The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-14
nv WILLIAM 4. IfI.LIS.)


.nresent world war point out not only
its amazing modernity. with new
,..,nons Of death. but also it's rever-
s;ona 20 the most ancient type of war
fare. with hand To hand fighting, the
revival Of barbaric methods, and
avon the use of steel helmets on the
soldiers
Likewise ii links up with many Of
the wars Of the long, long ago in the
prominence it has given to the liquor
question. With singular appropriate
ness the present Sunday school les
son. planned long before war was de- |
cIared. is called Defeat through |
drunkenness' and it tells the story |
of how strong drink caused the rout
OF the king of Syria at the hands Of
Israel one hesitates 10 point out
developments Of A twelve month with
respect To the relation between strong
drink and the present war lest he
seem unneutral: but the cables have
been laden with dispatches upon the
subject II is enough to say that from
all hattlefronts has come an astOund-
inE recognition of the truth that drink
il the cnemy's best ally. To he safe
nation must Ee sober. This terrible
war SEEMS destined to enroll liquor
among its victims. which is at least
on wholly benctCent result OF the
conflict
Signs multiply on every hand that
a new war has been declared on this
old Zoe of the human race. The tenn
peranCe cause has been wonderfully
reiuvenatcd in the United States and
IL canada especially; although the
most drastic anti-alrohol cnaCtrnents
ar. reported from Europe. Russias S
losses in battle arc less significent
hat- in, i.,1 4,
the abolition OF vodka. Already We
See the reaSona bleneSS Of the state
ment of the actuary of the New York
Life Insurance Company, that because
of her new temperance Russia will
make up within ten years all the losses
OF life and property Incurred in the
war.
When. a few years ago, the Inter
national Christian Endeavor Conven-
tion at Atlantic City raised the slo-
gan "A saloonlcsS nation by 1920
nobody in public life paid any atten-
tion to what was regarded as tie
mere ebullition Of fervor and fanati-
cisn. Now, when this summer in
Chicago. the Endeavorers reported
that this goal seems clearly in sight
by the admission Of eminent pOliti-
clans, and flung TO the breeze a new
banner. "A saloonless world by 1880.
the newspapers and general public
took cognizance Of 1t. The handwrit
ing of doom has appeared on the wal
Of King Alcohol.
At his gate in an allied army abov.
which we may discern such banner
rs Economic Efficiency" ''SOcia
Justice" ''The Cause of Labor" '"Th'
Sunday School," Christian Endeav
or" Scientific Education 18th,
Woman Movement" Human Wei
fare ''Children's Right "A Unite'
Church." and ''The New Patriotism.
There never before was such a con
6ergcnce of diverse forces in behal
Of any reform as may now be wit
messed in the present war on stron
drink.
Where Harvard's Spade Dug.
The Old Testament story upO
which the present temperance lesso
is based links up inter cStingly wit
recent research by an American uni
versity. Archaeologists from Hal
ward have Of late years been diggin
on the site of old Samaria. and the
have uncovered some wonderf,
ruins. including the foundations {
Ahabs ivory palace. A traveller &c
day may examine the historic remain
OF the palace and city about whic
this present Sunday school lesso
ccnterS.
For Samaria. as we recall. was tf
capital of the northern Kingdom an
the home Of King Ahab. Ben-had
King Of Syria, was besieging it. Al
parently he had caught the city poo
ly defended for there were only seve
thousand soldiers that could be mus
| cred for the grand rally. AS for Syri
II was one of the mighty kingdoms
The time. with peerless Damascus Il
IS capital. Lying east aid north
Israel Syria fairly cnveloped the kim
dom Of Ahab. His natural reSourc
and his military strength were f
superior to those of the king who
ne 50 confidently and jaunhly
Slegcd.
frightfulneSS in war lis its Olde
fashion. Loot. lust, cruelty. murd
ana nameless atrocities befoul Il
records Of all the great wars of "a
LAultY. ken-hadad WAS but folio,