Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1920-01-30
A Pitfall For Religion And Pro-
hibition.
From the Baltimore Sun.

From the Baltimore Sun.
If the enemies of the Eighteenth Amend
ment had inspired the letter which Daniel C
Roper, Commissioner of Internal Revenue
has addressed to the clergymen of the
country on the subject of the enforcement
of Prohibition, they could not have hit upon
better way to fan the existing fires of
resentment into fierce and nation wide
flame. In all our political history we re-
call nothing from Government official so
injudicious or so provocative of destruc-
tive discord.
There is no difference of opinion or of
intent among good citizens as to obedi-
ence to the Prohibition Amendment and
the enforcement act so long as they are
laws. 1t is not necessary to admonish them
not to violate the law or encourage viola
ton of it. Many millions of them are 60
ing to make resolute fight to secure the
repeal or modification of the law. because
they regard it as a vital infringement of
fundamental principles Of personal and
popular freedom, and because they con-
slider 1t in its present drastic form as a
doubtful, If not a dangerous national policy.
But they are going to conduct this battle
after the manner Of American freemen,
openly and in the political arena. appeal
ing through every forum of discussion and
through the ballot box from Philip asleep.
or drunk with fanatical enthusiasm, to
Philip awake. and sober by the menace of
a radical departure from American and
from world traditions and experience. To
obey the law is their bounden duty; to
protest against it as an invasion of indi-
vidual and state liberties is their inaIien-
able right.
In situation like ths-the most I'M
precedented situation in which the coun-
try ever found itself-the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue, who is servant not of
faction but Of all the people alike, I'M
dertakes to assume that there is no further
right of protest by the people. and that
only the forces Of evil are out Of sympathy
with the new national policy. Far more
serious even than this is his partisan ap-
peal to class to organize religious COM
mittees ION law endorsements" which |
shall receive all complaints Of violations
Of the law and lodge such complaints. to-
gether with the evidence obtained, with
the proper authorities" In word, Mr.. |
Roper, not content with insinuating that
only supporters Of the Eighteenth Amend
ment are interested in the "sobriety of
mankind and the supremacy of law and
order" urges the clergy Of the country to
inaugurate an active crusade for the pun
ishment of offenders. to enroll their congre.
cations as grand army Of spies and in
formers.
Whether he so intended it or not, that
will be the practical effect of acting on his
recommendation. His appeal is to church
class and to a religious minority to help
him to do what he virtually confesses the
Government cannot do without them. That
is to say, he seems to assert that there
will be so many lawbreakers that unless
the churches organize an army Of sanity
spies to help the Government. it will be
impossible to enforce Prohibition.
A more unfortunate thing for Prohibit
tion and for religion could not have been
done. 1t tends to make Prohibition seem
more than ever sectarian proposition. to
inhame resentment against clerical dicta-
ton, to increase the fear and suspicion,
which prevail in many quarters. of reli-
ligious encroachment in governmental
spheres. In this nation of over one hun
dred million people all the churches to-
gether cannot claim the strong allegiance
OF one-half. If we deduct from this mi |
nority some fifteen or sixteen million men,
bers of churches which are opposed to the
activities that Mr.. Roper recommends, we
have him appealing not only to class,
but to a class which is minority in its
own class.
The result must be not only to increase
hostility to Prohibition, but hostility to
religion as represented by the churches.
A line up of this kind will be regarded by
all the enemies Of church organizations
as conclusive proof OF the concrete dan
ger Of the development of moral despot-
ism through misdirected religious energies.
So far as religion is concerned, the mis-
fortune is that all may suffer for the mis-
guided zeal Of few. 1t is admitted even
by the strongest friends of organized reli-
gion that it has not been functioning in
recent years as it should have done-that
it has been losing its hold on the minds
and conduct Of men. Such world war as
that whose clouds still hang over us could
not have occurred had religion brought
forth its legitimate fruits; and this fact is
being recognized by the efforts that are
being made to bring the churches closer
to the people. nearer to their hearts and |
sympathies. Mr.. Roper invites them to |
create fresh hostility to themselves, to be-
come substations Of the Internal Revenue
Department. to exchange the glorious Cos
pei once delivered to the saints for the
political work Of an exciseman.
We hope for the sake Of religion, true
and undefiled. that the churches Of all de-
nominations will stand firm against such
a dangerous invitation. Let them not sell
their birthright Of spirituality for a mess
of false morality.
Death OF DR.. B. ". Bond.
The funeral Of the Rev. Dr. Beverly W.