St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-11-20
The Sentiment Of the Religious
Press.
PROHIBITION RESPONSIBILITY IN THE
NEW YORK ELECTION.

The prohibition party is being sub
iected to a bitter and relentless fire of
criticism and denunciation for their
measure of responsibility in bringing
about this result. We can appreciate
the zeal of republicans for the election
of their candidate in view of a great
national issue like protection which
entered indirectly into this campaign,
and their desire to prevent the cleo
ton of a man with Governor Cleve-
lands private character to the presi
dental office. We have deprecated
the uncharitable terms in which some
prohibition papers have been wont to
refer to the great body of temperance
men who were restrained by these
considerations from joining the third
party. But we have to bespeak like
charity from republicans in Judging of
the course chosen by the prohibition
lists. The vote for st. John has a sa-
cred and pathetic Significance which
onght to shield l. from rude and angry
comment. 1t WAS the vote in a large
measure of fathers who had seen noble
sons destroyed by drink. 1t was the
vote of pastors and Christian workers
who have wept as they saw the fair
est of the precious sons of Zion raw
ished away from the very doors of the
sanctuary. 1t was the vote of men
who have seen women murdered by
brutal husbands who had vowed to
love and cherish them, and who would
have done so faithfully but for the
bewitching, transforming, Satanic APP
petite for intOXicants. 1t was the vote
of heart broken mothers and sisters
from whose bosoms the JOY of life had
persisted, and whO implored their hus
bands and fathers to cast their pOliti
cal influence against the destroyer
Cali them impractical question their
wisdom; reason with them if you will /;
but know that angry denunciation of
such body of voters will not help the
cause of the men who denounce them.
The republican party cannot afford
t o denounce prohibitionists For ev-
cry man who left the party to vote for
st. John ut least ten men sacrificed
their temperance preferences and re-
manned to give the party one more
vote If the republican leaders sue
coed in alternating these, too, us seems
not unlikely, the party will perish III
their hands. Their only hope is to
profit by the terrible rehukc they have
received, to close up the breach they
have made between the party and the
friends of temperance, and to espOuse
frankly the cause they have refused to
recognize. We believe the republican
party is more likely to do this in de
feat than it would have been in victo-
ry. If it refuses this course its days
are numbered. A new organization,
inspired with a nobler purpose, caring
less for present victory than for IL con-
sistent front against the master evil of
the age, will take its place, and our
country will move on one step farther
toward the goal of pure national
Christianity. - Christian Statesman,
Philadelphia.
THE RESULT OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTION.
Governor Cleveland is our Presi-
dent-elect, and we intend to treat him
with the respect due his office. Since
his nomination we have done what we
could to defeat him. We believed him,
on account of his private life, and
Notwithstanding his administrative
record, to he unworthy to sit in the
chair graced by Washington, Jefferson,
aud Lincoln, and gave our reasons as
fully and fairly as we could. We with
draw nothing. We set down naught
in malice, so we have nothing to apollo
gize for. The fact that Mr. Blaine re-
PEELED us did not make Mr. Cleveland's
candidacy more acceptable to us. We
Juihtt 10 MI 81. JOHN not, lHuecG, as
a model candidate, but as represents
ing Il great issue. and as being in per
sOnal character unobicctionable There
is no need to bc ashamed of having
supported the prohibition ticket 1t
has not, indeed, won the fight, but it
has won tAe right to be heard and
needed 10y the republican party.
The result of the election shows that
the people are willing to trust the
democratic party. 1t is no longer the
party of rebellion. The issues of the
war "are dead and should be buried. >"
During the campaign .iast ended, there
have been no diStinctively democratic
principles as opposed to DISTINCT tely
republican principles In fact, if we
were to judge from the platform of the
national conventions, we might say
that principles had not entered into
the struggle. 1t has been rather "A
contest Of man against man, and Gro
yer Cleveland has wou.--IN New York
Independent.
Presidents Wives.
The mistortunes of women who have
been the wives of our late nrcsidents