Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-07-10
The Good TempIars of Madison
PROTEST AGAINST BEING TRANSFER
RED TO A POLITICAL PARTY.

RED TO POLITICAL PARTY.
Wisconsin Independent, Black River Falls.l
Since few of the leading tenn
perance men of the state organized
the Independent Temperance party,
and induced the Grand Lodge Of the
Independent Order of Good Tenn
plars TO sanction the movement,
there has been a great falling off in
membership in the ranks of the
Good Templars. The losses during
the past three years have been so
great that Capital lodge, No, /, of
the city of Madison, concluded that
political agitation by the Order of
Good Templars, was the cause OF its
decreased membership, and at reg
ular meeting of the lodge, held on
the 10th day of June, after a full
and free discussion, unanimously
adopted the following preamble and
resolutions:
WHEREAS, Our Order during the past three
years has suffered loss in membership of
5.s5j, and in income of 50 9S9.13. And believing
that these losses are attributable TO the action
of our Grand Lodge in committing the Order TO
the so-Called Prohibition party, therefore,
Resolved, That II Is the sense of this lodge
that in committing the Order to the so-called
Prohibi lion party, our Grand Lodge transcend
cd tfrnA fAf pf
Order, additional obligations. not warranted by
our ritual and entirely at variance with the or
iginal design and purpose OF our organization.
Resolved, That pledge OF total abstinence
should be the only test of fealty required of
members OF this Order. That while we recog
nize the right of individual members, in their
capacity as citizens, to form such political con-
nections as they may deem proper, we regard
as impOitic, imprudent. and foreign TO the let
ter and spirit of our Order, any action by the
grand lodge any subordinate lodge tending
to allay or affiliate this organization with the
fortunes of any political party or movement.
Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be
sent to the grand lodge ut its next session. and
a copy given to the temperance Journals of the
state for publication.
This expression from Capital
lodge No. /, if adopted by the lodges
of the state will do much to arrest
the downward tendency of the Or
der, and relieve it from the injury
it has sustained, by the unwise ac-
ton of less than half dozen inn
practicable enthusiasts, who have
ruled it's councils during the past
four years. The fruit already borne
by the Independent Temperance
party in Wisconsin is not of char
acter TO commend it to temperance
people generally, Its action two
years ago i'll the seventh congress
sional district resulted in defeating
a life long temperance man and
sending to congress a friend of the
liquor traffic.
1t has nominated candidates against
avowed temperance men and made
their election doubtful, and by Its
course, at the last election, gave the
lower house of the Wisconsin legis-
lature into the control of the foes
of temperance legislation, thus jeop.
ardizing what had already been
secured by temperance men, in poll
teal parties existing before the birth
of this so-called Independent Tenn
perance party.
The protest from Capital lodge
comes not a moment too soon. Three
years more of political agitation
like that of the past three years
would completely destroy the Good
Templars organization in Wiscon-
sin. Let wiser counsels prevail.
The editor of the above named
paper is a temperance man, a mem
Der of the Order of Good Templars,
and as sucn is laboring for the cause.