The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1911-04-14
The Liquor Situation.

We are living in a wonderful age
an age which calls for heroic eudeavor.
Great developments engage the action
of men. Christian civilization is NOV
ing with tremendous strides, both in the
realm OF material development and civic
righteousness. In it all christian char
acter is being tested as never before, and
the premium on manhood is higher
than at any period in our history.
Great problems now confront the
churches problems scarcely dreamed
of by our fathers, and such as should
inspire us with more zeal for our cause
and earnest conservation to the high
calls of duty and service. We must
consider the foes of to-day in order
that our children may conquer the foes
Of tomorrow, for while righteousness
ever works in the open light as itpushes
on toward the realization of its ideals,
evil conceals itself in mystery and APP
pears in almost myriad forms to beguile
and deceive. Let us not be weary in
we'll doing, for in due season we shall
reap, il we faint not. F."
Among the many great problems that
have confronted the Christian in the
past, and that confront us to-day, is
the legalized saloon. 1t is beyond all
question the greatest curse in our land
to-day. There is not one thing that
can lie truthfully said in its favor It
is evil, and only evil. It's blight rests
on all. 1t debases the character OF the
proprietor, it demoralizes and curses
its patrons, it brushes and bleeds So
ciety, and in return gives absolutely
nothing, for even the taxes which it
pays comes out Of the pockets OF its
patrons and are but the revenue of the
vices it creates.
At first we undertook to save the
boys from the curse OF drink by Civ
ing them the pledge Of total abstinence.
This method bore some good fruit, and
some of us are indebted much to the
principles OF sobriety and industry
which that pledge inculcated. Then We
tried the moral suasion and tried tc
save men from the saloon and drunken
ness by an appeal to their better ma
ture. The effort was to enthrone man
hood and control appetite. All the
time the saloon was carrying on 1T
deadly work and making drunkard'
faster than we we're saving the boys
At last Christianity woke to the fac
that if we would save the boys the sa
loon must be destroyed, and under thu
leadership of the Anti-Saloon League
|, and the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union we began war on the sa
loon. To-day we ask no quarter anC
| IutdU W give lOHS. Oul VI 10, IS"1i
to the saloon" No compromise what
ever will be accepted. Never shall w
furl our banner till the last saloon, dis
tillery and brewery is driven from ou
fair land and the stars and stripes floa
over people free from the tyranny 0
the saloon and the saloon politician.
What is the saloon? The saloon i
something called bar, that's true
bar to heaven. door to hell,
Whoever named it named it we'll.
bar to manliness and wealth,
A door to want and broken hearts;
bar to honor, pride and fame,
A door to sin and grief and shame;
A bar to hope, bar to prayer,
door to darkness and despair
A bar to honored, useful life,
A door to brawling, ceaseless strife;
bar to all that is true and brave
door to every drunkard's grave.