Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1910 — THE BISHOP'S LETTER. [ARTICLE]

THE BISHOP'S LETTER.

Once a year €te Episcopal church issues a letter on the subject of temperance, which £aa been a custom for some time. It is Interesting to read the joint letter issued on this important subject to the ministers of the Episcopal church by Bishop Tuttle, of Missouri, the presiding bishop, which letter is also signed by the 66 other bishops of that church in this country. The. letter reads: “The church temperance society has labored for years to deepen and strengthen and extend such seif-re-straint in checking and resisting the great evils of the drink habit. “It may conduce not a little to the success of these efforts if, by information and exhortation in sermons and by devotions and supplication |s prayer, the attention of eur church people can be concentrated upon the wise and sober Christian way in which the church temperance society essays to do its work. “Therefore the society asks of the bishops, and the bishops ask of the clergy and people of their respective dioceses, that they will unite in making' the Bunday next before Advent, November 21, 1909, a day of special references to the subject of temperance in the prayerß and sermons of our churches.” -It is worthy to note that the letter contains no references whatever to prohibition laws in any State of the Union. Ministers are simply asked to speajc on the doctrine of self-restraint, which contains of course, the evils of the drink habit. Moreover, not a word is said about total abstinence and nothing about poisonous drinks,

and nothing about State laws pro hibiting the sale of beer and liquor. The Episcopal church simply goes back to the paramount doctrine anc Christian teaching—self-restraint. The clergy are asked to appeal to theii flock to restrain their wills, and this appeal is to be made along with tht given sermon of that day. There are to be no sensational harangues, no hysterical methods employed to excite the minds of the people against the “demon rum,” no intemperate language is to be used; the ministers are simply to rely on the “wise arid sober Christian way.” The attitude oi the Episcopal church on this great question should be an example for the Methodist and Baptist ministry; but one might as well try to induce, “a Greek to lay down with a Turk in loving embrace” as to induce the ministers of these two named churches “to concentrate upon the wise and sobei Christian way” of remedying intemperance. Bishop Tuttle and the 66 other bishops at whose order the letter in question was sent out, are men of education—men who know their fellow-men, who know that it is harder to legislate for men’s appetites than for “a camel to pass through the eye of >-needle.” Sucri letters as the one referred to are refreshing. —,