WHEREAS, There will occur in 1939 the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Frances E. Willard, that able champion of the rights of women and the cause of total abstinence, that fearless and mighty enemy of the American liquor traffic, and one of the founders of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, and
WHEREAS, The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union began in her honor two years ago a five-year program of spiritual education, total abstinence education, character education, citizenship education and peace education, which will culminate in 1939 at a national convention to be held in Rochester, New York, within twelve miles of her birthplace at Churchville, New York, . . .
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention endorse the five-year program of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in honoring Frances E. Willard; that it urge the women of our churches to be come members of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; and that the church through its ministry and laity do all possible to call the attention of our people to the life and work of Frances E. Willard, and the contribution she made to the moral progress of American and the world.
RESOLUTION ON THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC
1. That we again record our unalterable conviction that the only right solution of the liquor problem is total abstinence from the use of all alcoholic beverages by the individual, and the prohibition of the manufacture, distribution and sale of all intoxicating beverages by the government, both state and national as a fixed governmental policy.
2. That we unhesitatingly declare for the repeal of the XXI Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which was placed in the Constitution by a fraudulent and vicious propaganda, and by the vote of a small fraction of the American electorate, and for the restoration of the XVIII Amendment to its rightful place in the Constitution.
3. That our pastors, Sunday school teachers, editors, the Sunday School Board and writers in the Baptist papers are to be commended most warmly for their persistent teachings and efforts during the past year warning against the evil and destructive effects of all alcoholic beverages, and seeking to save our civilization from becoming utterly liquor soaked and morally sodden.
4. That we urge all of the persons and agencies mentioned above to continue the good fight. Our civilization must not be sacrificed to drunkenness and debauchery through strong drink.
5. That we frankly and unhesitatingly deplore and condemn as utterly inexcusable and wicked the present policy of government, both the national government and the government of nearly all of the states, by which the government not only licenses the sale of liquor but actually and actively sponsors and seeks to promote its sale and consumption.
6. That we particularly condemn the lax and bungling laws that have been enacted ostensibly to control liquor, but actually to provide for its manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption almost without control, regulation or restriction.
7. That until we can secure the return and the firm re-establishment of prohibition, both State and National, which is our goal and for which we will constantly strive, we use all diligence to secure the enactment of much needed regulatory and restrictive measures, such as will place beer where it belongs as a dangerous, deadening and destructive alcoholic liquor, remove the sale of beer and all other intoxicating liquors from filling stations, drug stores and restaurants, and confine the sale of all intoxicants to places devoted exclusively to their sale so that sales can be properly regulated and policed; so that the badge of respectability now sought to be placed upon liquor may be made impossible and that liquor may be branded as it deserves to be as the chief source of vice, crime, poverty and degradation, and so that at least the women and youth may not be engulfed in the rising tide of drunkenness.
8. That we condemn the widespread campaign of advertising carried on by the liquor traffic both through the public press and to some extent over the radio. We do not believe that newspapers, which are so heavily subsidized by the government on the theory that they are to be advocates of liberty and good citizenship, have any moral right to receive blood money from the liquor traffic for their advertising columns, which of necessity must influence more or less their editorial policies. It is hardly right or consistent for us to boast of the freedom of the press, so far as governmental censorship is concerned, while the press goes into bondage to a corrupt and blighting business.
9. We especially protest against all advertising of liquor over the radio and we will advocate suitable legislation to prohibit all such advertising.