Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-26


The .rIe Basis of Temperance Political action.
Good citizenship now demands that every
man and woman be total abstainer from
all alcoholic drinks and an outSpoken ad-
yocate Of Temperance. The sentiment
should be embodied in the laws of every
country, consequently, persons deficient in
such qualities should not be elected law
makers or administrators Of law.
By the operation of politics such deficient
persons do get such Offices; by the same
means such can be kept out, and temper
ance persons put in. While temperance
does not qualify, intemperance disqualiies
person from being good law-maker or
administrator.
Intemperance is vice, Tempera nee is viz
tue, and as legal enactments, when wrong,
encourage vice, 50 they can be made to en-
courage virtue and aid the suppression of
vice. By law the importation, manufacture
and sale OF intoxicating drinks should be
entirely suppressed. BY law the children
and youth in the public schools should be
taught their nature and destructive effects
when taken into the stomach.
Politics are carried on by parties. We
have but two great national parties, Demo
crat and Republican. All great issues ex-
cept temperance are taken up by them at
tirmatiyely or negatively. Uslrping lead
ers in the Democratic party almost succeed
in committing that party to the negative
side of Temperance and Prohibition, and
the grabbers after the emOluments Of Office
! 4 II. ~ 1
Temperance can and must be forced upon
both Of them, as the paramount issue. Its
adherents are IN both the parties numerous
enough to do it. We must not wait to see
whether - existing parties will endorse the
legislative policy of prohibition and nom
mate candidates pledged to its support
otherwise organize separate party action
(S2rQfogd RcS0imi0R), We must he ahead OF
them, not by pussying around and a. last
resort start up a third candidate and out of
the frying pan into the fire. We must
make every election n boiling cauldrOn.
Every temperance voter should be as much
stimulated 10 90 to the polls a. the custom
AIRY nip stimulates the enemy. No voter
can be bound a to how he shall use his po
litical franchise ; he has no right 10 even
bird himself, but every lodge, division.
tent, society and church ought to be- pr0yi-
del with positive political work. lhey
ought to be required to elect delegates
whose duty it should be TO organize them
selves into deputation to attend every
caucus of any national party, to influence
it, if possible, to nominate only temper
ancc persons for its candidates, and il ne
ces~ary, to supplant the names of those who
are not, with the names Of those of the
same party who are and to print and cir
culate the ballots with funds furnished the
delegation for the purpose.
We want machinery that has a snap to it
and that bids fair to accomplish the object.
\ third party doesn't do it it draws from
friendly forces and makes the party not
friendly comparatively stronger.
Liquor dealers and their symI'athizer-
don't get up third parties or expend all
their energies getting up conventions and
passing resolutions, they employ machinery
similar to that here proposed and furnish
money literally to set it running Let Us
be equally alert and with God and right ON
our side we will certainly win
j K. FoEE>r.
Wino1Ski, Vt, Dec, 1873.