Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-26

ultraists, and refused to follow III their
lead. The anti-slavery movement was
retarded, rather than advanced, by their
efforts, and nothing was accomplished
until another class came to the front,
who avowed their faith in the Scrip
lures, and acknowledged their allegiance
to the constitution and laws of their
country. The same difficulty has been
experienced in the temperance reforma-
ton. The movement for g total abstl-
nence was upward and onward, until
some monomaniacs undertook to regu-
late the sale and use of distilled and fer
mented liquors, at all times, upon all
occasions. and under all circumstances,
without regard to constitutions or frames
of government The strong arm OF the
law was invoked, but when for constltu-
tional reasons, laws, so passed, were de
clared invalid, courts and attorneys were
denounced as if the fault was with them
rather than the ultraists. So was it In
matters of religion. Because ministers
of the gospel, of ali creeds and denomi-
nation, continued to administer the ordi-
nances of their holy religion in accord
ance with the teachings of Christ and
the plain and accepted Interpretation OF
the Bible, the Bible, Christianity, and
the church and its ministers were de-
nounced, held up to ridicule and branded
as an imposition. The natural result
followed. In spite of laws, religion
and the teachings of these ultra reform
ers, the curse of intoxication increased,
and with it, as a natural consequence,
a disregard of and contempt for all
law.
There seems to be hope, however.
The ultra men are not as radical as the
conservatives. The distinction was
marked and decided between the two
temperance conventions, which assem-
bled in Albany, Tuesday. One was an
ultra prohibition convention" while
the other was a convention of delegates
from all the temperance organizations OF
| New York. The "ultra" convention
stand on tenable grounds, acknowledge
the binding force of the constitution,
! and advocate the adoption of amend
ments thereto, empowering Congress tc
prohibit the manufacture and sale of in
toxicating liquors Whatever may be
ones individual opinion in reference tc
the policy of prohibition, all must &C,
knowledge that it is right, proper ant
manly for the supporters thereof tc
work, labor and vote for it in a consti
tutional way. With the political princi
pies enumerated, we have nothing to do
we only commend their work in gOinG
about the work of prohibition in a proper
way. The other convention we cal
conservatives, because they take III
part with the ''ultras," yet they
are not entitled to the designation, be
cause they adopt the plan which W.
should have looked for from the ''ultras.
Constitutions are thrown aside, while
they unanimously call upon Congress t.
pass general prohibition liquor law
This, they knew or ought to have known
/
is beyond the power of Congress to do
and yet they demand of them to do al
illegal and unconstitutional act. They
denounce all who differ in opinion from
them, and while claiming sincerity fo1
themselves deny it to others. Yet, a:
we have said, there is hope. With The
exception of few impracticable men
who seem to have controlled this con
vention, the class whom we have beer
wont to call ''ultras" have passed away
or, if not passed away, have lost thei
| influence. The controlling element il
| the ''ultra" convention, represented no
extremes, but rather those who firmly
believe in the necessity and importance
of the temperance reformation, and art
| going to work in the right way to &C
complish it. 1t is through these mel
that reforms have, heretofore, been ac
| complished. and it will be by their worl
that the temperance question will b.
finally settled. The only danger is tina
they will get in advance of public senti
ment Let this sentiment be educated
to the proper standard, and the resul
| will be assured.