The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-07-10

Z
So long a. they are not robbed dirrc'l
in store or dwelling or assaulted ou lin
street. they are blind 10 public peril.
These must be startled from guilty III
difference. Others. and not "a few. ar
held in check 10y fear Of iHiury to hraitl
or person. ~ the slave power swaye,
every department Of business. and hel,
its rod Of terror over men scllishly care.
ful of pccuuiary interests. 80, TO-DAY IN,
whisky OligarclIy rules society. and ter
rifles the timid by it, threats and prac
tice prescription.
Let us not deny it, though We blush Z,
make the admission. There are Iueu il
every profession and calling, who dar.
not be recognized a. active OppOSer- ot
the liquor interest. There i need t,
lift up these men to u more bracing ~
mosphere, tone up their courage, elevate
moral sentiment.
We must, therefore. agitatr. Henc,
| speak and preach: for | would not,
could not, claim TO be ChriSt's minister
and be silent on such Il time. on such q
theme
Society must be educated TO see. lie
Iicve. feel. that the selling of liquor fpI
drink. and it, Use as such, i a crime,
black with the curse OF God and fraUght
with all woes.
And every man engaged in it Is to be
regarded rs Il criminal in the eyes of so
ciety and the law, and treated aS such.
Not treated with unchriStian hate, but
claSsed and treated rs a dangerous char
acter.
The time will come when the traffic
will be so regarded, and the liquor-Sel-
/
| they ever entertained any other view, a.
| they now do of slavery.
So, everyone who in any way aids,
| favorS, or sympathizes with the traffic
ought to be branded with infamy, be lie
Judge, or Mayor, or legislator, or Gov
ernOr.
Why not? There is no guiltier culprit
whom the strong hand of law confines
in prisoners cell than the man who de
liberately sells himself to aid a traffic Of
such direct and damning character.
The most sad and demoralizing aspect
of our city to-day is the spectacle of men
who ought thus TO be regarded and
treated as criminals, still occupying pO-
sitiOns of trust and authority, still re
ceiving hOnors due only to worthy
citizens. We do not know the demor5ll-
iziHg effect upon society, u9OH our
children
What respect can they have Of law and
for rulers when the very representatives
ofthc sacred majesty of law are covered
with perjury and stamped with crime!
This IS our deepest degradation. our
most fatal and fearful peril. Sad a. the
dufy iS. it is yet incumbent upon Us to
hold up these men before society in their
true light, or general Generalization and
ruin enSueS, And when public Senti-
ment Is thoroughly aroused and III
structed, it will PIT "a similar stigma Of
disgrace upon every H.n who sIJStainS
this evil by his yotc-it will hold him To
be i0,tioIH criAijEiS
= corresponding degree or criruiuality
must d. seen to attach to every man for
ne2;lecting To employ his influence. 10y
speech and voTe, against this monster
crime
Here is work forcyeryLoIy- man and
woman. Personal influence. the potcn-
cy Of right speech, a"iJating and ciura-
ting, lifting up the people to right
principles and right conduct
,. But however much we may DO with
society. with the drunlard and drunk
ardmak"r by persuasion. pr5. Yer. and all
moral effort, let it NOT Ice forgotten that
the final effective blow against the liq-
uor traffic is to be struck Mt the ballot
box. All other efforts is valuable is
subsidiary or corre!utive, but it Is utterly
inadequate
The woman'S crusade has done meal
culab!e service in exciting public inter
est and e!evating public opinion. bat
without corresponding and cuiniuatin"
action at tn" ballot-bOV they might
work on in vain for successive genera
tions.
have never heard any talk more ut
tcriy void Of all srmblance Of honest
sense than that which diSSuad-S from
political action in this effort to suppress
mtemperancc
You might. with vastly greater reason
and prOpriety, diScuurl-t. legislation
IN respect to any other crime known to
statute laws, for there i no other that
so appeals 10 selfish interest. or iS 30
intrenehed behind political power.
The chief power Of the liquor interest
today is political. 1t Sways this potent
sceptre with tyranmcuS hand. 1t dictates
our primary meetings Tn" saloon is
their central and governing power 1t
controls political caucuScS. naniDu!ates
elections, buys votes. places It's patrons
and devotecs in positions Of truSt. rules
cities, threatens To uSurp supreme power.
and, in its vaulting ambition. aSpirps to
control the nItiOn. IfnOt checked. this
nation will lee ruled and ruined bv the
whisky oligarchy.
Look at our own fair Queen CITY to
day. What are the facts concerning the
administration of its interests! Did not
the liquor interest place in power almost
every official: Is it not understood that
nOman can stand a reasonable chance
of election 10 any O:fice-even SuDerin-
tendenJ of Public SchoOIs-unIeSS he
serve this iniquftOus power; bow down
to this Baal: How, then, successfully
contend against this political power bat
at the baliOt-bOx. Here the great battle
is to be fought, and republican America
expects every man To do his duty here.
If he fail. our nationality falls into de-
cav and death. like Greece. and Rome.
and every other corrupt nation in his
tory.
Nor let it be supposed that wOmans
influence i too sacred 10 touch this cor
rupt centre of power. ! do not now
plead that She shall deposit a vote at the
She shall write upon every vote that l.
deposited worthy law and an hOnOred
name The women Of California went
to the polls with their bouquets, and iced
lemonade, and winning smiles. and gen
tie persuasion, and won the day Tor
temperance and order.
No word OF mine shall hinder them
from like blessed work in August next.
when our State decides the question Of
licensing this ruinOUS traffic.
And now our work lies before u. We
must create a purer. higher. truer public
sentiment. We must have "a higher re-
specJ for law, and in order 10 do this We
must have laws that are just and rulers
whom we can respect. Those already
| in power. who ara not OF this class, must
| be- removed from their unworthy seats
/ by the just Indignation Of an outraged
people. 70 this end all must work,
/ each Ia the sphere 10 which GDd calls
| LET III br,var- Of divisions. our
! platform i broad: there i ample room
! for al. To work the laws and the Gospel.
! persuasion and penalty. the prayer
! meeting and the ballot box. tears and
pr.verS for the criminal. the strong.
stern hand Of law upon the crime L-t
! everyone haste to the rescue. men and
women. work somewhere, somehow.
The night OF toll may be- long; the
day Of promise wiii dawn i-ree may
ba rh. conflict. sure Will b" the victory !:
for God i ever on tn, side of right. aud
final defeat Is tli- fy:-Iyolu-i tate - iii'.
wruucdo-r.
Rut w'ia-.vrr D. tIi- result. d. yDur
dntv. and the sweet reward o1 AN ap-
provin. conscience and the favor oil
heaven shall De- yOur perpetual benson