The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-10-14

instead of a nuisance, etc., ETC."
| understand that you have had
considerable experience in temperance
work in the state
That is true. was for four years
at the head of the Temple of Honor,
and saw it grow from six or eight tenn
pies to about two hundred"
How was the work conducted
how did you get men to join and what
classes ?"
well. for two or three years we
devoted ourselves industriously to la
boring, personally, with drinking men /;
to showing them that their practices
we're damaging to health, morals, pock-
ct, family and community, and that
they owed it to themselves, family
and community to stop. Thousands
of them did stop, and most of them
are sober men to-day. The aid of men
who did not drink, but who had never
aided in temperance work, was sought,
as was that of temperance people, men
of all the professions, including edi-
tors. At one time there wer9 140 edi-
tors in the order, and they gave inval-
liable aid in the work of making good
sentiment. So long as the members
confined themselves to personal work,
such as l have briefly referred to, the
growth of temperance sentiment was
rapid and substantial. In working up
and organizing temples nothing was
said about prohibition or political ac-
ton. Indeed, the first promise made
every candidate who enters the Tenn
pie of Honor is that the order in no
manner interferes with his religious
or political opinions. But in time, in
some of the temples, the question of
prohibition and political action came
up, as it has in all temperance socie-
ties, and always will, and it was not
long until some of the members de-
voted so much time to these discus
sions that they ceased their personal
work-personal efforts, and many who
had no sympathy with political action,
and being unable TO stop the discus
sion, dropped out and ceased their la
bOrs. I do not know of a single tenn
pie in the state where these discrimi-
nations were allowed that was not SER
iously damaged thereby, and many of
them were killed outright. You can
no more discuss politics in Temple
of Honor, and preserve harmony, than
you can in Masonic or Odd Fellows
lodge. Such discussions are not al
lowed in Masonic. Odd Fellow, Knights
of Pythias and other secret society
lodges, and they ought not be allowed
in a Temple of Honor. They are des-
tructive of harmony, whether they
lead to political action or not"
"From what you have said / infer
that you are opposed to political action
in promoting the temperance cause"
"Do you think to trap me by asking
such question?
Certainly not; why do you ask ?"
"Were I to say yes, would be
placing myself in an attitude of oppo-
sition to promoting the temperance
cause. That is thingI can never do,
for my belief in the righteousness of
the cause is very strong, and I can
never knowingly do or say anything
which would have tendency to pre-
vent it's advancement. Were you to
ask if / am opposed to political action
In connection with the temperance
movement, I should unhesitatingly
say yes, and | should say 80 because
from careful observation I am con-
WINGED that the political action not
only does advance the movement, but
retards it. The Graham law puts us
back. A prohibitory law would not
only be a dead letter in our state, but
the fact that we had such law would
cause most Of the temperance people
to cease their personal work. Any
thing which stops such work always
puto us back. The temperance sentl.
raent in Wisconsin is not SO good, by 4
great deal, as it was before the agita
ton for a new constitutional amend.
ment commenced. That agitation took
the attention of nearly all who en-
gagged in it from the Kind Of work
which helps to make good sentiment.
"What do you think of the recent
move which resulted in placing So
called Temperance ticket in the field p
cit seems to me that what have al
ready said answers that question, but
l surely have no hesitancy in repeating
that I can see only harm to the tenn
perance cause in political action, and
that l think the organization of the
party and the nomination of the ticket
unwise and unfortunate. Similar
moves made six, four and two years
a m uyorn y1oictokoc
"Do you know the men on the
ticket"
"Some of them, very well. Mr.
Kanouse and myself have been warm
personal friends ever since 1858, and
we are to day, and up to two or three
years since we were of the same mind
touching political action. He is the
most effective temperance orator in the
state, and has been for years. He has
made three unsuccessful attempts to
get a prohibition amendment submitted
to the people. He worked hard and
"Do you think he expects an cleo
tiOn?"
"Of course not. He is man of
good sense. No man of good sense
would expect an election under like
circumstances"
what is his object p?
"You had better ask him that cues.
ton. / presume, however, that he
thinks to slap the ears of the Republi-
IAN party, by drawing enough votes
from that party to elect the Demo-
cratic ticket. / notice that the Demo-
Gratis are very jubilant over the pros
pect of such result. My right hand
IS sore from the shakings it has re-
ceived from Democrats, as they con-
graduated me upon your folks organ
zing a temperance party, and nomina-
ting a ticket ; but when informed
that / was not in sympathy with the
while / might be induced
to help the Democrats elect their
ticket, did not feel like doing SO to
the injury of the temperance cause
they left me with unmistakable signs
of grief at my lack of zeal IN behalf
OF temperance"
Would you join the new move if
you were convinced that it would aid
the temperance cause?"
II most assuredly would. / would
be glad to see all the other parties
torn to pieces, if that would put a stop
to the liquor traffic. But it would not.
4 IL L