The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-12-13
PLEADED FOR PROHIBITION.
Dr.. Samuel Zane Batten Addressed Barre
Audience Last Evening.

"The Practice Of Citizenship" was the
subject taken by DR.. Samuel Zane Batten
Iof Philadelphia for his lecture at union
meeting of several churches of Barre held
in the opera house last evening. DR..
Batten, who will be remembered as the
speaker who delivered the address on
"The Barre That Might Be- at similar
meeting held in February, 1914, is asso-
ciate secretary Of the Federal Council OF
Churches in America, as well as the au-
thor of several books on s6ssal Chris
tianity, and is speaker who holds his
audiences attention to the last word.
| The world said DIR. Batten, is under
going one of the most important transi-
tions Of its history at the present time.
Democracy with its attendant advan-
tages and obligations is taking the place
of the rule of kings and emperors. The
institution of the stats in democracy
is one which Is regarded in various ways
by the people under its control; some
regard it as an unnecessary evil, some
as an evil, but one which is necessary
and must be endured for time. Still
Others, of which the speaker is one, re-
gard it as necessary good which is
serving divine purpose as medium
for a concentrated search for Justice
"The state is as Necessary to man as
the church." said the doctor, "for the |
church alone can never do the work Of |
God" II is the duty of every Christian !
to be likewise politician in the best |
sense of the word, to inform himself on |
the issues at stake, and to vote accord |
ing to his own idea OF what is right |
without being influenced by prejudice or
by selfish motives. "a mans ballot is
the concrete expression of his religion.
We must either Christianize our politi-
cal life or the corruption of our political
life viii -Christianize our churches
ii we want Christianity in our
churches we must have it in the commn-
nifty"
Speaking Of the vital problems which
we, as community, are facing to-day,
DR.. Batten mentioned injustice, the in
Justice of the double standard of moral
ty for men and women, and the injus-
tice OF the condition of society which let's
| few favored ones live in luxury with ID
lut work while thousands who work hard
'or a living are practically paupers. Pow
srty, like disease, has a canse, and TO \
'tamp out pauperism we must first do Il
lway with the cause The greatest q
ause Of poverty, according to the speak i
II, is alcoholism. DIR. Batten challenged J
he audience TO show him one ease of 10
'enuine pauperism that cannot be traced ?
o alcohol /
In giving his reasons for doing away IL
With the liquor traffic and sale the speak
r cited many instances where the use of /
leohol had destroyed the manhood and Ii
Of individuals and made a
hem worse than beasts. One of the v
eaviest counts against alcohol is the h
act that its use by the parent win cause Il
iiocy in the child. Sixty-seven per cent I,
{ the insanity in the world is due to I,
lcohol. Alcohol also has been proven \
D be a destroyer Of efficiency, and eff \
ency Is more an Annra coming TO be a
he chief demand of the employer to. {,
ay. ~
The correction OF the evil by regula- ~
on Is not the solution OF the difficulty. n
II ii is an evil IL must be destroyed, "a
it Is a good il must be encouraged; n
lere is no middle ground" The "none Il
your business" argument was also n,
andled by the speaker, who showed BY !,
lncrete cases that an evil such as the "a,
lie of alcoholic drinks in a community -
ust affect every man in IL 10 some ex-
mt The address was closed with Al
nal plea to the citizens Of Barre 10 vote !
r prohibition at the next opportunity. n