Billy Sunday

Billy Sunday was a popular evangelist of the teens and twenties and one of the most outspoken figures of the "dry" movement. He strongly believed temperance would rid society of crime and poverty. Sunday traveled around the country preaching against the evils of alcoholism. He spoke before packed houses and was known to draw crowds of fifty thousand people. The following selection is taken from his popular "booze" sermon in which his arguments and statistics were not unimpeachable, but his colorful language and showmanship made them seem convincing enough to his God-fearing audiences. This particular version of the speech was delivered in 1913, but it was repeated throughout the era of Prohibition debate.

Sunday returned to preaching after realizing repeal was inevitable. But his popularity had waned due to his association with Prohibition and its failure. Sunday never recovered the audiences he...