The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-03-13
~ WILLIAM T. ELLA

Enlightened selnshness may 40
much Tor the race. China a. q
product OF Confucisnism. II proof Of
this. But Il will not DO enough: 90
China also has demonstrated- Now
that II has become the fsshion 20
r6t the Temperance reform upon IN
economic basis. Let M b clear
thinking enough TO admit that this u
not a SUFFICIENT foundation for -
great a cause. THIS present sun
day School Lesson opportunsiy links
the quarterly Temperance lesson
with certain Tremendous teachings
OF Jesus.
How TO vftaiise the virtues. %
that oey viii be warm. living. posi-
tive things. attractive 10 all man
kind, 10 one OF the problsms Of TO
ligion. A cold morality rspsls. Even
the artificial glow and cheer Of al
oohol has been more winsome In the
eyes OF the thoughtless than The
stern. gray. repressive and apparent
ly joyiess life OF some abstainsrS-
This question In not an academic
one. II In OF nrst Importance IN
many communities which have cast
out tho saloon. and have not yst
found q substitute. Negations sst
the world nowhere No people are
20 be saved. spiritually. socially.
economically, by the things they do
without. The devils like nothing
better than an empty room
80 we turn TO the great afiirma-
tions-the majestic, Incompatible
utterances--of Jesus. I'm this pas
sage which has been assigned to rs.
to discover what their bearing n
upon temperance. First OF them Ia
the sweeping declaration of the Mes
sish. Il am the Lght of the world"
In II In following that Light that so
ciety has come to the decision that
the traffic In strong drink should Do
exterininatea? The liquor habit be-
longs to the darkness of the world
II comes from ignorance and an I'm
adequate appreciation Of values No
thoroly wlse man would tolerate the
trafhc in alcohol. N he could stop II.
We are abolishing II because we
have advanced farther into the light
OF spiritual values.
The Worlds EnIlahtsnsr.
As Il has followed the Light, what
strides society has made. Moral re-
form has over follow ed in the train
Of Him whose sway brings perfect
light and perfect Justice to pass.
Jesus never said a word about .efav-
cry. yet slavery has gone from all
the civilized world. and at HiS be-
hest Jesus never mentioned the
drink habit. yet the growing wave
OF prohibition around the world is
essentially Christian movement.
He knew nothing atout tenements;
nevertheless, the irresistible impulse
for better housing OF the poor. which
IL being written upon the statute
looks OF civilization, Is wholly In the
spirit OF Christian love. All our mod
ern moral reforms, against the so
ciai evil. against the drug habit.
against uuderpayment OF labor and
The denial Of tho right OF the child
TO a play-ti1e and a school-time. are
direct consequences OF the Light that
Jesus has shed upon the hearts OF
mankind. The new light that is
streaming into our prisons, the illu-
mination OF the problems OF tho IN
digent and the defective. IL but the
reflection OF the increasing radiance
OF the Hght OF the World.
To attempt to separate reform
from religion ls therefore to divorce
cause and effect There is serious
objection 10 the fact that so much OF
what Is good and constructive in
sociology lacks the active support Of
the churches. In many places the
temperance cause, for instance. ia no
longer a child Of the church, but is