The Delaware herald., 1854-05-24
Correspondence of the Herald.
Temperance and Politics.

MEssRs. EDIToRs The late Convention.
held at Smyrna, has been productive of much
good the results of which are daily becoming
more manifest. In that Convention were ex-
hiblted two classes of temperance men-one of
them claiming to be the original and firm friends
of the cause, who, according to their own show
ing, have done all that ever was done to advance
this enterprise; these are the Old Hunkers. or
party-hacks, who will go any length for tenn
perance, provided it will not injure the party.
The other class is composed Of what l might
call Young America; they go for prohibition,
or {. Maine Law, before everything else, and
regard the parties, as now organized as only
scramble for the "loaves and fishes'' of Office.
They are the masses of the working men
mechanics, and producers of the wealth of the
country. These men are pledged in what they
call Maine Law League, and are such men as
are not willing to be driven up to the polls and
voted as though they were not thinking, ration
al men, whose prerogative it is to do and act
for themselves. Now, the action of the Old
Hunkers in that Convention, has had this effect;
it has opened the eyes of the community to see
who are the true advocates of the Maine Law.
! These Hunkers will find that thev are far
behind the age-that a new order of things en-
tirely has been brought about, and that, too, by
the Hunker action. They have attempted to
make temperance secondary to politics, and
year by year have disappointed the hopes Of
temperance men. There is a point at which
forbearance ceases to be virtue at that point
the Maine Law men have arrived, and now, in.
stead of looking to politicians for redress, they
resolutely undertake to redress their Owl
wrongs; and they will do it!
Where is the father, the brother, or the man
: who has the spark Of manhood flashing in hi
blood, who will sit calmly down and see hi
sor, his brother or his friend, destroyed by thi
Internal rum traffic VIII men thus circum
stanced, (and who is not so y listen to the syrel
voice of the politician, as he tells him "tak
care, in saving your son, you may iniure tn
Whig party!" What an insult to common
sense to common humanity! Yet, this
9 the plain language of these Hunker politicians
Our families may be ruined, souls of thousand
sent to that kingdom where the "drunkar
cannot enter, r,"--crimc, pauperism and ruin, ru
5 rife through the land; all this may happeI
: rather than injure the Whg or the Democrat
\ party. In our city election, in Wilmington
f politics carried men away from religion
I Numerous instances are known, of men VIII
# pray loud in the church, going 10 the polls an
: voting the rum ticket, to save Whggery. Thes
: sanctimonious hypocrites were alarmed for tn
y sanctity of the Sabbath, because Temperate
8 League men held Sabbath meetings to pull M
l. ga Sheep" but an immortal soul, out of ii
e gutter" They have forgotten that their part
a with~Clay and Webster at its head, held a Sa
n bath political meeting in Baltimore, when the
y openly proclaimed, "there are no Sabbaths
e revolutionary times" Now, mark the diffc
i ence!-A temperance meeting has for its obie
r mans salvation; the Baltimore meeting, whic
/ passed uncondemned by our religious frien
10 had for its object-what! The salvation
ID souls mo, the re-charter of United Stat
Bank! "People who ooccupy glass houses it
d, said, " should not stone their neighbors.'
Dr. MAINE LAW