TAKE THE RIGHT SIDE, OR DIE.
The Sunday Temperance Meeting of the John Russell Union at Detroit, was addressed, May 26, by State Chairman Fred E. Britten. A memorial service. Well attended in spite of rainy weather. Deepest interest manifest. Text, Heb. 11:4: “He being dead yet speaketh.” Mr. Britten spoke in part as follows:— Some one has said, “Let us beware how we water our life blood.” The choice between the way of Abel and the way of Cain is open to all. You may water your life blood by compromise, or for principle may shed it in sacrifice. I am asked to pay a tribute to the unknown dead, to the common man who died and was buried without a name. “He being dead yet speaketh.” When Spanish perfidy blew up the “Maine,” and two hundred and fifty-six men perished, you were so enraged that you plunged into war. You could fight Spain for that, but you have scarcely a thought for the two hundred and seventy-five whom the saloon hurls into eternity every single day. Parents let their children go to ruin, churches go to sleep alongside their deadliest foe, Christians go into the political scramble for the loaves and fishes, while the rum fiend despoils whole streets of homes, ruins one boy out of every five families, and brands as a drunkard every eleventh man of our population. I tell you the dram shop is the gate of hell, and I speak to-day not only for the dead who have stained the battle field with their blood, but for the hundred thousand and more who, unknown, unloved, and unlamented, stagger to a despised grave every year through the liquor traffic. What are these dead saying to us? 1. They call us to patriotism. Patriotism is a principle—love—love of country—self-abnegation for the good of the State. Diogenes carried a lantern in broad daylight looking for an honest man. Get your lanterns and search among the entire outfit of modern politicians and office holders for a patriot. If you find one, tell the world his name; for he shall be immortal. Patriotism demands two things, the recognition of God, and loyalty to moral standards. Mirabeau well said, “God is as necessary as freedom to the welfare of a popular government.” When this nation forgets God, or fails to recognize His moral law in the conduct of the affairs of State, the clouds of doom are already gathered for the nation’s judgment day. Nationally, we stretch morals to justify monopolies and oppression, stretch morals to foster and protect the dram shop, stretch morals to apologize for polygamy and slavery in our new possessions, permitted by so-called Christian government, stretch morals to license her to ply her trade whose steps lay hold on hell, and to legalize “the deep ditch” in the Philippines, under the guise of regulation and protection for a lecherous soldiery. I am no ranter, no calamity howler, but I submit that the nation that so defies God and sets at naught His standard, must soon repent or perish. In the name of the unknown dead, I appeal to you to arise and assert your manhood. Lift up the moral standards in your nation, which have fallen down. 2. The unknown dead are calling us to heroism. My tribute to-day shall be to the heroes of common life. The need of this hour is men,—men who will stand in their place, and from the heights of conscience do right though the heavens fall,—men too clean to compromise, too strong to waver, too true to dodge,—men who will not water their life blood, nor that of the Church, nor that of the nation. 3. The unknown dead call us to take sides. A mighty struggle is on, and it is time that seventeen million professors of religion took sides against the dram-shop and gin-mill politics. Take sides before the nation is engulfed in the quagmire of saloonism, drunkenness, and corruption. Take sides before your sons and daughters are caught in the awful maelstrom of alcoholism. Take sides while you have voice and pen and influence and ballot to arrest the despoliation of the nation, the Church, and the home. Take sides. Will you let the Church go to ruin and America to hell for the lack of a little heroism in yourself? Take sides. You cannot water the life blood of the Church or of the State and save your own. Take sides, or die.