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A CALL TO ARMS: Shall We Unite to Kill Liquor Traffic?
An Appeal From Massachusetts to the Citizenship of the United States.
Men and Brethren:
A grave crisis confronts us.
The liquor interests are united in solid phal
anx and the traffic flourishes as never before.
Our forces are divided on innumerable, in
harmonious methods.
The nation is awaiting- the leadership that
will unify the foes of this traffic.
God has prepared the hearts of the people
for this great reform.
Shall We Unite To Kill The Liquor Traffic?
The method by which this is to be done grad
ually becomes clearer and clearer as all local
option, non-partisan plans fail, and the politi
cal party method looms high as the only logi
cal, practical and historically approved way
of accomplishing so great a reform.
Now Then. The thing that ought to be done
is to rally to the support of the only party
that stands for the destruction of this traffic —
the “prohibition party’’—everybody, every
where, clergy, laymen, social workers, educa
tors, labor leaders and good citizens generally.
But will they do it? Forty years of earnest
honest effort by the Prohibition Party has fail
ed to attract large numbers to that standard,
and there is no immediate'prospect of rapidly
augmenting the forces.
Herein lies the danger.
Here is the crisis.
We must go forward or we may lose all.
Everything depends on prompt action.
Too much is at stake to be lightly passed by.
The welfare, yes, even 'the perpetuity of
the nation, and with that the uplift of the
whole world hinges on the outcome of this
struggle.
Men, Listen! It is up to us, the God-fearing
men of the prohibition hosts of America.
Now it is evident that some New, compre
hensive, feasible, popular plan must be devis-
W7M T OF FOREIGN MISSIONS ?
The Golden Jubilee of the Woman’s Foreign
Missionary Society, recently held in Jackson
ville, was one of those great occasions tending
to make the world better.
It is said that but ten per cent, of the women
in the churches arc interested in foreign mis
sions, and the proportion of men is doubtless
less, as all effort for the betterment of mankind
has woman as the motive-power.
It seems that the majority of people have no
thought upon this subject, and vast numbers of
others but a vague, distorted idea regarding it.
And yet the Great Commission is, “Go ye in
to all the world, and preach the Gospel to every
creature.”
It is not just my family, or church, or com
munity—my little back-yard of interest, that
is indicated, but ‘‘every creature;” and he
who takes a restricted view of this vast under
taking is like the horse tethered to a stake, not
getting beyond the length of its rope.
The work of foreign missions is sometimes
misrepresented, and so injured, by that irre
sponsible class of tourists who rush through a
country, and then pose as authority on the
characteristics of the people, civil, religious and
moral.
There is a great deal of ‘‘hot air” projected
in the world besides that which comes from
the smokestack of a locomotive; and much val
uable time is frittered away in words signify
ing nothing which would be better employed
in gaining a comprehensive view of the sub
ject under discussion.
“There was an owl lived in an oak.
The more he heard the less he spoke,
The more he spoke the less he heard,—
The Golden Age For November 9, 1911.
ed to effect that Union at the ballot box which
is essential to putting in power a party that
will be true to the high ideals of our forefath
ers, and will give us a government free from
graft, injustice, class legislation and partner
ship with vice, a government of the people, for
the people, and by the people, and withal a
government free from complicity with the
“great destroyer” drink.
What shall this New plan be?
Is there such a plan now being promulgated?
We answer, after much thought and prayer
and with deep conviction based on a wide and
practical experience, Yes.
The Three Million League is such a plan.
It is New. Never before has such a gigantic
voter’s pledge plan been attempted. The very
audacity of the proposition is an inspiration to
heroic effort.
It is comprehensive. Everybody who hates
the liquor traffic whether Prohibitionist, So
cialist, Democrat, or Republican, readily en
lists in this great movement.
It is feasible. It can be done. If but one
out of three of the 300,000 Prohibitionists in
the nation would take hold of it, the three mil
lion signatures could be secured before Christ
mas.
Just think, that would be only 30 names
apiece for the 100,000 men, and one man alone
has already secured over 4,000 signatures.
Os course, he has made a business of it. But
can’t we make it a part of our business?
Wouldn’t it be a wise move to make one
grand united effort and win out rather than
to scatter our energies over the years, only to
see the devastation continued?
What will the League accomplish?
Three million signers will force this issue to
the front.
By H. S. JENISON.
Why can’t we be like that wise bird?”
In war-times, when the need of men at the
front has deemed it necessary, the call has been
for volunteers or a substitute; and when the
substitute was sent he had to be supplied with
weapons and ammunition.
So, in this great enterprise of foreign mis
sions those of us who do not go into the thick
of the struggle have a duty to perform in see
ing that those who do volunteer are pro
vided with the material means necessary to do
effective work in spreading the light of truth
among those in such great darkness; and it is
a question personal to every one, —“Am I do
ing my share along this line?”
T
A WONDERFUL OPTIMISTIC NOTE FROM
CHINA.
T. E. Richey.
The following letter from the missionary who
translated into the Chinese language lor the
printers my little book, “Man’s Importance as
a Being,” is certainly a startling surprise. At
the same time it is a forceful tribute to the
spontaneous cheerfulness with which Christian
people in this country have contributed funds
for the movement indicated. Read the letter.
“Canton, China, Sept. 15, 1911.
Dear Dr. Richey: Last night I turned in
the corrected copy for an edition of 100,000
copies of your little book, ‘Man’s Importance.’
It will do good and I thank you, the author,
and all who gave to make this possible.
JOHN LAKE.”
Surely this is a marvelous achievement. It
The old parties will have it put up to them
so hot that they cannot dodge it. They must
declare for or against it, and doubtless they
will both turn it down, and so give impetus
and snap to the movement, and force large
numbers to desert their standards.
The great, independent, self-respecting lead
ers in the old parties, with Prohibition lean
ings, will see in the League the opportunity to
strike and strike hard; a new party will arise
on the foundations laid by the Prohibition Par
ty and God will raise up a great leader to mar
shall the hosts for the final victory, if we are
true to the light He gives us, and quit our
selves like men.
Early in the year the Massachusetts Prohibi
tion State Committee endorsed the League in
a half-hearted way, but after several months’
trial, the State Convention, held September 21,
gave the League its unanimous and enthusias
tic endorsement.
It has been a great help to the party in the
State. It has brought new blood into the work.
It has put new life into our discouraged work
ers. It has opened up new avenues through
which to reach the masses.
Therefore, we advise and urge the foes of
the liquor traffic to adopt this as the only prac
tical plan yet presented.
Why Not show as much wisdom as the en
emy ?
Why Not get together at the ballot box?
Why Not Unite To Kill The Liquor Traffic?
Yours for the Three Million League,
DANIEL A. MacKAY, Supt.,
OSCAR A. McKENNY, Secretary,
Massachusetts Three Million League.
Boston, Oct. 27, 1911.
Endorsed by Massachusetts Prohibition Ex
ecutive Committee, S. W. Bingham, Chairman:
AV. D. Moon, Secretary.
is the first time I ever heard of a single edition
so large of any book and the first edition at
that, 1 mean the first in the Chinese language.
I do not think this wonderful victory is so
much due to special merit in the little book it
self as in the fact that Christians in this coun
try are anxious for the salvation of the heath
en and they are apprised of the fact that the
missionaries have made it known that this lit
tle book is specially useful in awakening the
heathen mind.
Dr. R. E. Chambers, General Secretary and
Treasurer of the Publication Society at Canton,
has twice written that his purpose is to “Scat
ter this little book all over China,” if the mon
ey is furnished.
I have not the power to render to my heav
enly Father the thanksgiving and praise my
heart desires for this open field for preaching
the gospel of Christ by the pen, now that I am
disabled by age and affliction for pulpit min
istration. Will all who read this help us to
thank and praise him?
Princeton, Ky.
* ♦
A SINGER.
Rev. Walt Holcomb is conducting another un
ion revival in Mansfield, La. Four years ago,
he held the greatest meeting there in the his
tory of the town. The most prominent men
were converted and joined the church. The
saloons were voted out and the pool rooms
closed up. Since the meeting the Methodists,
Baptists and Presbyterians have put up new
churches. The converts of the former meeting
are taking the lead in the present campaign.
Mr. Holcomb will rest a month after this meet
ing and his singer can be secured for a Meet
ing. Any pastor needing a singer can write
Mr. Holcomb, Nashville, Tenn.
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