Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-10-21
The Good Templars NO Third Par.
ty-Grand Lecturers Report.

The Good Templars NO Third Par
ty-Grand Lecturers Report.
The Hon. James Ross, Grand Lee
turer of the /. o. G.. L. of Wisconsin,
in his report to Hon. Theo. d. Kan
cuse, suggests the Importance of ad-
hearing to total abstinence as the one
plank Of the temperance platform,
and avoiding the "itful glare of
politics" and untried theories. Being
one of the most earnest and success
iul workers in his chosen field, his
opposition to the third party move
ment must have great weight. We
take the following from his report:
In answer to your favor of the 9th
inst, | have the pleasure of inform
ing you that while engaged in work
in Wisconsin from September, 1874,
to April, 1875, and occasionally on to
August, 1875, have given 1875 pub.
lie lectures; instituted ID new lodges,
and enlisted l,019 new recruits to the
noble order. In response to your
further questions for my views Gas to
ways and means for successful work
for the ensuing year by our ORDER" |
would state as follows:
The longer / am engaged in the ac-
tive work of our order, the more |
am impressed with the necessity,
power and benefit of organization.
Young and reclaimed persons want a
protection and strength against the
assaults and temptations of intoxica-
ting drink, and they get it in the reli-
able bulwark of organization. The
standard bearers of total abstinence
flags need a sure and constant backing
in their unequal contest against the
raging and desperate liquor host, and
organization gives it. Money, the
sinews of any and every war, is an
essential, and organization reliably
raises and gathers it in. Therefore,
the organization that is most complete
in these respects, is most effective in
its work. Our organization in these
respects is remarkably perfect. 1t
supplies the bulwark, the backing
and the means to save and reclaim
ard fight the liquor traffic at all
points. 1t is not during one month
in a heat of feverish enthusiasm, and
dead as door nail the next, but its
simple system Of fidelity to total alb
stinence, and undying hostility to in
toxicating drink, is always calmly,
energetically and hopefully influence
ing. Its training and dicipline are in
constant operation. Whether it's
members are warm and vigorous or
cold and Indifferent, or its recruits
many or few, its standard never low
srs. 1t always proclaims the same
saving truth to the world, and amid
the ftful glare of politics and the
perplexing haze of thousand untrled
theories, its simple test of ''total alb
stenence from intoxicating drink,
steadily shines. Our organization
gets its rock of strength from this
concentration on the subject. 1t
shoots at one mark and aims to hit all
the time. By the help of God, it
saves and reclaims from intoxicating
drink. This is the issue it makes
with the world, and on it, it recruits
its ranks. l find that the closer
stick to this issue, the better is my
success in Good Templar work. |
allow no other issue to distract my
attention or effort. 1t is the one that
saved me, and / cling to it as the ag-
gressive advance guard which will
first capture substantial and practical
public sentiment. 1t requires means
to get measures, and when there are
enough earnest men and devoted wo-
men, the measure will come. What
total abstainers in Wisconsin want
more than anything else is about 49,
900 more of their kind, and when
this number is got, then will be the
time to talk of chaning the monster
with the reliable shackles Of public
sentiment, instead of the ropes OF
sand of political mountebanks.
He then pays a beautiful tribute to
women and their noble influence in all
the affairs OF life, particularly in the
temperance cause, and adds:
| believe that in these days, reach
ing the people by word of mouth is
the most independent and reliable
mode Of communication. We have
but few newspapers who can afford
to give the truth, and nothing but the
truth, independently of political con.
siderations. In these days, when as.
founding frauds are perpetrated on
the government by distillers, the
plain, unadulterated facts must be
given, and these can only be expec-
ted from public speakers or newspa.
pers who are harnessed to the total
abstinence work, and will give them
though the "Heavens fall" Of the
first, there are some; of the last,
alas too few.