Bridgeton pioneer., 1884-09-25
NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

country, is not believer in the ticket
of st. John and Daniel On the other
hand she favors, for distinct and EN-
phatic reasons, the election of the
National Republican ticket. The let
ter from her pen produced below, is a
well-considered review of the present
political situation as it appears when
viewed from high plane of observa-
tion-that of an earnest, thinking
| Christian woman. Mrs. Foster, a ma
tive of Boston and educated there, but
since her marriage, resident of Iowa,
is one of the ablest if not the ablest
woman in the ranks of the National
Women's Christian Union, an organi-
zation with State organizations in forty
States and nine territories, and an ag-
gregate membership of nearly 200, 900.
To it's members, work for temperance,
or more properly for prohibition, is
religion. Miss Frances Willard, its
president, is a member of the political
prohibitory party, and believes in
political work for prohibition, while
Mrs. Foster believes in constitutional
prohibition, which takes the question
out of politics, as in Iowa, Kansas and
| Maine. Mrs. Foster has been to Buff
| falo, whence her letter was written, to
| learn for herself the truth of the allie
cations against Cleveland, and the re-
suit of her visit is summed up with
epigramatic terseness. She sees that
the election lies between Cleveland, q
man without a home, and Blaine,
''the true husband, the honest father,
the home man. and she is evidently
alarmed lest a strong diversion from
the Republican to the Prohibitionist
ranks, might imperil Blaine's election
and put Cleveland at the head of the
nation.
MRS. FOSTERS LETTER.
BUFFALO, August 81, 1884.
Reu. E. X. Young d. d. Des Moines, Id.:
Ny Dear Friend-My allegiance in
public work is first of all due to the
Women's Christian Temperance Union.
l believe, that as a political organiza-
ton we should be non-partisan in our
attitude toward the political questions
of the day, even toward party prohi-
bition. 1t is my severe conviction,
strengthened by personal knowledge
of the work the country over, that the
overthrow of the liquor traffic will be
soonest accomplished if our organiza-
tions withhold party effort, and give
themselves wholly to the regular lines
of temperance work which have been
developed by Gods providence during
the ten years since the crusade. We
have some twenty-five distinct depart
ments of work under the general divi-
sions, preventive, educational, evan
gelistic, social and legal. These cover
every phase of the question, and afford
the widest scope for the work of our
organization. deprecate greatly the
seeming attempt on the part of some
of our women to ally the National
Women's Christian Temperance Union
with the national prohibition party. I
believe the larger part of our member
ship and of our best advisers deplore
what they consider an unwarranted
and untenable position.
Having been chosen the National
Union Superintendent of the depart
ment of legislative works and petitions,
must keep myself free from partisan
ship. AS an individual | cannot and
donot smother my convictions. Either
James G. Blaine or Grover Cleveland
will be President of these United
States, as between them l do not see
how any Christian voter can hesitate.
Writing as do from this city of Buffalo,
achere Cleueldnd'S home is-1oo, achere he
liues-he has no home-I do not hesitate to
sag, as for me and mine, let 1t be the true
husband. the honest father, the home man
james q. Blaine.
Further than this, do not believe
the demand for national constitutional
prohibition is the "best Endorsement
of prohibition principles The prohi-
bition of the liquor traffic is not, by
either the letter or the spirit of the
constitution, the subject of a national
legislation. 1t must come by States;
it can come in no other way, unless by
an armed resistance to law in the
States, it should become necessary for
the general government as war meas
ure to aid the States by military inter
vention. Peaceable revolution accord
ing to the constitutional methods must
come by State legislation. So also
just as prohibition cannot be carried
in State till considerable number
OF voters In the state are themselves
prohibitionists, so national prohibition
cannot be practical issue until con
siderable number of States agree that
the constitution of the United States
be amended, and national prohibition
be the rule of the land 1t is some
times argued that the thirteenth
amendment, abolishing slavery in the
States, was submitted by Congress be-
fore the States had taken similar State
action. but we remember that at this
time there was so large majority of
free States that they controlled the
government, and carried on great
and terrible war; The question of
slavery on its political side was a con-
troversy between States, concerning
which the general government and
national legislation was the only court
of appeal. The prohibition of the
liquor traffic is not question between
States, but between people of a State,
and national political action is not at
this time the proper court in which to
try this case.
l have taught this doctrine from
ocean to ocean; could l now fail to