Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-02-16

and into those States where the pro.
hibitory laws have been enforced, il
said not TO look well for temperance
and it is believed that such importa.
tons have increased rather than di,
minished under such prohibitory
laws. Whereas but few formerly
purchased a large stock of liquors in
a given community, now small stocks
are purchased by a vast number OF
respectable and church going people.
The seeds Of evil are thus being
sown among thousands of respectable
young people who would never go to
the groggery to drink. Drinking
was formerly done by the drunkards
and respectable men pointed their
sons to the evil example. Now the
drunkards stand on the corner as dry
as ever as willing as ever to get
drunk if they conld and the drink
ing is done in high life, at the gaming
tables AID in the luxurious drawings
rooms of the rich. Itneeds no proph
ct to come from his grave to tell us
what must be the,effect of this change
upon the coming generation. With
this change in the condition of drink
ers has come corresponding and
equally dangerous changein the meth.
DDS resorted TO to evangelize the world
to temperance. The benevolent re-
former no longer goes to the victim
with charity and love to entreat him
back to virtue. He attends the cau>
cue 10 ensure the nomination of o
temperate man for the Legislature.
This he can do in q night, and thus
he discharges his duty for year ];
and is content if his representative
but votes for a prohibitory liquor
law, that be should be tight himself
dozen times during the session of the
Legislature.
Modern reformers are too impa~
tent to try to save anindividual man.
Their thoughts are bent on forcing
the whole community to observe their
sentiments in the form Of a law
Why should man spend his efforts
upon one or two respectable drinkers,
when by great speech in the Legis-
lature he may reform the whole pop
ulation Of the State Why should
man spend his strength in appealing
to the conscience OF a few men and
inducing them to become temperate
from sense of duty, when he can be
compelled TO abstain whether he de-
sires to or not. These are the fol-
lowers of the impetuous Peter, draws
ing their swords to cut the ears from
the high priests; but they forget
that temperance is but department
OF the religion OF Jesus, who, for all
the ends to be accomplished, taught
them to rely, not only on legions Of
angels, nor political causes, nor actual
Legislators, but upon the actual
preached acord Of truth. Jesus must
be presumed 20 have known not only
the objects Of His mission, but the
best means for its accomplishment
He came to rescue a world from sin,
to soothe its sorrows, and wipe away
its tears. But He came not with
His Fathers glory, not with awful
majesty attended with angelic song,
through the opening Heavens He
came in the helplessness of childhood;
He waited thirty years for natural
body to develop its strength and en-
dure the excitement of godly mind;
shen He taught the brief moral less
tons necessary to enfranchise the
world, and ascending into Heaven,
He commanded His diciples, GO We
into all the world and preach the
Gospel to every creature. He that
believeth and is baptised shall be
saved ana he that believeth not shall
be damned" The method of reform
ing the world, which He thus COM
mended to US, He practiced Himself,
He went from house to house, from
city to city, appealing to the reason
and conscience of man, laying His
hand on the individual heart, cleans
ing the fountain, certain that the is
sues Of life would then be sweet
He appealed to no law iver; He
asked not the support of Caesar. Be-
tore men he set the simple truth, and
not desiring to interfere with the
freedom Of the mind, He left the
nearer to choose for himself Are we
quite certain that we can improve
upon this simple method? Are we
certain that a statue is better than the
Gospel -? That a jailor is a more po>
tent reformer than preacher That
a caucus is safer than prayer meet.
ing.
The method of ] esus is slow: eight
cen hundred years have passed and
still the world is but partially re-
claimed. But as far as the work has
progressed it has been based upon
sound principles, immutable truth
and the gates Of hell cannot prevail
against it, Good men who are to
live but a few years are discouraged
at such slow progress they are not
willing to wait centuriec to reform
the world as God commanded they
desire to pass law, and thus have
done with it. You must excuse me-
my friends, for believing that Jesus
knew better than we. My advice is
to repeal the laws and revive the
Gospel; dismiss the sheriff and send
forth the preacher. Don't try to i'm
prove upon the methods God has
taught us ; be patient, submissive la
borers in His field and trust Him for
the consequences. The Church needs
no aid from the State. The partner
ship will weaken the Church and
corrupt State. The Church has its
jurisdiction over the reason, the con.
science, the feelings and emotions OF
men. The State has its jurisdiction
Ito levy taxes, to preserve the peace,
to build highways Let the caucus
determine the methods of civil ad-
ministration, and the statute embody
its will; but let the Church resort to
prayer meeting and rely upon the
Gospel. Let the State make all men
free-free from the master, and free
to choose good or evil. Let the
Church go to the free men and per-
Hn al Il