St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-08-28
mo Anti-Temperance Party"

mo Anti-Temperance Party"
With some care and not little in
tcrcSt we have read and re-read Mr.
Poland's report ''irom the committee
on the judiciary" lis given in the Gale-
donian of July 81. In the said report
(Which is very able and in the main sat
isfactory) we find the following state
mcmt 80 far as they (the committcc)
know, there is II" anti-tcmperance par
avowedly in favor of the misery and
degradation and economic waste of in
temperance" &c.
If there is such party in the coun-
try surely such il committee ought to
know it. But for the sake of satisfying
ourselves that there is no such party,
we would like to ask a question or two
hoping that the Judge or the Editor or
some one else will rise to explain" the
situation, and so cxonerate the suspect
ed party. We refer to the Republican
party. What is
ITS PLATFORM
We refer only to the resolution hear
ing upon this question, viz: the six
tcrnth. The resolution reads us fol
lows:
The Republican party propose to re
Spcct the rights reserved 10y the people
to themselves us carefully as the powers
delegated 10y them to the State and
Federal Government. Ii diSapprorcs
of Il resort To unconstitutional laws for
the purpose of removing evils 10y inter
ference with rights not surrendered 10y
the people To either the State or nation
al governments.
The language of this resolution WIS
IL bid for the whiSkry vote of the nation
for the support of the Republican par
ty. which it largely secured. we shall
fully believe until convinced To the con
trary. This very thing WAS then Sis
pcctcd. and To ailaN all doubt in the
matter Nh. j. VI. Miller. of Portsmouth.
Mich. addressed letter to Mr. Herman
Raster. the author of the resolution, in
relation To the real mcaniu" and intent
thereof
The following correspondence en-
sued
MIR. MTLLER's LETTER.
FuRTsMorTm, Mich, July :. IS72.
Mr.. Rdsfcr. Dear Sir: Iou are
credited with the authorship of the 10th
resolution ofthr Philadelphia platform.
and aS there is some difference of opin-
ION in reference To what evils are allu-
died to. if Nou would condcSccnd to
write me Il line i'll explanation, it may
>crv" the cause of truth and free gov
j. VI. MILLER.
MIR. EAsTER's REPLY.
CHICAGO. H.. July 10, iS72.
i. W. Miller, Dear Sir: In reply To
yours of July sth. | have to SAY that |
have written the 10th 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 discolntcnanc-
ing of all 81 called Temperance (pro-
hihit"rl) and Sunday laws. This pur-
pose WAS meant to he expressed 10y ref
rrrncc to those rights of the people
which had not been delegated To either
national ar State governments: il being
assumed that the right to drink what
one plcaScS (hring responsible for the
acts committed under the influence of
strong dIink.) and the right to look
upon the day on which Christians have
then prayer meetings aS any other day E.
wrr" not delegated 10y the people. hut
reserved t" themselves. Whether this
explanation OF the meaning of the reso-
tuition will satisfy Nnu "r not l lo not
know. Eut ~ You want to serve the
cause "f truth. =" .io |: and what |
have stated here in regard to 1.-The true
mtahln" AMI intent" OF the 10th rcSulu-
tl"n of III" Philadelphia platform is the
truth.
Very respectfully YOURS.
HERMAN RASTER.
Here is the platform of the Republi-
can party. and Henry Wilson. Il promi-
nent and noted temperance man. ar-
ccptcd the nomination for the Vice Pres
idcnry. IN u lahorcd speech. if we mis-
TAX" not. without protest or even "a
reference in any way to this resolution.
Does. ~ docs not, this place the Re
publican party before the country as
fully committed to free whiSkey and
open Sabbath dissertation!
Turning now from the platform. We
further ask, what is the
RECORD OF TIE REPUBLICAN PARTY,
I'm many things good. For this we are
glad. But It's temperance rccoldi The
committee ''clainI" what no one will
doubt. ''that within the District of Co
lumhia and within all the territories
under the jurisdiction of the National
Government outside the limits of or
ganized States, Congress does possess
full and ample power to regulate and
restrain or prohibH the traffic" The
committee didn't say it, but we suppose
they meant it, ''alSO to prohibit the
manufacture and importation of Ii
quors." Why donf they do it? Have
we not a Republican Congress And
are not Congressman the servants of the
Ia. L 4 II