Only let the "will," the "powers," the "freedom," and the "self"
of which the writer speaks become the "Christ will," the "Christ
powers," the "Christ freedom," and the "Christ self." Then the
strongest chains of bondage must fly into flinters. For "if the
Son make you free, ye are free indeed." (John viii, 36.)




II.
DRUNKENNESS.

I. A TEMPERANCE PLATFORM.


WE bring to you three words of counsel with respect to this subject.
First, Beware of the Social Glass; second, Study the Drink Evil; third,
Openly oppose it. This is a Temperance Platform upon which every
sober, informed, and conscientious person may stand. Would it be
narrow or uncharitable to assert that not to stand upon this platform
argues that one is not sober, or not informed, or not conscientious?
The crying need of to-day is, that men and women shall be urged into
positions of conviction and activity against this most colossal evil of
our time. In our country the responsibility for drunkenness rests not
with the illiterate, blasphemous, ex-prison convicts who operate the
250,000 saloons of our Nation, nor yet with the 250,000 finished
products of the saloon who go down into drunkards' graves every
year, but with the sober, respectable, hard-working, voting citizens
of our country. Nor does this exempt women, whose opportunity to
shape the moral and political convictions of the home is far greater