The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-08-17

Rev. G. R. Williamson, of St. Paul's
Church, Arraiqns the Liquor Traffic.

be dlsannuled, and your agreement with
hell shall not stand.
Subject: Anarchy of the American
Liquor Traffic
The greatest question before the
American people today is the question
of the liquor traffic. A noted student
of sociology said recently, Our great
est problem in this country is the prob
lem Of the city," The acute questions
of government and social life in the
city are rendered more acute because OF
the ever present and persistent traffic
in Intoxicating liquors.
1t is difficult to approach the subject
so as to do anything like justice to 1t in
the brief space of an hour 1t touches
our entire life, national, state, county
and municipal, to such an extent that
the various phases of the subject are
enormous in themselves. 1t is so inter-
woven with social life, home life and
individual life that to speak of it at any
length means to touch, either directly
or indirectly, every one who hears the
message of the hour.
My attitude on this occasion is that of
the careful, impartial student of great
question.
have studied the liquor problem for
twenty years, have preached on the
subject each year of my ministry, and
while do not claim by any means to
have mastered it, do believe that in a
measure, at least, l can discuss it with
some degree of authority.
l have not undertaken this task for
notoriety or sensation. but with a pro-
found conviction that the time has come
to speak and to speak plainly on this
subject that weighs more heavily today
on a greater number of human hearts
than any other question facing the
American people.
The agencies to which we have a
legitimate right to look for help are, in
most instances, either hostile to tenn
perance agitation or ominously silent.
No president of the United States since
the days of Abraham Lincoln has had
the courage to say word in public con-
domination of the traffic, though occa-
sionally our presidents have exhorted
young men to sobriety. The same may
be said IN general way of nearly all in
MI Cri+,r IN, both TO, orI "a
governments. There have, of course,
been some notable exceptions, but these
have been summary dealt with at the
next general election.
do not approach the subject with any
personal animOsity toward those who
happen to be so unfortunate as to be
engaged in the business of making
drunkards. pity them, and would do
anything within my power to help them
to some calling more honorable and on
which society does not justly frown.
The saloon keeper is the victim of
circumstances and of a vicious system
of attempted regulation of a thing that
can't be regulated; thing legalized,
and yet at the same time a thing that
has upon it an opprobrium that mere
legislation can never efface. Sometimes
a saloon keeper is an innocent victim,
when, for example, he grows up in the
business and knows nothing else. Too
often he voluntarily assumes the awful
responsibility of debauching his neigh
bor's boy, and leaves a legitimate but
less remunerative calling and descends
to the low level of selling liquor, which
is the most diabOlical business known to
man. 1t is the legitimate accompani-
ment of the house of shame, and flour
ishes best where sins of the worst type
curse the human race.
Some object to the word anarchy"
in the subject, saying that if man is
licensed by law to sell liquor he is within
his constitutional rights when so doing.
On the face of it that objection seems
plausible, but a deeper study reveals
the opposite. No man can sell whisky
and obey the letter of the law and
succeed. The very nature of the bust
ness makes it necessary to violate the
law, otherwise in a few brief years the
traffic would die for lack of patrons.
This l will have occasion to prove little
later on in the lecture,
That the argument may be clear and
thoroughly understood by everybody,
let US consider for a few moments the
word anarchy" Since the assasslna-
ton of President William Mckinley by
a saloon-bred anarchist the word has
been kept very prominently before the
American people.
By anarchy is meant Estate of law
lessness. An anarchist is one who
aims to overthrow civil government.
Any violator of the civil law is, IN a
sense, an anarchist. The growth of an
archy in this country is appalling. The
general disregard for law, and its en-
forcement is one of the most unfavor-
able signs of the times. This is evidence
ed not only in the widespread criminal
ity of the day, but is also seen on the
part of those whose duty it is to en-