The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-18
AN ECONOMIC AND
SOCIAL MENACE
REV. T. CLAGGETT SKINNER ROAsrs
LIQUOR TRAFFIC IN STRONG
SERMON.
WON'T STAY ON OWN SIDE
BAPTIST MINISTER DECLARES IL
aUoR TRAFFIC INvADEs THE
VERY SANCTUARY IN PUR-
SUIT OF VICTIMS.
'WON'TSTAY ON OWN SIDE

Dr. L. Cfaggett Skinner, pastor or
the Second Baptist church, preached
to his congregation Sunday night a
strong sermon on Statewide prohibit
ton, taking as his subject:
Shall sthe Saloon. As a Social
Menace. Be Maintained or Suppress
ed?"
There are those who claim that the
church and the ministry should keep
ut of this issue now before citizens of
Virginia. Religion is religion and
business Is business. we are told You
ministers ought to stick to your job
and let other people do the same" But
he social communism Of the hour pre-
vents the splitting up of our life into
fragments and splinters and labelling
part religious and part secular. Ours
Is related life and one hemisphere of
I life cannot be divorced from another.
Suppose we admit the truthfulness Of
the claim. Suppose we decide TO stay
on our side. Don't it follow as logi-
/ cal sequence that the saloon traffic
should stay on Its side?
/ Some years ago when i was pastor
/ In Norfolk representative of this
nefarious traffic came to the door of
the sanctuary and sought to enttce
young men to places where he had
concealed his debauching products,
Was ne keeping on his side? When
the brewer sends out literature cali
! ing for recruits to fill the places OF
drunkards. are they staying on their
/ sides Answer this question: Is the
saloon traffic staying on its side2
There h a distinction between the
drink habit and the drink traffic. One
concerns the individual and the other
society. The drink habit Is largely
personal question. The drink traffic
/ is a social problem of a moral nature.
The drink habit Is an evil of personal
character and must be dealt with by
moral measures. The drink traffic oc-
casions social disorders and demands
treatment by legal action. / am speak
ing to you this morning about the
drink traffic. There must be no con-
fusing of the issue. This talk OF Local
Self-G yernment is a. suhterfuge,
tpure and simple. Some time ago when
the issue was beginning there went
up hue and cry against any inter-
ference from outside, I'VE can
handle this for ourselves" And yet in
the face of that lofty sentiment from
these paraaons OF excellence, they
secured a worker from Florida who
registered bad negroes against the
spirit Of the constitution. and another
from Maryland. who is registered
lobbyist against local OptloH. ",
consistency. thou art jewel.
Local Government When has
the liquor traffic been willing for such
a thing? When a community goes dry,
don't they turn around and say, on
shan't run your neighborhood. Despite
your descision at the polls, we will ship
the stuff into your community" The
saloon traffic preaching patriotism!
God save the mark
The liquor traffic Ia very much like a
man playing baseball. except that
when the one Is caught at first he has
the sense to turn around and go back
home, while the other keeps on run
ming, hoping to make a base sometime.
When We had local option election IN
Roanoke the saloon traffic said 1t
would support the issue II 1t were
Statewide When the issue is now
Statewide 1t wants local option. I
wonder what they will be running for
when the issue Is national.
saloon Economic EVIL.
I affirm that the liquor traffic is an
seconomic menace. We have heard a
good deal of talk about the economic
phases Of prohibition Now Mr. Hard
headed Business Man. / am going to
give you fact or two. Some time
ago. when ] was in Gainesville. Penn
sylvania I met Mr.. Charles L. Hous-
ton, vfce-president Of the Lukins Iron
works That city went dry. but the
saloon traffic--the patron OF local self
government l?)-decided that the
community should not stay dry. They