i'm 1899. prohibit
ing the sale CT even beer and light wines
in army ''canteens," which law was re-
affirmed i'm two years and In 1903 was
followed by laws excluding liquor from
United States immigrant stations and the
Capitol. in further development of the
HIT ftrao iD1tn soil Iffafr in
government buildings. Then national
temperance efforts turned to preventing
interference with state liquor laws by
outsiders under protection OF national
powers of interstate commerce an in
ternal revenue in order to give free
scope to the growing policy of local pro-
hibition. which. with other forms of pro-
hbiton. was reported in 1904 10 have
extended to two-f1fths of the population.
In I907-S prohibition was adopted in six
southern democratic states. making, with
three northern republican states under
the same policy. nine prohibition states.
with a population of ten millions. The
area of local prohibition was also in
creased under the leadership of the
Anti Saloon League. bringing the total
American population under prohibition up
to about forty millions, out of total or
ninety millions.
These figures sound encouraging. until
we remember that many Of these laws are
broken. and that it requires constant Wig
ilance on the part both of agitators and
those in authority to keep the advance
from becoming loss again.
The enemy is hard at work ready to
slip in if the officers of the law become
lax. and the liquor interests are ever alert.
working quietly to get these laws repeal
ed having their emissaries in most un-
expected quarters
For instance. last winter one of our
popular lecturers giving series Of Illus
trated talks on various topics took oc-
%I,> tnvn
in such light that the temperance work
erS were brought to shame, and the SOL
diers without a canteen the most pitiable
objects. So. though liquor laws seem TO
be on the increase. we have need to re-
joice with trembling. and not to relax
vigilance in any respect.
There is real hope since the government
has taken hold to enforce its own laws
with such men as United States Special
Agent William l.. Johnson. who was re-
Gently sent to Indian Territory by the De-
partment Of Interior to wipe out the long
established lswleSsneSs there. During his
stay there thirty Indian policemen are
ordered to respond whenever he calls
on them, and in addition he has twenty
deputies of his own. He has gone into
dives and gambling dens of the most
vicious character from Texas to the Kan
sas line and cleaned them out. He car
ries only a six-shooter and steel ham
mer and jimmy for opening barrels
and all kinds of packages of liquor.
Parallel Passages.
jeremiah. iv::22: jeremiah, viii:7; Psalms.
Lie; Psalms lxXXii:5: Isaiah. xxx:S9:
Jeremiah. xvii:23; Proverbs, xv:9; Lew,
xviii:5; Psalms, ciii:17.
Hints to the Leader.
The Endeavor Hymnal-122, 212. 214,
217. DO.
Much preparation should be made be-
should be prepared to tell the liquor
laws I'm your locality and others to tell
how they are being enforced. There
should also be suggestions as to what
your society as individuals can do to
further the good cause. There are usually
letters and petitions to write or to sign
which will help. Have a season of prayer
for the work. and ask members to re-
member to pray daily for the cause.