Evening journal., 1915-02-01
SUNDAY FLAYS THE
LIQUOR BUSINESS
Says Votes OF Church Mem
berS Would Close Saloon
Doors in 48 Hours
1900 PERSONS
ACCEPT THE CHRIST

PHILADELPHIA. Pa, Feb. THAT
the Church is responsible for the con-
tinuance of the liquor traffic was de-
clared yesterday afternoon and last
night BY Billy Sunday Ia a sermon en-
titled Booze: or. Get on the Water
Wagon" The charge was made be-
fore two immense audiences Of men,
probably as large as, IL not larger than
any two audiences which have en-
deavored to force their way into the
tabernacle.
Two hundred and thirty-four peni-
tents hit the trail at the morning SER
vice, 602 in the afternoon and 664 at
night, making 1900 for the entire day,
a record number.
The evangelists criticism OF the
Church was followed by the statement
that every plot that has been hatched
against the American flag and every
anarchist plot against the government
was born and BRED in the saloon.
The evangelist also asserted upon
what he declared to be good author
ity that the foot and mouth disease
now destroying cattle all over the
United States was traceable to their
feeding upon distillery mash.
No authorities were cited in sup
port Of these statements, but they
We're put forth with all the physical
force the evangelist apparently was
able to command
Sundays declaration against the
churches followed an assertion by him
that if the day ever came when all
churchmen voted against the saloons
the saloons would close within forty
eight hours.
The applause had scarcely died out
when Sunday. who had discarded his col
lar and necktie an was shouting forth
his sermon in a style which appeared 20
threaten his speaking voice. rushed to
the front Of the red-carpeted platform,
elasped his built-in pulpit with both
hands and screamed out over the multi
tudinous heads OF the audience;
Il charge the Church with the respon-
sibility Of wiping ont the saloons. ii
the Church would do its duty and wipe
them out, we'd never know the A, B, {
out Of which to spell the words Hard
Times"
A little further on, he declared;
1.-THE trouble is the whiskey gang
have got the United States. Congress
backed into corner, and they're squeez
ing the gi2zards out Of them. That's
why Congress didn't give you the
chance to vote on the question"
Nothing less than national prohibit
tion, the evangelist avcrred, would re
deem the manhood Of the United States
"Ihe whiskey gang Will see that ia
ten years from now we shall have ma
tional prohibition The next man who
comes up for election to Congress, ii he
isn't for prohibition, then to hell with
him!n
He'll and the devil figured frequently
IN The sermon on "boozen
1T is impossible to conduct clean
city upon saloon-license policy. The
only way to get rid Of the saloon is toI
kick il into hell Liquor is Gods worst
enemy and the devils best friend rlll
fight you to hell and back for breakfast
and lunch. tool
"Whiskey's all right in its place;
but its place is in hell and not in your
stomaehi | believe that the man who
sells liquor is worse than a thief or
a murderer"
Producing thirteen small boys upon
the stage, and waving over them an
American flag tied with punches OF
white ribbon, he declared that the
''gin-mill" was the only mill in oper-
alton, that the saloon was the only
institution, this side of hell" that
showed less value in its product than
in its raw material. Apostrophizing
an imagined enemy, he declared:
IF you ever get your clutches on |
the boys OF America, you've got to do |
it over the body of Old Bill sun
day!v
Every available seat for the morn /
ing service was occupied by 8 o'clock. |
in or about the taber- 4
nacle We're a number Of former ath- I
letic celebrities in or about Philadel- /
phia. Dana L. Chesterman, a former
wrestling champion and oarsman. oc-
cupied a front seat, while Murdo
a famous Quarter-miler, Of /
twenty years ago, was among the col
Iection-takers.
Policeman Adams, who sat quietly,
With his own private hymn book, at
a special seat on the platform, was
recognized as a member of the ia