Sword and shield. (Clinton, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1885-02-28

sire uellVerance therefrOm. and you
desire for Prohibition shall grow
stronger than the one of party, theI
you will arise, and arm yourself fol
the conflict. Suppose we let ole
parties alone, and make us one
whose chief corner stone shall bt
sobriety, and go out under the oper
sunlight of day to work for this new
party! When we unite the Gordiar
thongs that now bind US to the
chariot of party, when we cease tC
fear the avenging Nemesis, with hel
whip of thongs, then we will be
worthy Of a sublime political future
and it will come. Political and
moral, like religious redemption,
only come Of works. The bigot who
sits down and prays for Goa to do
all his work while he sits still, will
find disappointment. There was a
Brandywine and a Monmouth for
Washington before YorktOwn's glor-
ious day was won. There was a
Gethsemane and Calvary for Jesus
before Paradise opened.
Do we want Prohibition, are we
willing to make a political sacrifice
for it? If so we can get it, but it
will never drop in, in and of itself
If we expect to sail to Prohibition 5
harbor on fowery beds of ease, we
shall be wofully disappointed. We
must bear the cross we would wear
the crown. There is no reward
without sacrifice. If you would
even see Canaan you must suffer the
strife and toll and battle of the will
dernesS. No moral, no religious
power, no suasion will ever put
liquor down here. Our cause must
be sustained not by argument alone,
but by good substantial ballots. To
do this we must love Prohibition
more than politics. A fact must
weigh with us more than a myth.
We must give our whole heart to the
werk. Make Prohibition our rade
mecum, our grand basal rock, our
political fortress and our strength.
There will be a mighty rustic and
STIR when the thing starts. The
thongs of the whlppers-in will be
used very heavily, and hundreds
will go back to Egyptian hesh-pots !;
but the women, God, and all good
angels will be with US. There will
be some who will stand in the breach
and We will be beaten, but out Of
the crushed and broken masses, out
of the debris Of defeat, another host
will arise, that will raise on nigh
the torn banners and bear them on
to victory. Surely the motive is
worth the trial. the goal worthy of
the race. Let politics see the mass
es striving for the holy cause of So
briefly and woman's voice will cheer
us along and the prattling tongue of
childhood urge us on in the work.
Oh, the struggle will be grand
when the whole American people,
with no sectional Rubicons to divide
them, shall rouse the land to fight
the invader at the polls.
Let the masses, then, be educated
to participate in the struggle, let us
not shrink from the conflict in the
hour of trial. Divided, scattered
and isolated as we now are, without
a general gathering watchword, we
can not win. We are but independ-
ent guerilla squads. Thus situated
the politicians care nothing for us.
When interrogated, both candidates
will give us pleasant words, nothing
more. We have no platform. Our
senators and legislators will pass
some wholesome laws, but neither
clerks, sherifs, judges orjuries, care
for us as party, and, consequently,
our laws will lie as dead letters in
the books. If we organize, we at
once secure to ourselves all the pres
tige inseparable from party. We
then have common bond of union
that binds us together, and even
though beaten here and there, we
will be respected as young, grow
ing party, founded upon right and
backed BY the best men and all the
women of the country. Things are
lust going to go right there. The
Prohibitionists are strong enough to
their efforts. All their
little organizations are but so many
camps of instruction, ready for field
work. Let them mobilize these
forces and throw out heavy skir-
mlsh line and feel the enemy's
strength. 1t will be impossible for
him to force our earthworks. The
present is favorable year to begin.
There is no Electoral canvass. Let
us then begin and see whether We
have backbone enough to meet an
issue at the polls, or whether the
terrors Of Egypt will have to be con-
tinued.
No heavy liquor law can be exc
cuted in the State until there is
party there to insist upon its en-
forcement. Our petty conflicts in
town and village will go on until
the necessary numbers are enlisted
and sufFiciency of spinal column
developed to bear the brunt of a
canvass. Our principles sooner or
later must stand or fall at the polls.
We have been praying long
time, let us go now to earnest work
and show our faith by those works.
Let the SWORD AND SHIELD come
forward as a prominent factor in
this new departure, and strike .
glorious blow for home and father