The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-12-01
Tacoma Meihodisis Hear Call
10 Join Anii-Liquor Fight
Officiol Orgon Announces New
Drive to Nuke u. S. Dry Agoin

structive powers in assuming legal
re>pectsbiliis- The liquor traffic
has not ssnetified itself: IL has
only streamlined the drinking
places.
We are beginning 20 discover
that . man can 70 20 the devil
~ quickly by drinking expen-
sive brandies and ancient whis-
kies In . fashionable night club.
as by drinking cheap beer In =
s'bsrrel hsnse" or "rot-g gut" In =
frowsy tavern down by the
river.
The repeal Of the Eighteenth
Amendment has done more than
make liquor legal across the ma
ton. II has had the effect Of dis
courszine church people. including
the preachers. causing them TO
wage no more than q half-hearted
fight on the sccursed stuff.
In the meantime young people
from Christian homes and churches
are being persuaded that Absti-
hence IL, in some way, an indioa-
ION Of intolerance and that the
cisl glass n mark Of eentility
and observation-disclosures
There must be q new note OF
militsncy from the pulpit. And
there must Be q new and deter
mined stand against the destroyer
on the part of the membership of
the churches.
Christian people who allow
themselves to be bullied into drink
ing cocktails at fashionable dinner
parties and business mems con-
ventions. must be called TO account
for their betrayal Of their Christ
and his church. Church women
who, as housewives. surrender TO
social pressure and serve liquor AZ
their tables lest they lose social
rank. must be brought to the
momnei~ bench.
The church must again be lden-
titled with total abstinence. Off
oisl pronouneements from confer
ences and conventions must be
backed up by an unequivocating
refusal on the part Of church peo-
pie TO have anything whatever to
do with liquor.
No church can ask for the
blessing Of God II u keeps silent
while hundreds of thousands OF
American girls are being trans
formed into barmaids. while mill
ilcns Of our future mothers are
being rendered unfit or incap-
able Of motherhood. while iegiti-
mate business IL being robbed Of
billions Of dollars. while the bur-
dens Of government are being
multiplied by a parasitic traffic.
while husbands are being UNI
manned. and little children have
10 put drunken mothers TO bed.
There can be no appeasement.
The Church of Christ must de-
strey the liquor business, OF be
destroyed by Il.
The struggle has been going
against US during these last years.
The government has placed its
stamp of approval on the business
and is collecting hundreds Of mill
hons Of dollars in taxes from the
liquor dealers. II has even gone
into the manufacture of liquor,
and its rum distilleries in the vir-
gin Islands are guvernment-owned
and operated.
Boys from christian homes are
encouraged TO buy beer at army
camps and naval training sta
lions b. which their efficiency
Ia lowered and their bodies made
susceptible to disease.
Let every Methodist pulpit in
the land take up the fight anew
Let Methodist mothers go to their
knees. and Methodist fathers grid
themselves for the defense of their
homes.
Let there be no compromise. no
talk OF peace, no participation in
the deadly business in any form.
We are fighting for the very ex-
istence of those precious values
which our Lord loved. We cannot
desert this cause without desert
ing him.
The preacher Who keeps silent.
and the Methodist who joins In
the social glass for customs