Mark A. Matthews
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Mark A. Matthews (1867 – 1940) was a Presbyterian minister in Seattle, Washington from 1909 until his death. He was an enigmatic figure, holding views in common with both Christian fundamentalists and liberals, especially the Social Gospel movement. He was very active in Seattle city politics, battling corruption and encouraging social services. There is a statue of him in Seattle's Denny Park.
In line with his Progressive leanings, Matthews was an advocate of the Temperance movement. In his writings, he extended the Temperance platform of abstinence from alcohol to include other vices and associated institutions. He is quoted as saying, "The saloon is the most fiendish, corrupt, hell-soaked institution that ever crawled out of the slime of the eternal pit. ... It takes your sweet innocent daughter, robs her of her virtue, and transforms her into a brazen, wanton harlot.... It is the open sore of this land".[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Behr, Edward (1996). Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America. Arcade Publishing, 22. ISBN 9781559703949.
[edit] External links
- Pistol-Packing Parson: Mark Matthews and Protestant Culture in the Pacific Northwest
- Photographs including Mark A. Matthews from University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections
[edit] Further reading
- Dale E. Soden. The Reverend Mark Matthews: An Activist in the Progressive Era. Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 2001. ISBN 0-295-98021-4.
- Ezra P. Giboney and Agnes M. Potter. The Life of Mark A. Matthews. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1948.