The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-26
The Church and the Saloon
BY REV. FERDINAND G. INGLEHART, d. d.

ha,ye been driven out Of the Canal
Zone, and the wine mess removed
from the officers of the navy. For
economic reasons other nations have
been copying our example. The Car
has stopped the sale of vodka and for
hidden its use by the soldiers. The
Kaiser has closed the breweries ana
distileries of Germany during the
war. Lord Kitchener issued an order
forbidding the shipment Of intoxicants
even to the officers in the war zone
These measures have been taken for
the good of the service. The three
hundred meetings held in your State
the past week have been In the inter-
est of the national constitutional pro-
hibition bill, introduced into the Sen.
ate by Morris Sheppard. OF Texas.
and in the House by Richmond Hob
| son. of Ala bama. We shall never
forget the picture of two thousand
men, the flower of the nation. four
abreast, marching down Pennsylvania
Avenue to the Capitol, Joined at the
round of the hill by one thousand
members of the Woman's Christian
temperance Union to reinforce and
join the league in our demand for the
passage OF the bill; nor the speeches
OF Baker, Cherrington. Sheppard,
Robson. Patterson, Mrs. Stevens and
others. nor sheir features standing
out In bold relief against the dark
background of suilen winters sky
as ngures in an epoch ma king event
az the beginning OF the end OF tho
iiquor traffic in America. The bill
mas been reported out of the House
ana is likely to be voted on In De-
cember Ii we should have a ma
Joriy at first it would be reason for
me friends OF temperance to rejoice,
TOT H would mean a two-thirds ma
Jority In the near future. Conserva-
i've friends and many enemies believe
mat our bill will be passed, and that
VIII be ratified by three-fourths
OF the mates In ten years. Thirty
six States are necessary TO ratify the
amendment Ii it shall pass
In the modern history OF the coyn.
Try there were but three prohibition
States-Maine, North Dakota and
Kansas Eight years ago the prohi-
bition wave started in the South with
georgia. and in year the saloon had
oeen swept from territory as large
as that of France. Seven OF the
Southern States are now in lire. yir-
ginia, the last one. went dry last
Tuesday by majority OF $4,000. al
most two TO one. The most surprising
thing was that all the cities OF the
state but three went dry. These
were Richmond. Norfolk and Alexan-
dria- Portsmouth. Newport News,
Hampton, Suffolk, Petersburg, VIM
chester. Fredericksburg. Danviile,
Staunton. Lynchburg, Charlottesville
and other cities voted dry. This con-
iradicts the claim OF the liquor men
and the admission of many friends OF
temperance that the cities do not want
and will not have prohibition. We
fully expect three more States to go
dry at the election in November
Colorado. Oregon and Washington.
This will give us thirteen dry states
There are seventeen other States In
which from so to 30 per cent OF the
population lives under no-Iicense,
These Will soon come into line and
give us thirty OF the thirty-six needed
for ratification and the eventual and
speedy destruction OF the trafic by
our bill seems 10 ne inevitable. SPLEEN
did representatives OF an almost solid
South are in your city and pulpit TO-
day in the interest OF our national
prohibition bill They say: You
Yankees came down into our country
with your bayonets and took away
our slaves. we have now come up into
your country. not with hayonets- but
with ballots, TO emanc!pate you from
the slavery OF rum" ! bring to you
in Boston the greetings Of New York
city. the wettest State in the Union.
There are more saloons in our New
York city alone. than in all the States
South OF the Mason and Dixon line,
and there are thirty-six States that
could be named. which. altogether.
have fewer drinking places than New
York city. And yet. under our able
State leadership the New York
League will make "A good accounting
on the battle line. keeping the enemy
SO busy that il will have no time
nor resources for anything but 10 de-
fend itself. The American League
plans to hasten the passage of the
national prohibitory law by the es-
Ia blishment of number of publish
Ing houses in different cities 1t
equipment al the national headquar-
tiers, at Westerville, O.. worth $780,
600 and from which there are issued
three tons OF temperance literature
every working day. Another one Is To
be installed in Washington at once,
and perhaps the first temperance daily
newspaper in the world will be issued
in December. II plans laid are car
ried out. We are anxious to have one
OF these printing houses in New York
city. These publishing interests are
under the SUPPLEMENTARY OF Mr..
Ernest H. Cherrington. whose pen on
temperance and Anti-saloon League
subjects Is known throughout the ma
ton.
The Anti-Saloon League has grown
steadily In wisdom, strength and VIC
tories AS yet it has not made a Sc
rious mistake in its administration,
and II looks as though the splendid
statesmen and heroes who founded
and have promoted the movement.
with the backing of the churches and
good citizens. and the blessing of God.
are to be in at the finish OF the liquor
traffic. the greatest enemy Of the
home the church and the State. It
is the infinite justice and love who
killed slavery and absolute desp0-
tism, and is now shooting war 70
death. who is destroying the liquor
traffic through the fundamentally OF
his children.-Christian Work and
Evangelist,