it was evil, and only evil, but under the
circumstances thought it would do little good to agitate the subject.
Philip came away from several interviews with the ministers, sad and
sick at heart.

He approached several of the prominent men in the town, hoping to enlist
some of them in the fight against the rum power. Here he met with an
unexpected opposition, coming in a form he had not anticipated. One
prominent citizen said:

"Mr. Strong, you will ruin your chances here if you attack the saloons
in this savage manner; and I'll tell you why: The whisky men hold a
tremendous influence in Milton in the matter of political power. The
city election comes off the middle of next month. The men up for office
are dependent for election on the votes of the saloon men and their
following. You will cut your head off sure if you come out against them
in public. Why, there's Mr. ----, and so on (he named half a dozen men)
in your church who are up for office in the coming election. They can't
be elected without the votes of the rummies, and they know it. Better
steer clear of it, Mr. Strong. The saloon has been a regular thing in
Milton for over fifty years; it is as much a part of the town as the
churches or schools; and I tell you it is a power!"

"What!" cried Philip, in unbounded astonishment, "do you tell me, you, a
leading citizen of this town of 50,000 infinite souls, that the saloon
power has its grip to this extent on the civic and social life of the
place, and you are willing to sit down and let this devil of crime and
ruin throttle you, and not raise a finger to expel the monster? Is it
possible! It is not Christian America that such a state of affairs in
our political life should be endured!"

"Nevertheless," replied the business man, "these are the facts. And you
will simply dash your own life out against a wall of solid rock if you
try to fight this evil. You have my warning."

"May I not also have your help!" cried Philip, hungry of soul for
companionship in the struggle which he saw was coming.

"It would ruin my business to come out against the saloon," replied the
man, frankly.

"And what is that?" cried Philip, earnestly. "It has already ruined far
more than ought to be dear to you. Man, man, what are money and business
compared with your own flesh and blood? Do you know where your own son
was two nights ago? In one of the vilest of the vile holes in this city,
where you, a father, license to another man