The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-12-02

we behold legislatures as they bow the
knee, and municipal authorities al
they grovel in the dust, crying will
one accord: "Great is Gambrinus o.
the Teutoniansl" Nay, more: to-
day Governor Jarvis, of North Carroll
ma, fights for prohibition in the SAME
ranks with Governor Plaisted, o.
Maine, and all through the North and
South the men once at swords points
are now, upon the temperance ques.
ton, sworn allies.
"But don't take temperance into pol
itics," is the cry of sundry surface
thinkers. l wish every one of these
delegates would read Miss Victor's
pamphlet on that question, and for this
purpose have arranged for its free dis.
tribution here. am proud that wo.
man-and southern woman, too
should have furnished us this earliest
and ablest of campaign documents. 1t
will be discovery TO some that, since
beer is already in the political arena
shaking It's fists, temperance must 90
forth to the encounter or fail to exhibit
David's faith in the presence of Coli
ath! elbow will you vote on the ques-
ton of beer2" is the shibboleth of the
majority in the Republican party to-
day. By the explicit and unanimous
resolutions ofevery liquor-dealers' as
ISOLATION from Maine to San Francisco.
they put the candidates on trial for
their lives. And, as you read Miss
Victor's pamphlet, you will see that
from the year of their organization in
1862 until to-day, thej brewers wing
OF the Liquor League "has issued in
the caucus and at the polls commands
which the Republican party in Con-
gress has scrupulously obeyed." And
yet, in this great organization arc
enough temperance men to hold tbe
balance Of power, but they are only
m embers of the great body, and accent
the candidates chosen by leaders whom
they have-so long followed that party
allegiance seemed 10 be second nature
to them. For, a party is like some
huge, masterful, aggressive man: the
head thinks out its orders, and the
limbs execute them. But when the
beer has muddled the head, and one of
the hands caresses the enemy which the
other hand attempts to crush. there ;s
no more absurd figure above ground
In this imbecile attitude stands the Re-
publican party of to-day, while at the
North the Democratic openly espouses
the cause of the saloons, against which
In the South it is openly beginning to
con tend. And yet, in the magnificent
arena of public opinion opposing par
ties are the only gladiators worthy Of
the scene, and upon their victory or de-
feat depends the veal or woe of IA.
tions.
we point to the non-partisan homage
OF which our murdered president is the
subject, but we must not forget that
when fifty millions gathered around
his dying couch, it was TO lament over
man who was one of the most LOYAL
partisan leaders of his day, man, too,
whose name they would never have
heard except as he became the stand
ard-bearer Of the party which for q
generation had never known defeat.
NO, parties are the moulds into
winch God pours the principles which
are to bless humanity. But when
these have crystalized into the law and
lie OF people, God breaks the mould
Tor which he has no further use. Par
ties, like men, travel the long road
from cradle TO coffin, but, unfortu-
nateiy, when dead they are not so sure
Oh burial as men. In Illinois we have
Two that sadly need interment. Par
ties are organic-they grow by gradual
accretions, and require nourishment
and care. AS whir1wind begins
with a few leaves or particles of dust,
so party begins with few indiyidu.
ais, often obscure, but if Gods breath
sets them in motion, the widening and
ascending spiral of their progress
draws in the multitude. Both parties
have their best analogy in well disci-
plined armies, under intelligent and
faithful leadership. First the soldiers
must be recruited, one by one, for a
misunderstood contest against a foe
detested by them all. Our temperance
women have been pettioning legisla-
ture which were, as a rule, companies
OF soldiers enlisted for no other pur-
pose than to defeat their measures. Is
1t any wonder we have grown tired of
it, and decided to invest our valuable
time where it promises better results
namely, in recruiting, one by one.
front the people of the country. sol.
diers committed to the proposition.
"The saloon must go?"
To be CODfiu,,ed