The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-13
MANY CHURCHMEN
OPPOSE PROHIBITION
Drys Reckoning on More Sup
port Than Is Really
Forthcoming.
LIBERTY GIVEN STRESS
Matter of Truthfulness on the
Part of Prohibitionists Is
Also Emphasized.

tion exists in the Protestant churches?
The question is now being debated
fiercely, the Anti-Saloon League and It's
hackers insisting that all Of the churches
except the Roman Catholic Church are
ardently for a bone dry country. and
the Association Opposed to National
Prohibitions maintaining that while the
Protestant churches are strong for tenn
perance they are actually opposed to
total prohibition, especially national
prohibition. The latter organization has
been hearing from ministers and church
folk and states that the burden Of
opinion Is that prohibition by sumptuary
and drastic laws will be positive deter
rent to the cause Of temperance.
cit is a. short sighted contribution to
the cause of temperance" wrote the
Rev. DR.. Charles II. Parkhurst, pastor
of the Madison Avenue Presbyterian
Church. II said so when national pro-
hibitlon was first brought UP in Con-
gress and l have seen no reason since
then to change my mind"
Saloon a community Need"
The Federal Board OF the Episcopal
Church has stated that the saloon
serves a community need" The Rev.
Robert w. Patton, national director OF
the Episcopal Church campaign for $780,
100000, made this statement yesterday ::
You cannot take something away
from a man without giving him some
thing in return. While the Episcopal
Church has taken no official action upon
the merits or dement's OF national pro-
hibition. and will not, preferring that
its members may have perfect freedom
in the exercise of their varying opinions,
It would be an un-Christian spirit that
refused sympathy to those who may be
put out of employment by national
law and to those also who may have
enjoyed the conveniences and avoided
the evils of places where beverages
were sold"
Continuing in a tone altogether differ
ent from the treat 'ern rough" manners
Of the moral statistcians of ''holier-
than thou faith. DR.. Patton said:
"Episcopalians everywhere believe in
law enforcement and now that the pro-
hibition laws are on the statute books.
Of course, the church's influence cannot
be exerted any other way than for the
full enforcement of the laws OF the
land. But we see that the rigid enforce
ment of these laws will result in some
hardships being experienced by some
body, somewhere, and we are proceeding
to collect funds with which to make our
social bctterment plans adequate to the
needs Of our communities and parishes.
The moral or political phases OF prohi-
bttion we are not concerned about coll
lectively. Our individual members have
their own views of such matters. We
are all united for the advancement OF
NJ
perance board has that work in hand,
but the church Is not pledged to prohi-
bition as the means OF bringing about
temperance. The situation as II stands
to-day is a trifle confusing, and / am
obliged to admit that We have thus far
been unable to work out any definite
plan for a substitute for the saloon,
but there is going to be a great deal Of
community work ahead, and surely some
or our churches will in time solve the
problem"
The division OF opinion among Epis-
copalians as to the enactment OF pro-
hibitory laws as a means of furthering
the cause of temperance referred to by
DR.. Patton recalls similar differences
among members of that church when
tho late Bishop Potter stood sponsor
Tor what was known as the Subway
Tavern" saloon which the Bishop
sought to make the poor mans club
? Defending his pet scheme at a reunion
OF the Entertainment Club In 1905. a,
the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Bishop Pot.
7. ter said rather sharply:
You women who buy a patent prune
b Juice preparation. sold as tonic, are
liars to begin with, and you are teach.
Ing your children to be liars. Thi.
prune juice connection has 26 per cent
or alcohol, another preparation called a
tonic has 81 per cent. of alcohol, where
as 10 per cent. is what good clare,
contains. The aim of this subway tav.
ern, or poor mans club, is, and the
aim OF society should be. to extirpate
+ deception. which strikes at the root OF
social integrity"
Archdeacon Amazed.
The Rev. DR.. ]. H. Woodstock, arch.
deacon OF Worcester. England on leay,
ing the United States gave this as hi,
farewell message:
There is one thing uppermost in m,
mind as I depart from these shores. and
that Is the ease with which the Consti.
tuition OF the United States was amended
70 bring about national prohibition. Eng
land Is going to watch with a great des
OF interest the result OF this tremendou.
experiment. I was amazed at the man.
ner In which the amendment was carried
through, and I regret to say that I an
not in favor with this method of reg1,.
lattng personal liberty"
In his letter TO the Association On
posed TO National Prohibitions the Rev
DR.. Charles H. Parkhurst made allusior
10 his opposition TO constitutional pro
hibition before the amendment had beer
ratified. He referred TO a letter writer
by him TO A. Sharboro OF San Francisco
which Senator Phelan read on the foo,
or the United States Senate when wal
time prohibition was under debate. Ir
that letter DR.. Parkhurst said;
II am amazed at the possible pro
: hibitory action OF California touchinl
the matter of the manufacture, sale anC
transportation of wine. Such actor
would be shortslghted contribution L
& the cause of sound and wholesome TEN
perance.
People are going to drink, and the,
E are going TO drink something that has {
measure OF stimulus in It, and to lie
them drink light wines is one OF th,
surest means of preventing their drink
ing heavy whiskey. know that from
4 having lived In wine producing countries
: where wine is freely used by old an,
young and intoxication exceedingly rare
Tying a man up too strongly In sumptu
airy matters means that In course o
time he will break his bonds and tn,
last state Of that man will be worse thar
the first 1t Is un-American and i'm
moral TO dictate to a man what his con
duct shall be in matters that are not In
trinsically evil"
Parkhurst HnIds IN Vtsxx