The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-02-18
The Church and w. G. I. u.
(By Mrs. P. D. Hartman.)

That there should be anything but
the heartiest cooperation between the
orga nizations named in this subject,
is matter of grea, surprise, when we
consider the relationship between them
and the fact that the aim and object
Of both are identical-the establish
ment Of Christ's kingdom on the earth.
That there is a lack Of cooperation
between them in some places. perhaps
not so much as organizations. but as
individual members of organizations,
must be admitted with profound re-
greet
While we may not discuss this ques-
ton eNhaustively, may we not venture
10 suggest as a partial answer that the
true relationship between the church
and the w. c. r. L. is not generally
understood. And perhaps it will not
be amisS to consider at this time some
of the aspects Of that many sided re-
lationship.
In the first place the W. c. 7. L. is
the child of the church. History itslf
dscloses the fact that the church,
NiiIouSIi us Val tIlu dI-
1ivi1ies was the chief factor in train
ing its women for the work of the tenn
perance crusade, and for that of the
organization into which that movement
crystalized. When in lS73-14 the evil
of intemperance had reached such pro-
portions as to alarm the Christian pub
lie. when moral suasion methods had
proved inadequate and the church
found itself powerless TO resist the en-
croachments of the drink traffic. the
wives and mothers rose to the emer-
gency and from the very affairs of the
church went forth to the rescue
A new page in the history of the
church was turned. The saloon itself.
not merely the victim of the saloon.
became the subject and object of
prayer, of appeal, and of penalty. Moral
suasion for the drunkard began to be
reinforced by legal suasion for the
drunkard maker Out Of that expe
rience was born the w. G. T. U.
At first the church looked doubtfully
upon this remarkable and precocious
woman child, this new and vigorous
type to which it had given birth; but
as the child developed and "waxed
strong as its character and purpose
were more clearly apprehended, the
church saw in it it's own legitimate ana
wthall most filial offspring.
1.-THE greatest enemy Of the church
today says leading church organ,
lis not materialism, nor ritualsm. nor
deism, nor atheism; II is alcoholism
AS one of our own evangelists has well
put it, this right hand of the church
is thrust out with the instinct of self
preservation to save her own-her own,
because the whole world of the unsaved
is the inheritance of the church; because
money which should be used to take
the gospel to all people is in the GRASP
Of the liquor traffic; because so many
victims of vice come from Christian
homes and from the Sunday schools OF
the church.
Again the w. C. T. L. is a watch
tower of Zion. When it is considered
how diverse the ways in which the
rum power attacks the church, how
Subtit tit "lltS WITH "Illtn IL nnutf-
mines all church interests, the need OF
eternal vigilance Is readily seen. The
great white searchlight of the w. G. r
L. is turned in many directions. and
its rays reach round the world
DO we, | wonder, get the full i'm
port of the Words--Christian temper
ance: Does the church-do white rib.
honers themselves, realize what il
means as interpreted, not alone by thu
pledge of our organization, but by its
declaration of principles? He who ap.
prehendS the Wilderness and inclusive.
ness Of its aim will always acknowl.
edge company marching under its
pure white banner as the vanguard OF
the Lord Christ's conquering armies.
Many other phases of the relation
OF the w. G. r. L. and the church
might be taken np--the closeness ant
diversity of it grows upon us as We
study it. For instance the w. c. T. u
as a church unifer is a prolific ant
far reaching thought. AS a fact, il
is, however, so abundantly evidenced
all about us. that We need not elab.