The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-07-01
From the Temperance TImes.l
Letter from the Hon. James
Black. ofPenSyIVania, 10 the
Ohio Prohibition COnVen-
ton.

HON.
The following letter from Hon
James Black, of Lancaster, Pensyl.
vania, IN reply to an invitation to
be present at the State Convention,
June LIST, was received LOO late
TO present to the convention,
and we publish 1T to show the inter
est taken in the cause of Prohlbi-
tim IN other States:
Lancaster, Pa, May 80, 1870
Mr Jay OdeU, Gereldnd, Ohio
Dear Sir:-I find that L must
abandon the hope INDUCED ofmeet-
ing with your State Convention,
JUICE 1sU, proximo, to select candi-
dates to be supported by the friends
of p~rohIbitory liquor legislation at
the coming state election in Ohio.
[ trust that the attendance and de-
termination displayed at your meet
ing may be such as to convince the
doubling ami ~hesitating friends, as
well as open opponents, that the
Prohibition party is g realIty;-and
that. although ballots be few, they
shall not be stained with the crime
shame, sorrow, and tears that fol-
low as a result of the action of
those in completely with the dram
shop. l know of no question OF So
cial or political life 50 important as
that of the suppression of dram
selling. The happiness and virtue
ofhome, the peace ofncighborhoods,
and the prosperity of the nation in
its religious, commercial, mechan-
zeal, and financial interests, are in
timately associated with this qucs-
ton. Should the dram-shop be
closed, so that the waste of time, of
money, of physical and mental vIg-
or cease, 1t would be a money gam
even, annually, 90 the nation of
more than s100, 600 coo, while the
gain IN exemption from disease aid
death, the gam in moral and phys
zeal Development would be be-
yond estimate. The brothels and
purlIeus of vice would be emptied,
schools and churches would be fill
ed, hell would be mum, and heaven
and earth rejoice.
The d~ram-shop being a creature
of law and sustained by law, must
be suppressed by the use of the
same power; and the organization
and union of men for this purpose
Isas legitimate and proper as for
the purpose of persuading men
from drinking. To remove tho
tempter and destroyer CT mon from
society. and cut off their influence,
is truly as proper work for reasons
able and Christian people as to
warm and persuade against the
temptation. To use our political
power for this purpose is as COM
menGable as to use our moral.
Nay, if it be q duty to use exams
pie and precept for such purpose, it
becomes equally a duty to use the
most potent and proper instrument
tal:ty at command. We can pray
in our homes and social meetings.
but we must vote ut the pools; and
our prayers r Gas sounding brass
and tinkling cymbals," and must
be an offense 20 the Almighty, If
our votes + not given in harmo-
ny with them. The man who
prays loudly for the spiritual good
of the heather, yet fails to give of
his money In aid of mission, is re-
garded as insincere. Likewise, the
MAI who prays for the triumph of
the righteous cause of Temperance,
and casts his ballot for candidates
who + directly or indirectly the
friends of dram=sefiug rs no less
~hypocritical in his conduct. PoIit-
icai action IS a progressive step in
the Temperance movement, and is
as fully a development of the move
ment as were the doctrines of "pro-
hibItion," mo license" "total absti-
nence," "immorality of tho traffic."
excessively steps of progress. IF
all men would obey the law when
once enacted, there would be less
reason for formInga distinct party.
Experience has proven to the Tenn
perance men that rum-selling and
rum-drlnkIng arc too effectual wca>
pons of Satan to be gwen up at the
request of the moral portion of the
community. 1t has therefore be-
como as great q necessity 10 unite
the friends of protection against the
the dram shop at the ballo: for the
election OF officers TO enforce law
when enacted, as il is to enact laws.
Indeed il is far the more important
of the two. No man employs nm
agent or servant TO work for him
who is at the same time in heart
and interest engaged for an oppo>
nent. The friends Of virtue aud OPP.
ponents Of the dram-shop are there
fore compelled TO act upon this
principle Of choosing honest men in
e!ecting Legislators and officers.
The Republican and Democratic
parties + allied with, employed
by, or bound to, the d~ram~shop sys-
tenn of death and destruction of the
country. As parties, they refuse
any recognition of the rights Of the
people to protection against the
E%ll!ainOus system and usually act