Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-13

ny "
And that we believe these measures
to be unacceptable substitutes and
subterfugcs and lodging responsibility
OF voting on the one thing most need
ful The referendum s the scheme
or politicians to save the saloon.
And that we urge the support ut the
primaries and at the next election Of
all candidates who pledge themselves
to vote for the ratification of the ma
tonai prohibition amendment.
RUSH copy TO PRESIDENT
The resolution urging national prohihi-
ton as a food conservation measure was
also introduced by the Rev. Or. john
son.
The efforts Of our ministers 70 OBJ
tain pledges TO food conservation meas
uros are seriously hampercd because the
people know that the Government
sanctions millions Of pounds of food
value wasted IN drink" 1t read in part
81 was reading while ago about
n primary election which took place IN
a New England city There were many
laboring men In the city and IL was
arranged to receive the votes of the
factory hands in the evening after they
left their work II happened that the
primary occurred on Wednesday even
ing, the night of most Of the prayer
meetings in the place, SIX men be-
longing to a certain church went to
the prayer meeting that night and dld
not go to the polling place. At this
meeting three of these men prayed earn
estly for the temperance cause. They
asked God that the rum abomination
might he plotted out And the other
three said, Amen, Next morning the
papers announced that the rum party
had won by margin of exactly four
votes. Now. ] say that not one of those
six men had any business in the prayer
meeting that night. They should have
been at the polls. But you say, could
they not have voted first and then have
gone TO the prayer meeting" No. sir.
1t was their solemn Christian duty TO
vote early, and then remain near the
primary polls to induce every man they
could influence to also vote against rum
BETTER VOTE THAN FRAY
1T is more religious to vote than to
pray on primary day
But you ask. do you recommend
that the church go into politics." Yes.
sir. | do Not as churcn organizations.
but the church represented by its in
dividual members. When we go into
politics we shall help to clean up lot
of insolent deyiltry in this country. The
/ piN"Nip anu N'tlDbI h'tItlS anu lllt
respectable citizens who rent their
I property for saloon and immoral
purposes are greatly shocked because
/ | have seen fit to say few plain words
about this booze business. Here is an
extract from Il letter which [ received
the other day:
'I am surprised that one holding the
high place in the church which you hold
should descend to the low level of world.
ly politics. The injury to your church
must be great. | hold 1t is the duty of
ministers TO preach the gospel admins
ter the sacraments and have to do with
matters that are spiritual. II is nc
place for them to get down into the
unseemly scramble of politics | would
advise YOU to attend to your own af.
fairs and let the politicians attend &c
theirs Your place is at the holy altar
and you ought to stay where you be-
long"
Exactly. How anxious these fellows
are about the purity and dignity of the
pulpit How concerned they are that We
shall simply preach the gospel'-tha
Is, let them alone. But, so help me God
shall not let them alone We art
preaching the gospel when tho pulpit
fairly thunders against civic graft, ant
commerc!alized vice and political shy
sters and the center Of dabolism ol
earth--the legalized saloon. We hav
preached against the saloon. and agains
the saloon, and resolved against tn
saloon, and protested against the saloon
and wept in the presence of the desoa
tions wrought by the saloon. But how
much has the saloon cared for all that
am glad the day has at last come wheI
our sermons and prayers and resol,
tiOns and prOtestations and tears shal
be crystallized into BALLOTS and whei
by sober citizen votes tals insoent law
less black-handed enemy of the republi
shah be throtted and checked an
hurled back into the hot hell iron
where it came
WARNS POLITICIANS
II hereby serve due and timely motto
on the politicians who have been tn
subservent tools of Pennsylvania brew
cries aud saloons that the days of thei
dominance are numbered The Chris
. tian. sober forces Of the Commemorate
J are at last awake. Already the lon
lines of mighty prohibition army ar
forming In battle array, and | hear tn
exultant shout, we are coming, Fathe
Abraham, five hundred thousand strong.
Today the battle of booze is on. An
tomorrow sobriety and deccncy win -
After the closing prayer and hymns
2 Bishop Berry announced that a servic
! flag containing 4332 stars, representa-
g congregational members of the confer
= ence who have entered the nations mil
tary and naval service, will be unfurle
a at the patriotic rally tomorrow nigh
a Governor Brumbaugh has been invited
: attend and is expected to make II
a presentation speech, In addition to al
: other address
Patriotism and loyalty to the matte
, formed big part of the opening of Il
: conference. Flags and bunting of Il
!, United States and the Allies and p
: lures Of martyred Presidents formed Il
4 greater part of the decorations.
D GREETED BY A. c. THOMAS
i The session was greeted by Allen
Thomas on behalf of the North kensin
0 ton Business Mems Association.
: The Rev Robert Hunter, of Il
u Union Tabernacle Presbyterian Churc
a representing the Protestant Minister
4 Association, also brought greetings fro
n the Presbyterian ministers of the cit
Il He expressed his conviction that ''chur'
! unity" Is becoming every year more al
o more of an assured fact. That III
o vision may be more fully realized
urged ministers of all churches to clea
4 to the idea Of zone God above ALI :
e never lose sight through the smoke
II modern battlefields OF the fact that &
} glory Of the coming again of Chris
o Is heralded by these conflicts; that Z
churches should unite in support of {
a. national prohibition amendment, al
}. that through the support by all church
n of such organizations as the Red Croi
q the " NJ. G.. A. and the various reli