New-York tribune., 1874-03-07
WAR ON WHISKY.


STRENGTH AND POLICY OF THE PARTY.
tyRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
COLUMBUS Ohio Feb 25.--lhe PrOhibitionsts OF
Ohio with quick appreciation Of the political pos
sibilities of the wOmon's war ON whisky are coming
70 the front with haste that may precpltate
most unfortunate conflict between Prayer and Pro
hibition. This was apparent in the convention OF
the friends of the Women's Temperance Movement
held in Columbus on Tuesday; ana t'ere
were still more alarming symptoms anu
,ronblo in the Ohio Prohibition Convention,
held in Mount Vernon on Thursday. The women,
,.markablv sensitive to danger. have already more
+nan once given the cold shoulder TO the prohlDi-
tonists; the latter meanwhile, in their resolutions
nat them on the head as if to say, wen done goou
women so far so good but prayer ana prompltioh
must 90 hand in hand :" and at the same time lhu-
mating that this great temperance reVVai Is alVel
all the result of the lifelong agitation Oh the toVi
abstinence question by the advocates OIL pro
hibition. The immediate cause OF the COOL
ness which is springing up between tne
praying women and the Prohibitiomsts is the NiSiU
of the Rev. John Russell to Ohio. Mr.. Russell is a
Michigan man, for years prominent IN Temperance
reforms. and is freely spoken of by Ohio ProhiDl-
tionists as the abest Temperance speaker IN the
limited States. The few persons who remember that
there was a Temperance ticket for President ana
yice-Presideut of the United States at the election
of 1872 will be likely to remember also that Mr..
Russell had the second place on that ticket. His
speeches give evidence Of high grade OF culture,
brstle with figures, and are delivered with many
Of the graces of oratOry. His goodness as
well as his ability, isfreely admitted by the women;
INT they say that his visit to Ohio just is i'll
timed and if, as is alleged, it was by previous ar
rsngement, he ought to have either Cancelled his
in via pf fba 1qr form wi
temperance revival here has assumed or lectured
On anv other branch of the subject than Prohibition
That subject they urge, is distaSeful to many of
tbe men who are heartiest in support of the womans
movement, and its discussion just now cannot
fail to cause dissensOn where harmony mad
Just been warmed into being.
TIE WOMEN AND THE PROHIBrTIoNISTS IN ANTAGo-
NIsM.
Some 90 so far as say that the leaders of the Pro
hibftion party with all their pIoleSsed and doubt
less sincere sympathy for the woman's movement,
are disposed to take advantage of the temperance
sentiment thereby created, 10 swell their thin ranks
torespectable proportions. or may even indulge the
hope of thus riding into power 1t is said. moreo-
YER that but for the unseemy haste of the Prohibi
tionists, they might easily reap a great
harvest Of votes as the result of the
wom1ns movement. whereas, if they insist
movement and hand in its direction, they viii
gain fewer votes and have the illwill of both men
and women who believe that this movement is Of
God, and that love, not law, is the instrument
dyinely ordained to secure the closing of Tram
shops.
The Prohibition Convention passed resolution of
sympathy with the women yesterday, but the Mount
Vernon women were so firmly impressed with the
danger OF mixing Prayer and Prohibition that they
voted not to attend Mr.. Russell's lecture,
which was delivered last night. This morn
ing the Convention having adjourned, Mr..
Russell went to the wOmen's daily prayer-meeting,
Being called on to speak, he had the bad taste to in
timate that the women had had advisers who were
irving to ALLEVIATE them from the PrOhibltiOnists,
and to remark that prayer alone would not close the
dam-shODsO OF Mount Vernon and keep them closed in
ahuudred years. This came like wet blanket upon
meeting exalted to great spiritual nights by recitas
of experience praise, and prayer, and of the SIS
tes could not stand 1t. She sprang to her feet and
oxcl;eily but in good temper insisted that this
movement was Of God and blessed Of God, and as
cured her hearers that the only advisers Of the
women were their hOnOred pastors and discreet
advisory committee; that no outside counsel was
needed: that they were convinced that they could
do all things needfu by prayer and that they would
pray On TO the end even il it should take hundred
years as had been suggested. AT the present rate
Cfprogress however it does not seem that hund-
red years viii be. necessary for the task, as the
women of Mount Vernon have closed p liquor
stores in less than two weeks and before Mr. Rus
sell left the place Of meeting the bells Of all the
churches rang cut to announce another surrender.
One trouble is that the Rev. John Russell and DR..
Dio Lewis though both good men, cannot agree.
Russell leads the Prohlbitionists, and Lewis has the
ear of the women. Lewis represented that Prohibi-
uon was a failure in New-England, where it has
been tried under most favorable circumstances.
Russell denies this statement, and says Gen. b. f.
Buffers testimony ought TO have more weight than
that Of Lewis. Russell of Michigan calls Lewis of
Massachusetts, outsider; and Lewis protests that
nobody should introduce a subject of controversy
among people united in praying and labOring for
good object. Both may be in the wrong to GER
tain extent, but Lewis has the advantage of having
been first on the ground and of keeping his temper
POLITICAL RELATIONS OF THE PARTY.
The Ohio PrOhibitonlsts have been increasing in
numbers for several years past At the first election
IN which they participated a party they polled
2Q00 votes at the second, 4000 and at the third,
10000 On the last occasion their strength was
drawn principally from the Republican party, and
caused the election of the Democratic candidate for
Governor. Next Fall they expect to have at least
1900 votes OF twice that number, if the excitement
attending the womens temperance movement does
not subside. Their Convention was very respect
able body having the air of an ecclesias-
teal assemblage. The President was
popular preacher of the United Brethren
church and President of the University of that
denomination at Westervile. The Vice-President
was Mrs. Matte McClelland Brown, the presiding
officer Of the Order of Good Templars in Ohio, and
editor of county paper. Many of the members