The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-09-20
Against the St. John Ticket.

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others who look at the subject more
clearly and with more foresight, dep
recate such action as unwise, untime
i ly, and sure to be unfortunate for the
cause of temperance. We are per
mitted to print below aprivate letter
from Mrs. j. Ellen Foster to Rev
DR.. E. X. Young, of this city, which
will be read with great interest at
this time. Mrs. Foster is known all
over the United States as one of the
foremost workers in the cause at pro-
hibitiOn, and an efficient officer in the
National WOman's Christian Tenn
perance Union. Her advice will bp
given the weight to whicn her sue
cesSful work for years in the temper
ance cause entities it. The letter is
as follows:
BUFFALO, August 81, 1884.
ReU. e. X. Young, Des MoineS, la.
My DEAR FRIEND: My allegi.
ance in public work is first Of all due
TO the Woman's Christian Temper
ance Union. | believe that rs Ma
tional organization we should be nom
partisan i'm our attitude toward the
political questions of the day, even
toward party prohibition. 1t iS my
sincere conviction, strengthened by
a personal knowledge Of the work
the country over, that the overthrow
If the liquor traffic will be soonest
accomplished if our organizations
withhold party effort and give them
selves wholly to the regular lines of
temperance work which have been
IeveIoUed by God's providence dur
Ing the ten years since the crusade.
We have some twenty-five distinct
departments of work under the gen
raj divisions, preventive, education
al, evangeistic, social and legal.
These cover every phase of the ques-
ion, and afford the widest scope for
he work Of our Organization. | de-
.recate gre lily the seeming attempt
m the part of some of our women to
ally the National Woman's Christian
Temperance Union with the NationaJ
Prohibition party. / believe the
arger part of our membership and Of
ur best advisers deplore what they
consider an unwarranted and an ul.
enable position.
Having been chosen by the Na-
tionaI Union Superintendent of the
Department of Legislative work and
petitions, l must keep myself free
from partisanship. AS an individual
[ cannot and do not smother my con
vrctiOns. Either James G. Blaine or
Grover Cleveland will be President
of these United States, as between
them do not see how any christian
voter can hesitate. Writing as do
from this city of Buffalo, where
Cleveland's home is-nOt where he
lives-he has no hOme-I do not hesi
tate to say, as for me and mine, let il
be the true husband, the honest
father, the home man-James G..
Blaine.
Further than this, do not believe
the demand for National COnstitu.
lional prohibition is the "best en-
dorsement of prohibition principles"
The prohibition Of the liquor traffic
is not, by either the letter or spirit oi
the constitution, the subject of Ma
tIonal legislation. 1t must come hy
States it can come in no other way.
unless by an armed resistance to law
in the States it should become neces-
sary for the General Government as
war measure to aid the States by
military Intervention. Peaceable rev.
nlutIon according to constitutional
methods must come by State legisla-
tiOn. So also just az prohibition cam
not be carried in a State till con-
siderable number of voters in the
State are themselves prOhibItionists.
so national prohibition cannot be
a practical issue, until considerable
number of States are prohibition
States. When three-quarters of the
States agree the constitution of the
United States may be amended and
national prohibition be the rule Of
the land. 1t is sometimes argued
that the thirteenth amendment abol-
ishing slavery in the States was SUBJ
mitted by Congress before the States
had taken similar action, but we re-
member that at this time there was
SO large majority Of free States that
they controlled the Government, and
carried on a great and terrible war.
The question of slavery on its politi-
cal side was controversy between
States, concerning which the general
government and a national legisla-
tiOn was the only Court of Appeal.
The prohibition Of the liquor traffic
Is not a question between States. but