The Evening critic., 1884-09-02
The Temperance Cause, the Good
Templnrs and The Critic"

II opens as follows:
q. Wet, q, w. Secretary,
32i A at. n. G. Bureau of Statistics,
INDEpENDENT ORDER GOOD TEMpLARs,
GRAND LoDGE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
OFFICE OF THE @. W. CHIEF TEMPLAR,
WASHINGTON, D. c., September /, 1884.
TO The Editor Of Ihe EVeaIag critic!
In your issue OF last Saturday appears an
article which embodies communication from
"True Temperance Reform" and expressly
etates that THE CRITIC agrees fully with the
writer.
The purpose OF the Article is to dotract from
the noble efforts that arc now being made to
direct the thoughtful attention OF our citizens
TO the enormous evil under which the com.
munity suffers through tho hnbits Of intem-
pefance, fostered by tho vile presence Oh tue
saloon, by an organization whose laoors nave
been such ae TO merit the cordial support that
an observant and critical public bestows upon
II. That organization is the Good Templars'
We would suggest to Mr.. Kalstrom that
tho next time he wants to bite, he should
wait until the hook is baitod. What right
has he to assume that the Good Templars
were meant when there Is not word nor
syllable in the article to indicate 1t? Does
the sun Of Temperance rise and SCI upon
this order Of which Mr.. A. Kalstrom Is the
Grand High Priest2
The order of Good Tomplars, we arc iu-
formed, inculcates tho spirit of charity. In
fact, VIC read only a few days ago that Mr..
Kalstrom himself helped to confer that de-
gree. May we not suggest to Mr.. Kalstrom
that the exercise of q little charity on his part
might do him some good2 Has his election
as Chief Templar made him omniscicut If
it has not, what right has ne to assume that
SO and SO were the purposes of the article.
If we were not more charitable than Mr..
Kalstrom we would say that he penned
deliberate falsehood when he wrote the
above paragraph.
But we won't say that. We will only
say that while Mr.. Kalstrom was writing
the above his mind wandered way Off from
the path of veracity, and some how or
other managed to get entanglea In the
brars and undeibrush that mark the road
that Ananias and sapphirs once trod.
THE CRITIC is not in the habit of minc-
ing matters or of attacking by iunuendo.
1t says what it says in plain, straightfor
ward English, and If the purpose of the
article referred to had been what Mr.. Kali
strom says it was, THE CRITIC would have
so stated.
But Mr.. Kslstrom seems to have faculty
for setting up men Of straw. Here is what
he says further:
Under the auspices of this order are held on
each sunday evening number OF puplic
temperance meetings. all OF which are thronged
by refined and Intelligent audiences, aud II Is
the hope OF the Good Templars TO make these
meetings such as ehall attract even larger
audiences to receive the beneflt and enjoy the
pleasure OF addresses by the very best
informed upon the subject OF temperance.
For your correspondents Information beg
leave to say that the order of Good Templars
is in no sense political organization, and
| that Its meetings are not held TO advance the
! fortunes OF any political aspirant. or this
fact the public has long been In possession.
Neither THE CRITIC nor any correspond
ent Of THE CRITIC has ever said or inti-
mated that the order OF Good Templars was
political organization. So far as the Sun
day meetings were concerned THE CRITIC,
without considering under whose auspices
they were held, or where they were held,
| did all it could to foster them. But WHOM
1t found that under the guise of Sunday
temperance meetings the merits of po!iti-
cal party were being extolled, then it drew
the line. Will Mr. Kalstrom dare to deny
that at a meeting held in DIR. Sunderland IS
i
the speakers made speech in favor of the
Prohibition ticket2
| And in this connection it may interest
| Mr.. Kalstrom to know that the communi.
cation signed observer" and published in
Thursdays CRITIC, aud in which political
talk at temperance meetings was denounced,
was written by gentleman who holds one
of the most honorable and important posi-
tions in tho order of Good Templars. In his
communication observer" says:
Then submit 1t ia but reasonable that tenn
| perance advocatee leave on the ratification
portion OF their speeches and contine them.
selves TO the principles OF their cause.
Was it Observers" purpose also "to de-
tract from the noble efforts, etc?'
Mr. Kalstrom then goes on to donounce
tle National Protective League, an orgaui-
zaton with which VIC have nothing to do
until they bring themselves before the com
munity in n way that comment cannot b.
avoided. We won't take it for granted q
Mr.. Kastrom does, that the organization i
vile per Sc. We have too much charity fo
that.
In the course Of his letter Mr. Kalstron
says:
, Your correspondent complains l)udl!
| against what he terms the abuse OF a mercnan
| in this city, for his connection with the Ma
tional Protective League; but tho force OF hi
| complaint is entirely removed when he hiu
, self descends TO abuse OF tho lowest order
| when he denounces tho gels-sacrihcing an
earnest ladies and gentlemen who cOmpo3'
the order OF Good Templars, under whose aus
| pices the Sunday evening temperance mee
ings are held, as "ax-grlnders and crazy'hai
anguers."
Now, if with the article before him,
' school boy had written the above, he woul
} scarcely have been excusable. But Mr.. Kal
strom is man of intelligence. He is til
t head Of an Intelligent order. He has writ
ten more or less for the newspapers, aud
r at least supposed to understand the Englls
0 language.
= Therefore, when man of his charactC
pens the above and signs it, it looks like
# deliberate, willful, and maliciously mean a
Y tempt to misrepresent and pervert what WI
S said.
, There is not word or asyllable in IL
Q article to justify the above. There was l
J. attack made upon any lady or gentlema
k connected with tho order, and If Mr.. Ka
l. strom knows anything he knows that IL
J. terms ax.grinders and crazy haranguers
referred entirely to the parties who hi
II made political speeches and had denounct
10 some of our business men in the vilest wa
, frlnrn xuou M o1ur ract unnO aOu ladU 4