Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-08-03
One of our Little Sermons.

The Bennington Banner i'll a recent Is
sue had an article wherein the editor pour
ed out the vials of his wrath because of
the attempts of many Jealous ones to drag
the temperance question into politics, de-
claring the scheme foolish and pitiable,"
deplOred the idea of dragging so good
cause from its strictly moral sphere into
the din and clatter of the political arena"
The editor says that bringing the question
into party politics has been "a fatal error, ="
and among other questions asks how much
less rum is sold to-day than there was
twenty years ago, before the passage of the
liquor law. OF course no man can give
correct answer. but certain it is that very
much less is sold in Vermont now than at
theperiodspoken Of Whether there is less
suffering, squalor, poverty, drunkenness
and crime now than at that time, in conse-
quence of the sale and the drinking Of Ii
quor we are not so clear about The stuff
now sold under the name of rum, whiskey,
gin, brandy, &c, are terrible authorizations,
rank poisons, and far more destructive in
their effects than before the manufacturers
made such free use of fusil oil and other
active agencies, consequently we see worse
effects from what is drank than when liquor
was purer, hence credit is given for a wider
sale than the facts will warrant. We hear
it asserted nearly every day of our life that
there is more liquor drank now than when
rum was sold openly and freely, and ARRAYS
by men of incorporate habits or else by
those who are favorable to the traffic
These are the men that oppose the law and
all laws that are designed to restrict the
sale of liquor; these are the men that dep
recate the dragging of temperance into
politics; they want just what the editor Of
the Banner seems to want, that morality
and religion should be preached by a class
of men set apart for that purpose, while
another class of men shall enlist under the
banner of the devil and talk and act poll
tics, keeping entirely aloof from all reforms
and all reformers. The editor of the Banner
is not alone in his views the same ideas
are entertained by a very large and increa
sing class of our fellow citizens, witt
whom we disagree. If the cause of tenn
perance is a good cause, why not incorpor
ate it into all the political parties and plat
forms in the country; reform them anC
through them, the nation, morally and pc
litically? What is there about the me-
and the creed Of any party that should nc
cessarily make it corrupt? We are wei
aware that there are men within the pal
of every such organization that would stoo
to things that ought to shame satan him
self, yet we think it unnecessary that tn
party should follow his lead, or that it is nee
essary that even he should do evil. Partie
ought to be pure; unless they are so we t
the country that is governed by it, fo
when the wicked bear rule the peopl
mourn" If parties are wrong or vile an
the receptacle of everything that is bas,
then purify them by the infusion Of newC
and better blood and better principles
Temperance should not be discarded trol
politics, but Incorporate men and men la
in their morals should be voted down eve
rywhere. f righteousness exalteth
nation" then purity will in the end brin
victory to that party that courts it most d
voutly. Temperance should be brougl
into all our primary caucuses and CONVEX
tons; the question ought to be DISGUISE
openly, boldly and no man nominated WI
would not subscribe to every utterance
its favor; thus may cur political parties b.
come more pure and temperance receiN
such an impetus by means of politics as
has not received since the reform first con
menced. A man should not be denied IL
benefit of clergy because he is wicked, bl
the very best of reasons why minist
should visit him; that is what ministe
are for, to preach to sinners, for Chri
came not to call the righteous, but sinner
to repentance" We say then that polit
cal parties are the ones to agitate tempe
ance reform. While however we advoca
the political view of the case we would n
lose sight of the immense power of NOR
suasion, such as was depended upon in Il
days that preceded legislation, for NOR
suasion is the strongest lever that ever W
or ever can be used 1t is better than {
the prohibitory laws that can be crowd
upon the statute book, but we would u
both law and gospel in crushing the gre
sin of iutapporopna