The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-03-18

Christian Responsibility for Intempsr-
ance.
BIT J. c. AMBROSE, A. NJ.
l do not mean that Christian men are
Incorporate they can not be; to be so
were to serve two opposing masters.
But mean that, taken in the mass,
Christian men are indifferent touching
the intemperance of other men, Nor
do mean that they are thus by delib-
crate conviction and to promote evil
but they are painfully thus by force OIL
social habit and political education.
In the first place, to begin back upon
bedrock, the gospel of Glove thy neigh
Dor as thyself''-that is, feel q large per-
sonal responsibility for his moral and
religious walks given too light en-
phasis from the pulpit. Christians are
left resting too well satisfied with the
upright work of themselves and house.
holds az the complete fulfilling OF the
law. The better religion is not looked
up within the man, like the oyster with
in his shell; but rather Is II salt with q
savor of good for all Its possessor can
reach. There exists kind of divine
communism In the Christly religion
which makes each man measurably his
brothers keeper. .2..
Tau this principle alongside the sin
&c G nkeuness, and you lay under con-
J.r.nation every Christian who fails to
a a,s snr,h nositive efforts ON every pro-
~. c.css;en to keep his neighbor sober.
TvS : re the Master vicegerents
s.h Under call to act without hope
W .errsi reward. But such is the
community Of moral interes. a%o ..as,o one
people of every town. s.s,s aug s na,'y ~
that one can not save iellow .ro n,h tsr
offence of strong drink, =, any o'nu,
sin, without ready personal returns Up
on his investment. He gets tne lsIi a.
strength of having done gooa aesu ~
another; he diminishes mis- OWN 'aAe''
he helps to preserve the peace of the
whole community, himself included.
And In this light, while his responsible
ity is not lessened, the prize for good
works is doubled.
tbs Indifference In Christian circles
to this vice In outer circles is not new
feature, nor forced growth; 1t is the
legitimate fruit Of long social familiarity
with intomperance as one of the well.
established, recognized and regulated
APPENDICES Of republican life. The
government, whose constitution we
have been taught from the cradle to re-
we're, and whose laws we are sometimes
unhsppi,y sworn to obey, has first tcler-
ated, then Z ,stered the infamy by shar
inK It's b,uvd.lnnney. Under pretext oj
curiaillng popular taxation (withoni
mention of taxation augmented by IL
Quor crimes), the Cover nment has In
duced very wide belief that Its special
tax upon liquors is direct donation 10
every property-holdlng citizen of the
country.
And this has been tho beginning OF,
and apology for, the liberation, even
responsibility, SO generally accorded to
the liquor traffic. Opposition to il has
been pictured as the ungrateinl act OF
one who kicks the COW he milks. a
considerable and otherwise respectable
social element, supporting churches and
general charities, has long blindfoldcd
the Christian attention by at once deal
ing In liquors, and assocIating familiar
" with Christians and moralists. Thus
and otherwise, especially by license,
the autocrat called government, anO
have tended to intimidate the Christian
have half-hooded the Christian con-
science, have blutfed and befogged il
into an unhealthy indifference. And
TO be indifferent to wrong where active
opposition might abatc it, is TO be re-
sp0nsible for its continuance.
Further cause OF this dangerous in
difference on the part of Christians, liet
in their being too apt pupils of the par
~ schoolmaster in politics. Politics
and morals are often in conflict: the
political creed dividing parties is mol
always a moral creed; or. if so, it call
not present two right sides in opposi-
ton to each other. Christian men, like
others, become attached to political
parties; and in The heat OF campaigns
they thoughtlessly fall into the error,
on election day, that devotion to the
party they perhaps join OIL principle, il
the highest law they owe allegiance to.
1t Is seldom that questions purely OF
morals or religion arrest the attention
Of even one-tenth of the Christians a.
the polls in any nci2hborhood. The
inside, private character of candidates
that which shapes the conduct of The
officials seldom scrutinized closely
SIS he loyal to my party" That is all
not "Does he drink liltle?" or "Doc:
lie believe In, and dare he help TIN
prohibition taught by the best reli
gionl"
Even this Christian devotion 10 party
would be shorn Of half its calamity /
II came in at the caucus in force, wher,
II might sometimes give Christian di
reotion to the party. But no; Chrisl
inns VIGOROUSLY attend to business o,
that day when the seed Is sown. Ant
1t is equally notorious that the wors
men In party generally manipulate it.
ward cancuses and its larger convcn
tons. Party supremacy and reward
for personal service to party are the is
sues which control it-not moral prin
oiples.
This Is an Indifference among Chri.
.ians to moral conquest on the on
ground whereon some moral victori'
must be won, or not at all. Ii Is ami
difference which perpetrates itself
discouraginR effort. But 1t cannot les
sen responsibility. Such reforms o
temperance must come through politi
cal channels, or not at all. The Chris
usn 10 wisely given part In politics
he carnot consistently stand ontsid,
Many tunes he cannot otherwise g
largely aid good morals aud religion "a
BY active Christian effort inside politics
Bot Is he responsible for the inlen.
perance OF his town or slater If. b.
the united votes of all Christian men i
any political subdivision, and the mol
al, but non-church, voters whom the
cnuld naranaHa IN act xDtfh lhau tho
could vote out license and vote Ia pre-
bibiti0n, stop drunkenness aud stim
late sobriety, then is the Christian r,
sponsible that such community con
mits the crimes of license, and III
virtue Of sobriety has no legal encoul
agement.
IL the hypothesis doubted? Let ii
doubter catalogue the Christian men {
his township, for instance; then Ii
moraiists who would vote with sue
NhaIa 81.