Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-07-16

| little more, if you please (laughter) +,
/ because they need my help Gap
plause) they need my good will; they
need my friendly hand and my
sympathy, and if had to decide be-
tween getting up on a platform with
lot of the so-called elect, or a lot
of the so-called saved and transmo-
frified saints of this world or going
down into the gutter with the poor
and the lowly and the humble and
the sinner and the downcast and you
might almost say, the vilest people
in the community l would say fare
well to those who wear the robes of
righteousness and I would go down
in the gutter with the poor and the
oppressed and the suffering Cap
plause) because they need my help,
and they need my good will; and
that is the Kind of Christianity l be-
lieve in. l don't want to be among
any select or elect circle in this
world, or in the next world, and l
don't want to sit near the throne in
the next world for what little good
can do here. don't believe in
that kind of religion.
Now, friends, with this little pre-
liminary, and 1 am sure you will ex-
cuse me because I am trying to ex-
press what I honestly feel and am
trying to express the truth of my
convictions upon this matter, and I
am aware that I am in an audience
here,-I have been told that this
audience has been packed with the
so-called dry people. don't be-
lieve there is any truth in that.
That was telegraphed me up TO
Salem, that this entire tabernacle
here was to be filled with people
who were already converted and con-
vinced of the propriety of this pro-
position of amending the constitu
tion. Your honorable Chairman
wrote to me and wanted to know VINO
wanted to have here, if there were
any elements of the city that should
be specially invited to come here TO
listen to this Joint debate to be on
my side of the question. / immedi- /
ately wrote to him and / have copy |
of the letter here, sir, that / did not |
think it was fair for either side to |
undertake to pack this meeting; |
that l would do nothing of that kind;
that l would come here and face this ,
although they might be
entirely of people who did |
not agree with me; because want 70 I
say to you right here, friends, a |
great many Of you are in the habit |
of sitting in your churches and listen
ing to some man in the pulpit pound |
this prohibition proposition at you |
from one end of the year to the
other, and he is quite careful never |
to allow the other side to be heard |
in that pulpit. That is what a lot !
of you folks have been fed on until |
you only know one side of this |
question, and l had Just as soon tell |
you so. (Applause.)
Now then, / am only sorry that |
this possibly will be the only Joint
debate that we will have. If we
could have about a half dozen of
these joint debates, and could get to
one another thoroughly
2 md weed oui the poor arguments
that both of us may make, weed oIt
the defective things, weed out ms
-tstements Of fact that either one n
us is liable to engage in, we would
after while get down to the hard,
cold facts of this matter, and /
think one or the other of us would
be convinced of the illogical position
and would admit 1t to the
other.
A voice: Good.
Mr.. Hofer: / am frank to say
hat If experience such a change OF
mind or heart, that / would come
out and publicly confess 1t before
he audience (applause), and
would get down on my knees and
apologize to the community for haY-
Ing been on the wrong side. But /
ion't anticipate any such result,
(Laughter.)
But, Ladies' and Gentlemen. /
.hink there is this TO be said; / am
going to give Dr. Wilson credit for
being one of the ablest men that has
appeared in the State OF Oregon up
IN his side Of the question.
A voice: Amen.
Mr.. Hofer: And / believe that he
3 sincere and that he is honest and
hat he Is going to be fair In this
iebate; ! believe all that; but, on
he other hand. / cannot overlook
he fact. that he is a pastor OF the
Methodist Church.
A voice: Amen.
Mr. Hofer; And he is required by