The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-03-27
Rejoinder Of M. X" to ~. e. C."

the prohibition party and therein assail-
ed no one personally. had a right to
expect a reply in the same style of dis
cussion, but find personal raid to be
the only weapon left the prohibitionists.
| This is compliment to my argument at
the expense of an attack upon the bab-
! its of the writer.
refer to Scripture in proof Of the
fact that OR Bible is not total ahsti-
nence Book.
My assailaint replies that ] an, the
most proficient swearer in the city,
I Did il not occur to him that il tilis be
true it must have been generally known
before the fact was printed and adver-
| tised, and hence he has not thereby add
| ed very much, either to the public
knowledge, or to his reputation as E re-
plier to argument.
| / refer to the fact that all Christen-
dom-by which l mean all Christian
countries-approve of the moderate use
of ardent spirits, and have SO approved
it from the days of Christ until now,
without one exception, while on the
other hand all Heathendom, all Ma
homedan countries, all China, and near
| ly all the less advanced and superstitious
nations and tribes of men, disapp1ove
any use whatever, that the Koran, the
Bible of the Mahomedans, is a total abb
stinence Bible, that the Prophet himself
was tetotallar and the father of the Pro-
hibitionists, to all which my Christian
friend ~. C. c." replies: "That the DIR.
assumed the solemn obligation to .foreuer
abstain from the use of all the ardents,
and took a solemn oath, not to sell to
Others" This has not even the merit
of truthfulness, much less the merit of
applicability TO the discussion of my
views. Article I'd of the Constitution,
reads thus:
"No member shall make, buy, sell,
use, or give to others, as beUerd9f, any
spirituOus or malt liquors, wine or cider,
and shall discountenance the manufac-
ture and sale thereofin all proper ways"
Brother Curran must have known the
above was in the form of Pledge, and
not an oath, and that the word forerer is
not in it,
Art 18th, says: "Any member wish
ing a card of clearance, shall pay for the
same the sum of % cents"
Does this sound as if the "oath" was
intended to be eternal?-to last forever?
Why then is the small sum of 25 cents
sufficient to grant clearance"
Any thing in the ritual, contrary to
the Constitution and Bylaws, on which
the candidate depended for his under
standing ofthe obligation isnot binding.
If there was an oath in the ritual, bind
ing toreUer, l have found no one but
Bro. ~. G. c." who remembers it.
There is surely no dispute as to the right
of a member to withdraw, SO that "for-
ever" applies only to those who hold
membership. As the institution itself
has died, its charter, stolen away, no
longer in force, the obligations under it
have died and no longer bind any one.
Why then in the light of this view
and of these facts should ~. C. c." SO
far pass beyond the pale of honorable
discussion, as to indulge in the charge
that l proved recreant to my obligations,
when there is no longer any obligations
in force? He stated only part cf the
case, part of the truth, and he has vio-
lated his obligation,.as a gentleman, to
state the Whoks truth, in place e. that
part only which would damag his
neighbor. The truth is when l was a
Good Templar behaved az one, spoke
as one. and wrote as one,--hut en- I
found it was expected of me to tull in
former against men outside, that Il In
stitution was encouraged by some for
selfish purposes, and that ii disturbed
the harmony of the community and en-
couraged litigation, was glad to be rid
of it, SO that, trying all things and hold
ing fast only to that which is good,
shall not go into that humbug gain.
THE SALE OF JEwELRY
to an intoxicated man, is not less wrong
full than the sale of other artic es to
him while in that condition. If the
prohibition party wish to deny the in
competency of an habitual drunkarl to
purchase one article, is he not ec ally
incompetent to bargain for other arti-
cles?
THE WHISKEY RECORD
of Abraham Lincoln was that of a bar
keeper and my record was not any bet
ter. Abraham was asked to oust Grant
from command by the white cravats of
Chicago. He asked them where he got
his whiskey? They wished to know why.
He replied, 81 want to send barrel of
the same kind to some of my other gem
erals-it seems to have good effect"
THE PROHIBITION PARTY
is in the field with its candidates for
State officers. I found that out of Seve-
raj hundred Good Templars only two or
three stuck to their professions of oppo-
sition to King Alcohol. They went
like sheep before the wolves when the |
day came to try their courage and to |
test their devotion to their cause. They |
would go into convention and nominate |
men who opposed their prohibition
ideas, or who failed to indorse them.
The sacred cause was always deserted |
when other interests were balanced |
against it, and have concluded that un-
til the works of the so called temper
ance reformers more nearly correspond
to their professions and their prayers there
is not even honesty of purpose in those
who set themselves up as the explen,-
plars of society. NJ. X.
Institute.
An adjourned session of tho Parr,y |