The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-08-27
SIR. RAsTER's REPLY.

10 yours OF July Gun, nave 10 say, tnut
have written the 18th resolution Of the
Philadelphia platform, and that it was
adopted by the platform committee with
the full and explicit understanding that
its purpose was the discountenancing Of
all SO called Temperance" (prohibitory)
and Sunday laws, This purpose was
meant to be expressed by reference to
those rights of the people which had not
been delegated TO either national or State
governments it being assumed that the
right to drink what one pleases, (bcing
responsible for all acts committed under
the influence of strong drink and the
right to look upon the day on which
Christians have their prayer meetings as
any other day, were among the rights not
delegated by the people, but reserved to
themselves Whether this explanation Of
the meaning of the resolution will satisfy
you or not do not know. But as you
want to serve the cause Of truth, so do | +;
and what have stated here in regard to
the true meaning and intent" of the
10th resolution Of the Philadelphia plat
form is the truth
Very respectfully yours,
HERMANN RASTER.
This correspondence has been before
the public several weeks and as no men,
Der of the committee on resolutions has
denied the truth of Mr.. Rastcr's asser-
tons it is fair to presume his letter givel
the facts of the case, and that "it wal
adopted by the committee with full ant
explicit understanding that its purpose
was the discountenancing Of all So-calltc
Temperance, (Prohi5itory) and SUNDAY
lQ,cS. |, cmbodics exactly the ideas o
the Germans whom Mr.. Raster represent
ed, and was designed to catch their votes
1t is, to be sure, vague and indefinite, bu
it is doubly valuable Oh that account;a
its phraseology will not offend Christian
aud temperance men, while, at the sam
time, with the letter Of Mr.. Raster, who
being the author, ought to know 1t
meaning it will prove very attractir
bait to catch German votes with. lti
Of niece with the enactment Of tn
Beer Law" in this State to catch tn
German votes Of the two Boston Con
gressional districts, and with the Repub
lean resolution OF 1870, declaring tn
.fy "in favor of laws wisely calculates
omote temperance" which Christia
u..l were made to believe meant the oil
prohibitory law, and the Germans kne'
meant the continuance Of the beer-law
The adoption Of the sixteenth resolutio
shows that the temperance question
has been carried into national polite
by the Republican party. 1t remains
be seen what Christian men think Of thi
plank. 1t either means what Mr.. Ra'
ter says it does, or it means nothing Q
all. We are sorry that regard for tn
truth and for temperance compels us
publish such disgraeetul facts in relatio
to the Republican party, as we prefer i
) success to that Of the Democratic part,
The leaders seem determined to drive OF
every temperance man who is unwlllin
to 20 without compulsion.-Boston Dali
NeWS.
III Is mdlNci, NJ lcasi ~ Ouc iuul' II
ual, how temperance men, who believe
political action, aud who profess to b.
lieve that the great social, moral, and p
litical evil of the day is iDtemperanc
: including all whiskcy rings, dram scllir
and dram drinking. can sustain either
; the leading political parties now in IL
field. b.