JUNE 15, 1916 



503 



medium course on all these questions where 

 there are so many ditierenees of opinion. 

 It is true we liave given the saloon-keepers 

 the privilege of having a stand to sell beer; 

 and to be fair about it we gave also the 

 W. C. T. U. and the Anti-saloon League the 

 privilege of selling or giving away their 

 literature. We think it best to let the peo- 

 ple see both sides. Now, in view of the 

 fact that we get quite a lot of money from 

 the beer-stand, and not a cent from you 

 temperance people, we think you surely 

 ought not to complain." 



Several temperance and Christian people 

 were with me when I made my plea ; and 

 as our good friend Whitcomlj was very 

 busy, the matter was dropped right there; 

 and ever since that time I have wondered 

 that so many good people should get the 

 idea into their heads, or let it get into their 

 heads, that the liquor party is on one side 

 of a debated question, and that the Anti- 

 saloon League is on the other side, taking- 

 it for granted, without giving it a thought, 

 that both sides were after the money that 

 was in it. I think the world is getting past 

 this notion, however; and before I forget it 

 I wish to mention that, shortly after that 

 state fair, friend Whiteomb was soundly 

 converted, and he came out in print right 

 on the pages of Gleanings, announcing his 

 stand for the Lord Jesus Christ and for 

 temperance, and for everything else that 

 benefits humanity. I notice that he is still 

 holding to the faith, and writing articles 

 in the Independent Farmer for the benefit 

 of humanity. The wets are after the dol- 

 lars and dimes and nickels. They s?ldom 

 have the cheek to claim that they are after 

 anything else. The temperance people are 

 giving their money, year in and yeai' out, 

 with but little hope of getting any of it 

 back here on earth; and notwithstanding 

 the discouragements and misrepresentations, 

 and nothwithstanding the falsehoods (that 

 it seems impossible to refute as fast as they 

 are uttered by the enemy), we are still 

 holding our faith and courage. 



Perhaps I might mention the fact that the 

 A. I. Root Co. has, in times past, given 

 something like $25,000 to the Anti-saloon 

 League with but little expectation that we 

 should ever get it back^at least in dollars 

 and cents. But we still have faith enough 

 to keep on, because we believe the promise 

 that " bread cast on the waters " shall (per- 

 haps long years afterward) bring its re- 

 ward; and while it may be true, as T said 

 above, that we shall never get a return of 

 treasure here on earth, we shall get some- 

 thiti'^ a thousand times better — " treasure 

 laid up in heaven." 



" WAR ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES.'' 

 Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, 

 turn to him the other also. — Matt. 5:39. 



Just after my article in the June 1st issue, 

 entitled " Getting Even," and " War on 

 Christian Principles," I saw an account in 

 a daily paper of two prominent men, both 

 of whom, T believe, occupy high offices, and 

 are well known to the world. It seems that, 

 by some mistake, each one of the two had 

 engaged a certain section in a Pullman car. 

 Of course it was a mistake, as such mistakes 

 will sometimes happen. Instead of showing 

 a gentlemanly and Christianlike si^irit, each 

 one demanded what he paid for, and each 

 had a receipt for the same. After a wordy 

 fight, one slapped the other on the face, and 

 was afterward sued for $25,000. After an 

 expensive lawsuit the plaintiff got a verdict 

 of 25 hundred dollars. Now comes the ques- 

 tion, " Is it possible that neither of these 

 two prominent persons has ever heard of 

 turning the other cheek also? Or is it true 

 that the war spirit has so permeated the 

 whole wide world that two prominent men — 

 men occupying high places in the state of 

 Ohio, and perhaps in the nation, seemed to 

 be entirely ignorant of the fact that citizen- 

 ship, to say nothing of Christianity, de- 

 mands that we behave ourselves in a gentle- 

 manly and Christianlike way, especially in 

 the presence of the traveling public." 



Years ago, when traveling thru the Black 

 Hills of South Dakota, something similar 

 happened. Two men had the documents to 

 show that they had paid for a certain section 

 in a crowded Pullman car. The porter could 

 not help them, and so they sent for the 

 conductor. The conductor was new at the 

 business, but did everything in his power to 

 quiet the tumult. He offered each one of 

 the belligerents another berth near by; but 

 both declared in substance that he had paid 

 for that particular section, and was going 

 to have it, no matter what it cost. They 

 were evidently men of means and of educa- 

 tion; but the two kept up their jangling 

 until toward midnight. As my berth was 

 close by I could not get to sleep. I myself 

 tried my hand as peacemaker, but it seemed 

 to make them worse. I do not know how 

 it finally ended. I became pretty well ac- 

 quainted with the Pullman conductor, and 

 I really jDitied him with my whole heart. 

 Now, here is the saddest part of it : By 

 mere chance I ran across tliis same con- 

 ductor several weeks afterward. I told him 

 I hoped lie had not had any similar experi- 

 ence since the incident I mentioned. His 

 reply was, " Why, Mr. Root, I have had the 

 same thing over and over again, and even 

 worse ' rackets ' than the one you saw." 

 The above would indicate that the Pull- 



