The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1869-10-21
THOUGHTS FOR TEMPERANCE MEN.

Rev. Theodore L. CuYler has written
an excellent letter to the New York H.
dependent, on the subject Of prohibit
ton and a Temperance Party, from
which We take the following paragraphs,
commencing them to the. attention OF
the friends Of temperance in this State
1t is not very pleasant occupation
to be digging down in miro and mud to
lay foundation-stones for a needle edi-
flee. 1t costs toll and time, and back
aches. A far more exhilerating work
is it to put up ornamental cornices and
lofty towers-to bring the topmost stone
with shoutings." But without solid
foundation, where is your superstruct-
ure ~lr' Z: -:
4: Many of our. Jealous temperance
brethren are in danger of this very
blander. They earnestly long for pro-
hibitory legislation; but do almost
nothing to create the temperance public
sentiment. They want prohibitory
laws ; but they do nothing to make the
votes which must enact the laws. They
clamor tor political Temperance
partly" but they forget that successful
parties are made up Of men converted
to a moral idea. So, when you urge
them to call meetings, and to organize
local societies, aud to circulate tracts,
and procure total abstinence pledges,
and to spread abroad solid temperance
truth, and to educate the children, and
to open their purses aud pay the bills
Of all these needful efforts, they sneer.
ingly reply; "Phsaw !! We got out oil
that sloug b of moral suasion ten years
ago!" It suits these brethren a grea,
deal better to hold conventions and to
pass good strong resolutions against
rumshops, and to organize new parties
on paper. For dozen years the state
temperance conventions in New York
have been passing resolutions for "total
prohibition and nothing less" but VIZ
Eare no nearer to wholesome prohiblto.
~ law for all their paper manifestoes
Brethren ! I, for one, am as heartily in
favor Of shutting up the rum-dens by
law as Neal Dow or ~Cerri:t Smith can
be; yet am convinced that We must
change our tactics, or we shall neve,
secure prohibitory legislation-or en-.
force it.
Now, brethren and eo-workers, these
be plain truths and worth your consid-
Grafton. If the coming years are to be
spent in holding conventions and pass.
ing empty resolutions against gro5.
shops, without doing anything at home
to convert people against grog-arinA.
ing if any more "third party" fooleries
like that in Maine are to be enacted Of
the settled policy of the temperance re.
form, then ], for one, must be counted
out Of any national prohibitory party.
Other people may build castles up in
the air, if they admire such architec.
ture. I prefer. in my humble way, ia
dig IN the mud on the foundations of q
permanent reform. I prefer to use
pulpit, pew, purse, and tongue to con.
vert people to total abstinence. When
they are thus converted, they are saved
from DR. lnkenness; they will oppose
drinking customs they will never give
apenny to support the accursed liquor
traffic they will be likely to : vote
against the advocates of rum selling 70,
office. When mems minds are enlight.
ened, and their conaciences are aroused
to vote against legalizing dram-shops
We shall have such legislation and soi
before. For the present, let US dig
deep IN the public conscience and lay
foundations. A mighty educational
work is to 5e done, and at once. I,
must be done too on a solid pecuniary
basis. : 49,.