The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-25
PULPIT IN ATTITUDE OF
JUDGE TOWARD JURY
Can Interpret the LAW without Die
tntinE Individual Action, Says
MIR. Bowie.
Rector of st. PauI's breaches First of
Series on "Christinn Conscience and
the Prohibition Ncfcrcndun,."

Taking the position that the attitude
of the pulpit towards the people. in re-
gard To the prohibition referendum and
other public questions, is as the attl-
tudc OF Il judge towards the jury in it's
rendition of a verdict. interDrctativc Of
the law, the Rev. w. Russell Bowie,
rector of st. Pauls Episcopal Church.
! last night said that tho liquor qucs-
ton was not one OF economies or OF
business. but one that related solely
to the moral and spiritual welfare OF
the people as whole.
Many differ as to the attitude OF the
church." he said, las TO whether the
church ought TO give itc voice in pro-
test against the liquo- traffic There
are enemies who would stop the church
from raising its protest against the
liquor business. ami there are friends
who honestly think it unwise that the
church should say anything of this
kind. The reason of the latter is per-
fectly right and very reasonable. For
, history shows that tho Church of
| Rome was unfortunate in linking
church and state agencies. But there
is a third way, In which the church may
ally Itself with the subject and permit
OF pulpit discussion. The church oc-
cupics Il position towards the people AS
a Judge does towards Il jury. The
judge Is the Interpreter OF the law.
lilo does not attempt to influence or di-
rect a verdict. but he does interpret
the law for the jury. That is the at
problem, and ii is the business and
necessity of the pulpit to try TO inter-
pref Gods love in regard to tho prob
lem now pressing upon us.
LIQUOR FIGHT An INDICATION OF
GENERAL. FORWARD MOVEMENT
This problem is simply phase OF
| general forward movement, and the
action of the government in ruling
! liquor out OF the navy is but another
indication of that forward movement"
! Mr. Bowie then went on to show that,
! though intoXicants may be as ancient
rs history itself, distilled spirits, az
they are manufactured into whiskey.
brandy and other forms OF liquor in
use to-day, are OF comparatively recent
origin. whiskey having first come into
use 700 or 500 years ago. lie quoted
speech made by Lord Lonsdalc before
Parliament in 1743, when Lord Lonsdalc
called attention to the misery and
wrctchedncss that had been introduced
among the people ny the Widespread
use Of distilled ntoxicants. Mr..
Bowie said that in almost no instance
WAS alcohol q food. ana that the body
could assimilatc in twcnty-four hours
only one and a half ounces Of alcohol
without suffering deteriorating effect.
lie also quoted amply from Il report of
DR.. DeJarnette, Of the Western State
ter said that If alcohol and certain dis
eases could be eliminated, the next
generation would see the possible ami
hilation of insane asyluns.
1T is scientific fact" said Mr..
Bowie, that 40 or 80 per cent OF the
crimes Of violence are due to tho use
OF alcohol, and that one Of the worst
results of its use Is cruelty and violence
toward children. Does it not show,
then, that 1T Is needed 10 uphold the
idea that tho body is the temple OF
God?"
MIR. Bowie said that there were few
| moderate drinkers. and few moderate
drinkers who were not at times immod-
crate, and he pointed TO the deleterious
effect of liquor politics. lie read
from pamphlet. an advertisement of
certain Kentucky distillcrs. Offering to
sell lists of names of drinking people
to Keely Institutes. The advertise
ment stated that the distillers were
going out of business. and would, there
, fore. sell the lists of names at so much
n thousand.
But the liquor men are not all bad
men," said Mr.. Bowie Their instincts
are right, but they are in the wrong
business. it is not fight on the in
dividual. nor against those In the liquor
traffic. but fight against the thing.
the traffic itself. And the conscience OF
civilization says that liquor has got to
co.
Mr.. Bowie announced that he would
preach three sermons on the general
topic. "Christian Conscience and the
Prohibition Referendum" The sermon
last night was the first Of the three
and was on The Standard Of Decision"
based on st. Mark, viii. &c: In what
shall II profit n man If he shall gain
the whole world and loso his own
soul?"