Evening journal., 1916-01-24
The Present Crisis
The Battle With Booze
Sermon preached the Tabernacle yesterday afternoon by Dr. Lyon
Sermon preached in the Tab,

A crisis had come in the history OF
Isreal. The chosen people had been led
out OF Egyptian bondage and turned
\ their faces toward the east to the land
of hope and promise. But their enthu-
slasm had waned and an element
\ lusted to return to the oppression OF
4 Egypt. The fate of the new nation
Hung in the balance. Should they go
|Iforward under divine guidance, or
'Iturn back again to bondage? The
4 crisis came when God summoned
Moses to come up into the mountain
'Ito receive the commandments carved
Hon tablets of stone. There the op-
position fixed upon the absence of the
Header TO incite an insurrectiOn.
0Future events showed that but
'lsmall portion of the people were con-
/ |lcerned in this rebellion, but the forces
t|of evil in their brazepness and inn
! pudence have always been given
4 prominence and nOtoriety far out Of
E proportion to their numbers and
\ ability. The devil always has been
boaster. winning by fraud and deceit
y and an over-rated show Of strength.
Had Aaron, who had been left by
Moses in charge OF the government,
4 shown firmness Of character, he could
4 easily have checked the detection. But
+ like many a modern executive, he lack
ed the courage of his convictions.
Weak and vacillating. he yielded to the
# popular clamor and permitted the
4 people TO turn away from their allie
4 glance to Jehovah to make and wor
ship a golden calf License and
4 anarchy held high carnival The
multitude gave themselves over to
4 drunkenness and debauchery accord
ing to the impure practices of Egypt
4 ian idolatry.
Mark the contrast between Moses
and Aaron. Aaron sought what was
popular, Moses what was right. Moses
nodded public opinion. Aaron was
nodded by it. Aaron asked, What
will please the people?' Moses,
What will please God"
When Moses came down from the
mountain and heard the sounds Of
revelry and saw the signs of anarchy
and rebellion, he did not stop TO con-
suit his own personal popularity or
safety. Without hesitancy he strode
into the midst OF the people and facing
the Iawless element. sounded the call
Df allegiance to God "WhO is on the
Lords side?'
The call and spirit of Moses need a
new emphasis i'm our own day. A
crisis has come in the history of the
American republic. A giant monopoly,
the liquor traffic, has assumed such
gigantic proportions as 10 imperil the
Very eXistance Of our nation. Many
who have been bold enough to attack
Dther evils and mOnOpolies have been
strangely silent in the face Of this
modern Goliath. II has thrived both
by avarice and appetite. until now il
iefies authority. intimidates courts of
Justice and bribes Legislators. II
5lasphemes God, antagonizes the
church and endangers the life and
property Of those who dare to oppose
Is plans.
With their untold millions of pro
it. the brewery. distillery and saloon
ran eXpend vast sums to corrupt legis.
alton and nullify laws and yet have
sreat sums remaining for profit. While
)n the other hand those who dare tC
oppose their assaults must eXpend
ime and strength and money with nC
possible hope Of remuneration. but the
approval of God and of their own con
cience.
he abolition of the liquor traffic i:
he greatest issue before the Amer
can people today. According TO The
most conservative estimate, Sther
we're spent for liquor las
ear in this country. one billion. sis
hundred and seventy-fve million o.
lOllars. This was more than foui
ines the amount spent for religion
md for education; to support all o
,ur churches. public schools and col
eyes We have heard much abou
he money question. and yet the sun
pent for liquor was twenty times th'
alue of all the silver coined from al
he mines of America. We have beel
old Of the importance of bank con
rol. and yet the money expended fO
quor amounts to five times the cap
tal,of all the national banks, ant
twenty-five times their earnings
Politicians are devoting much tim
nd thought to the consideration
u the tariff. and yet the liquor bill
asst year was hore than seven time
he amount paid out for duties on al
he eoods imported into this country
If the working people OF thi
ountry had the money they hav
pent in the past ten years for liquor
very renter could have bought ant
wned his own home. With the mon
v the working men have sQuandereI
n the last decade for Intoxicating
Kinks, they could have bought an
wned every railroad in America. Tn
money wasted i'm drink cuold practi
ally abolish poverty, it could cloth
he nakedness and feed the hunger o
very needy man, woman and child.
We hear much. discussion about tn
ause and cure Of hard times Thi
Mnoney. paid over the bars, woul
ID ure the hard times in any tinancia
oppression this nation has eve
nown. Supposing in a period q
usiness stagnation, in one month. tn
ne hundred forty million dollars {
quor money were put into the tlOu
Industry. the retailers would be cal
ng up the wholesale houses and tn
liz -four mills, asking for flour. tn
hills would send. their agents out
urchase wheat. The farmers wOul
ct a better price for their product
n account of the increased demanl
very wheel would be kept in motto
nd business would flourish.
Supposing the next month the on
undred forty millions dollars of
uor money were put into the boz
Nervous Period