The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-06-05


! my life-the less | am known in this go
fiict the better. Whereas, to cringe tn
cOwardly to the baSer elements of so,
ety il 10 put in peril the life of every 7
spectacle citizen. and make it unsafe f
your wife or child TO walk the street
Dare TO do right though the heavens fal
The heavens will not fall. but will su
round you with their everlasting muI
tions of defense
Christianity has won its glorious Il
uInphs by resisting at every step the a
thority that stood arrayed against i
Had it surrendered its principles, aba
dOned its aggressive warfare on sin 1
the bidding of existing authorities fl
the sake of pretended peace and safety
it would have had no footing on til
earth to-day. They misunderstood tn
Bible who think it cOunsels submiSSio
TO every imperious demand of wrong
though seated firmly ION the throne.
Its whole spirit and teaching are in direc
opposition to such an Interpretation
The history of human progress is a recor,
of determined purpose fighting against
an unjust use of power.
Liberty is the child of struggle anC
conflict. Magma Chartn is wrested from
a weak and wicked king by a body o
men who have sworn on the sacred al
tar that they will have their liberties a
any rightful cost. The world has breath
| ed more freely ever since that June morn
| ing, more than six centuries and a hall
ago, when King John yielded to their
resiStleSs demands. You and l enjoy a
larger liberty to-day because of that res
Oiute purpose.
1t is cot many years since the '.powers
that be" forbade us to harbor the pant
ing fugitive from oppression; and many
were the conservative counsels to pre-
serve the peace by base submission to
the unrighteous law. But manhood and
common humanity triumphed, and no
man, with the spirit of Christ in him, re-
garded the unjust demand Slavery is
now dead and buried, thank Heaven;
and every one of US rejOiees. But. it
would have been alive and triumphant
today had not fidelity overmastered
fear, and courage swept through the cob
webs of timid counsels.
Before us to-day is a condition of af-
fairs that demands only a determined
purpose, and victory is ours. No price
of blood is need be paid. No violence
should be evoked. A peaceable and
blOodlesS triumph awaits us if steady to
our purpose and true to our cause.
3. must not fail to impress upon you,
as one imperative duty of the hour,
Faith in God and Right
Let not this conflict degenerate into
one with merely human factors If it
have any significance it is because God
is in it. And if He is, you and l need
not fear to stand by His side, secure in
His omnipOtent hand.
4. But prudence and courage and faith
will not always smite off the tyran-
nous fetters which bind us. There must
be action-energetic, prompt, decisive
action.
What shall it be?
l. First and Immediately enforce the
laws we have. Demand this from the
Mayor and Police Commissioners with
an imperative voice that will take no
excuse or denial Aid it by your own
ceaSeless efforts to convict the liquor
sellers and stop their unholy traffic The
Judge assured me n day or two since he
would convict ard punish the first and
every last man brought before him with
evidence of guilt. | assured him that
he would have plenty of work to do if
my voice could aid in the matter. He
will keep his promise, | doubt not.
In the name of suffering humanity |
charge you give him the opportunity un-
til Cincinnati is cleared of this terrible
curse.
2. But we need better laws. And these
we can have, and will have, if you are
faithful to your trust. Never will this
traffic cease so long as any spirituous or
malt liquors are permitted by law to be
sold for drinking purposes.
When the hour comes arm yourself
with the only weapon that will slay this
Goliath of hell-prohibitiOn, in the |
hands OF officers determined to enforce it! |
3. And this leads me to speak, lastly, |
of the one supreme lesson to be learned |
in this hour of digrace and humiliation |
the one supreme duty, that presses
with its crushing force upon us-the alb |
solute necessity of securing better class |
If men for municipal officers
1t may seem, really and not meta |
Herculean task to cleanse |
this Augean stable; it may seem to cOm-
bine in itself all the difficulties of the
twelve gigantic labOrs of Hercules; |
the necessity is upon us.
The citys honor demands it; the city's |
safety demands it.
do not propose to speak disrespect- |
fully ofmen, either in high or low posi-
tiOnS. My utterances shall be tempered !
with discretion. But they shall be clear
and unmistakable as well. | have laid |
solemn and grave charges upon our city |
say again, they are them
10 L. g
and disgraceful condition. If |
there are any of them who form honor
able exceptions to the body as a whole
and believe there are-they shine like
stars on the brow of night.
Who are these menl Look carefully
over the list of names, as | have done.
Inquire. as / have, concerning their his
tory, character, personal habits, and
avocations, and then hide your heads
for shame that such men were ever )
placed in authority over a free, enlight-
ened. Christian city. Twenty-three of
these men, l am told, are saloon-keep-
ars themselves. Others of them are in
.imately identified with the liquor busi-
ness.
| make no point of the fact that a
arge majority in the various depart
ments of our municipal government are
IF foreign birth, however startling the
iact might seem. / am not opposed
10 foreigners, as much. We wish it dis
-inctly understood that this is in no sense
4 question of nationality We have no
1reiudices against men of other nations.
Dur forefathers were foreigners, too.
We freely welcome men of all nations
70 our hospitable shores; but We do de-
nand. and we have a right to demand,
hat when they have accepted our hos
1itality, they shall not with ungrateful
hands destroy the very institutions which
1--WE this country its high pre-eminence.
This Is a Christian land, with cherish
ID Christian institutions. Is it not too
much TO ask Us to surrender these TO
,ratifv the men we welcome from less
avored Iandsi We cheerfully welcome
-iermans. but we do not want Germany
lere.
The Irishman and the Italian shall
ind a cordial reception as he steps upon
,ur free shores. but we do not want him
o bring Rome with him. Whoever or
whatever nationality cacepts American
Institutions and seeks to conserve them
: as much an American. IN spirit, as /
nm. and shall stand with equal honor
,efore society. Nobody Is prejudiced
,cainst Nlr. Krehbiel or DIR. Mast, because
hey are Germans.
They are honOred for their noble stand
or the right, while the base Americans
.mong our city Offibials, who are in
eague with the liquor interests, are just
' despised-
But no matter what their nationality,
he fact stares US in the face that our
.ity to-day is officially in the hands Of
nen who have proved themselves thor
,ughly incompetent, utterly unworthy
# confidence. and dangerous TO the
public interests. by their fruits We
hall know them They have swept
he Bible from tina public schools. They
nave sought 10 destroy our Christian
They have pursued, with evil
lapr rpalf1uaUcy innocent vofnep and /