Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-07-16
Written for the REPUBLICAN
Crusade Leaves.


\ @..A
| Crusade Leaves.
| No. v.
The work tofbe done. Yes, work,
work! to be done for humanity. The
work of the crusaders,Csimply their
work, because no other people have
thought seriously of this work; theirs,
because they can accomplish the work
of educating the people morally; theirs,
because God in His Providence has
called them to this work. The Ameri-
can nation stands prominently con-
spicuous among the nations as nation
of educators. Offering its free schools
to all its children. Schools and colleges
may be said to adorn the land, and yet
with all our schools and all our educa-
tion, secular and religious, how little
of moral character is found in among
us; how few persons there are who
dare TO do right, because it is right.
The crusade has succeeded in resurrect-
ing what little of moral power was
sleeping in the hearts Of the people,
and the fearful corruptions brought to
light, reveal the Importance Of this
work, being carried out in all its in
tensity. The work of educating the
people morally, implies, or supposes
the presence of moral character. In a
small and feeble state of development
it may be, and yet, the feeble may be |
made strong and the small one may be-
come a thousand, and the resurrection |
power already felt in the land, may
stir other hearts and move other hands, |
until the power necessary for this great |
reform shall rise in all its moral majes-
| ty, and sweep intemperance from our |
land. The master-stroke of the whis- |
Ky ring, in its dying agonies, is seen in |
the "License Clause" of the New Con-
stitution. The intelligent christian
people Of the State of Ohio, are besought |
by the old "Giant Despair" to vote for
the license clause, in the adoption of
the New Constitution of the State OH |
the 18th of August. This Constitution |
about to be submitted to the people for
their adoption, or rejection, is, ii adop-
ted, to be cursed with the lcprosy of
intemperance. Nay; worse than this.
We the sober, thinking people are po-
lItely told that a license clause will reg
ulate the traffic in Intoxicating drinks.
This view of the case recognizes the
morality of the traffic, and only seeks
to regulate it. A little more Of this
type of morality would enable us to
see the necessity to license, and thus
protect by law, horse thieves: highway
robbers and murderers. Why not? This
is the morality engendered by the whis-
ky traffic, and sought to be perpetuated
by it, and for it. This is the morality
of the nineteenth century,-the smiling,
fawning morality sought to be deified
by the people, sought to be protected by
the State, seeking the sanction, and the
protection of law for the nexttwenty
years.
The crusade has brought the liquor
traffic to the light, and the earnest con-
viction of its sinfulness, as seen by the
crusaders, appears 10 be shared by the
fraternity. Confidence is shaken in its
selfprotecting power, hence it is to re-
ceive the sanction of law. 1t is to be
made respectable by the popular vote of
the people. The traffic in liquor is to
be made as morally right, and as re-
spectacle as provision store, or any
legitimate business whatever. This
state of things is felt necessity in the
traffic, and SO thoroughly is this con-
viction shared by the friends Of the ar
dent, that the New Con stitutien is {
strongly impregnated with this senti-
ment. This Is the morality of the law
makers. Where do the people stand
upon this question? We have said,
that the work of the hour is to educate
the people morally. Will it not require ;
moral training to get the people above {
the party lines of the past, and raise
them Intellectually and morally, where
they can look at this subject from the
moral stand point. To the friends of
temperance we say, grid on the armor,
the contest will be fearful, the battle .
will rage all along the lines, and close
hand to hand encounter is imminent.
The 18th of August will be the Gettys-
burg of the war. Let us hurl back
the broken legions of the whisky ring
with u violence on that day which shall I
be felt through all the regions of de-
spair, and forever break the power OF
the whisky ring, and liberate the slaves
of intemperance everywhere. This
moral training cannot be performed by
the school teacher; it cannot be done
we ask where shall we labor? Go into
the lanes and streets Of your towns,
and cities, and carry the Gospel of
temperance to the people. The people
need instruction upon this subject; they
are willing to hear,-they wish to un-
derstand the merits of the pending
question: License or Prohibition. Tell
the people, that the license law has been
tried and found wanting. Tell the peo-
pie, that under the license law the con-
sumption of beer in the United States
increased from $500, 900 barrels in 1854
to 100000 barrels in 1872. Tell them
that in Massachusetts, when under the
Prohibition law, the revenue decreased
but in 1867, when license was {
restored the internal revenue increased
from $1,000 to 81, 900 in a single month.
Tell them that old Virginia has license
law, and that in the Old Dominion,
such is the responsibility of the traffic, s
protected as it is by law that they ex-
pend $4,000, 900 for whisky yearly, but
they are too poor to pay the interest OH
their State debt. But then they are
respectable. /,