22 PROHIBITION. 



These come from the workers getting their pay, from leisure, and 

 equality and independence in marriage. Now if you should ask a 

 majority of these women why, as home champions, they do not 

 strike at the squalor and want which infest the workingman's hovel 

 and the sewing girl's garret, and you would be frightened with 

 the word "communism," and run the chance of waking up some 

 of the soundest sleepers along the broad aisles of the leading church- 

 es. If you should indicate to these estimable women the propriety 

 and importance of making marriage a free and voluntary contract, 

 in order to be virtuous, and they would scorn you as an enemy of 

 mankind. Such a home, it is plainly evident, the priests have got 

 a padlock on. What peculiar kind of a home is it, then, to which 

 these women are so devotedly attached ? It is what is called a 

 "Christian home.'" These champions of home are not only women 

 but Christian women. The reople's Temperance Union would be a 

 most narrow title, under which to conduct all their operations. It 

 would not hit "the liome," much less the "Christian home." By 

 Christian home is meant, not a liberty loving home, or a justice 

 seeking home, but an Evangelical Christian home. (3ne that can 

 repeat the Catechism, subscribe to the creed, and belongs to the 

 church ! 



Now we have the true significance of 'the home vs. the saloon." 

 Once, when it was respectable to drink, the church was a saloon. 

 The minister took his jug of New Englaml rum into the pulpit, and 

 drank between acts. It occupied an equal position on boanl the ship 

 with Bibles and missionaries bound for the heathen. Now, it is not 

 respectable, but the great mass of communicants are in the saloons. 

 They hold the balance of power. Between them and the church 

 tliere seems to l)e a rivalry as to who sliall gain tlie most Sun- 

 day scliool scholars. While the church is immolating its victims 

 on a life to come, puttuig tliem into tall boxes and making them an- 

 swer <piestions whicli they dy not want to ask, the ordinary, carnal 

 niimled youtli much ratli(!r i)lay billiards or go in swimming. Then 

 his clotlies are liatdly suilicicnt in wliicli to worship tlic Most High. 

 A seat too, in tlie opera, could be g(jt for less ; and withall he feels 

 much more at home with an ordinary sinner tlian with an unnatu- 

 rally allected saint. In a- word, the masses have left the clmrcli, 

 and sh(! has lost her hold. Henceforth, the world is to save the 

 church, instead of liie church saving the world. 



Now the women are the most useful members of a church, to 

 pull the priests' chestnuts out of the fire. Scenting the rising dis- 

 content among women for enlarging their "sphere," they say, "Di- 

 rect all your energy to a Christian home iu a Christian republic !" 



