The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1919-07-04

ing for the Prohibition OF the manu-
facture and sale OF Intoxicating drink
How could they expect mere states
men, living on the breath OF popular
applause. to do what they (the as
sembly) were afraid TO do themselves
within the portals OF their own
Church?
Statesmen Refused to Listen to Their
Petitions Because They Believed
They Were Not Sincere
Continuing, he said they turned out
others while they Rugged to their
bosom trade that had robbed the
children of their bread and drove a
coach-audfour through the Ten Com
mandments. Why did they drive out
a poor, unfortunate girl or a drunken
wretch or a thief? Because, for the
most part, they were poor and power
less. Not SO. the trade. Was ii not
time that they refused to put the
brand of responsibility upon the
trade? In all fairness to those en-
gagged in it, they should deal honestly
and straightiy with them, and tell
them they could not be members OF
the Church and at the same time be
engaged in trade that was running
lives and damning souls. They knew
how dangerous a respectable trader
was to young, unsuspecting men. The
question was, were they going to
combine TO put the brand OF respec-
liability OF the Church on this trade,
or were they going to allow the trade
to have the upper hand of the Church
as it had i'll the state. He went on to
say that he wanted no side issues
raised, and said that for every one
raised on this question he could raise
dozen on each of the Ten COM
mandments.
If they failed to pass this overture,
and put it on the books, he said, it
would be looked upon as victory for
the trade, and the assembly would be
toasted by every brewing and distil-
ling company in the Kingdom. 1t
would flash across the Atlantic. and
their American cousins would be
panied that they in Ireland had failed
to stand by them. He moved the
adoption OF the overture.
Another Temperance" Man
At this juncture, another temper
ance man" got into the game in de-
tense Of the proposal to retain liquor
dealers in the Church membership
while the Church was declaring for
Prohibition. Rev. Dir. Park said only
a deep sense OF duty would make him
oppose a brother clergyman whom he
esteemed SO highly as Dir. Irwin. The
feeling OF the entire assembly was on
the side OF temperance; he would go
further aud say it was on the side OF
the Prohibition OF the drink traffic.
The only question was-What was
the best way TO meet the end which
the assembly had in view in regard
10 the abolition OF drink? That over
tire was not the best way 10 do it,
In the first place, he did not think the
overture was necessary. Two years
ago the whole question was consid-
cred by commission OF the assem-
bly,, and, after a long and animated
discussion, that commission came to
a practically unanimous finding that
they should instruct their people
more constantly on the decisions of
the assembly on temperance, and that
they should instruct their young peo-
pie more thoroughly on temperance
principles, and set before them the
dangers OF being in any way con-
nected with the liquor traffic.
Proceeding, he said their people
had been gradually getting out OF the
liquor trade, and he believed that at
present a couple OF score would be a
pretty full estimate of the number of
members of their Church in the trade.
At any rate, the number was small,
and would go on diminishing until it
absolutely disappeared. Therefore, he
did not think it was necessary to have
such drastic resolution. He knew
woman, he said, who was in the trade,
and who had family depending on
her. She would willingly get out OF
the business if she could. He thought
they should help such people to get
out of it. Secondly, such a resolution
would do great injustice to many, and
he would also say it would be impos-
sible to carry it out With regard to
the case of those who had shares in
distilleries and breweres, he also
wanted to know what about those
who had shares in railway companies
who sold drink in their restaurants
and hotels. 81 say" he added, you
will put in the hearts of our people
sense of injustice which will be hard
to overcome" In the third place, he
objected to the overture on the