Palisadian., 1925-10-30
CHARLES LEECER SAYS
MOORE HAS HAGUE|TIS
Once Regarded Him as Sincere
Christian Worker; Bring Back
Beer" Slogan Only Bunk.

NEdHlWOOu, IN. D., OCl. ~, 1870.
To the Editor:
For 20 years have been an active
worker in the Young Peoples Society
of Christian Endeavor in New jersey,
and for 16 years was an active mem
Der of the First Reformed Church of
West Hoboken, and since moving to
Grantwood have for 13 years had
Church.
During these 20 years I have never
known an Endeavorer who was not
an outspoken enemy Of the saloon
and the liquor traffic, until the re-
cent public statements of A. Harry
Moore as candidate for Governor.
l am humiliated that one who, in
the past, has been honored as a
churchman and an Endeavorer should
be SO recreant to the principles of the
Reformed Church and Christian En-
deavor Societies as to utter the fol-
lowing sentiments:
''As churchman, regard prohi-
bition as the most immoral force
that has thrown its shadow over this
country since human slavery" and
other rant of like character.
The Reformed Church aided might
lily to bring in prohibition and only
last July, in the General Synod of
Asbury Park, passed strong resolu-
tions calling upon ministers and lay
men to vote only for candidates who
will get behind the 18th Amendment.
This repuGiates Moore as a candi-
date, as also do the ringing resolu-
tions of the States Societies of Chris
tian Endeavor in their Convention
recently in the old Bergen Church
in Jersey City and the resolutions
of the National CoHvention at Port
land, Oregon which are as opposed
to the declarations of the Democratic
platform for repeal of the 18th
Amendment as are purity and vice.
Seventeen years ago l was a
speaker before the c, E. Society in
the First Reformed Church in West
Hoboken, as was also A. Harry
Moore. At that time he was loyal
to the Christian Endeavor principles,
and had not yet become affected with
Hagueitis. Now his portrait is in
saloon windows, and bootleggers and
rum-runners are shouting his praises.
No loyal churchman or Endeavorer
will support turn-coat or traitor
to their principles: they have nothing
in common with breeders of evil, and
enemies of our Constitution.
A. Harry Moore may be able to fool
those fellows with his silly promises
that he will bring back beer" just
as Edwards and Silzer fooled them,
but he can't fool sincere Christian
men and women by pious pretenses,
while training with and begging for
the support of their enemies.
/ am reminded of an incident at a
funeral where the members of a fra
ternity eulogized the deceased tell
ing how he loved his family, how
to the poor, kind, hospitable and
pious; whereupon the widow cried
out Historically, That's not my hus-
band!" That is the way Endeavor-
ers feel when they read and hear
the rantings of A. Harry Moore and
his spellbinders and his newspaper
apologists and see his picture in the
saloon windows. With sorrow, we
have to cry, That's not our A. Harry
Moore!"
He says he will enforce the law
as Governor. How will he enforce
it? Edwards and Silzer made like
promises with their hands on the
Bible. What has Moore ever done to
abate the hundreds of law-defying
saloons in Jersey City in the years
that he has been City Commissioner?
Actions speak louder than words.
In his own neighborhood, the sa-
looms are such a pest that priest
recently threatened from the pulpit
to go after them with an axe if the
police did not act, and at this time
Moore was Acting Mayor. Did
Moore speak as "churchman" or
as wet politician when he sneered
at the Women's Church Federation
when they appealed to the Commits
sioners 20 close the saloons? Was
it as an Endeavorer that he told
delegation of clergymen that he
would not consent to have the police
obtain evidence against lawless sa-
loonkeepers?
A man who turns his back upon
the principles of his own church,
and of the Christian societies of
which he is a member, and upon his
duty as an officer to appeal for votes
of the lawless, and the underworld,
must look to his new friends for sup
port. The writer will vote for one
who has been tried and found to be
ustworthy-Arthur Whitney.
Yours very truly,
CHARLES J. LEEGER.