Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-04
SIGNIFICANT INCIDENTS.

The Chicago Advance, the organ OF
the Congregational church in the west,
| N its report of the ministers, meeting in
| that city last week gave some suggestive
points indicating the trend of sentiment
among the clergy of that usually very
| conservative body touching matters po-
| litical. We make few extracts from
the proceedings as illustrative of the
| deep interest that is felt and being man
ifested by the religious portion OF the
community at large for the outcome Of
| the issues involved in the present strug-
gle for supremacy between the two great
parties, representing as they do the ad-
vancement or the reverse Of the practical
christianity in this country:
The topic of the morning was, "the
| present aspect of the temperance ques-
| tion." 1t is hardly necessary to say that
| the discussion which followed was lively.
When body of ministers strike upon
such question they talk as if the foun-
tains of the moral deep had broken up.
On ethical issues ministers have mighty
convictions. But the surprise Of the dis
cussion was the marked change of senu-
the earlier part of the year. All the
brethren weres.off the fence and they had
gotten down on the Republican side,
and the tide Of sentiment went that way.
But there was minority who stood up
for the Prohibition party with manly
courage which commanded much re-
spect. The best feature of the discus
sion was the good nature and kindly
|
| DR.. Goodwin looked upon intem-
perance as part of the sin of the world,
and it can only be uprooted by gospel
power. As to the political aspects of the
| question, he thought it would be long
| time before he would vote even Indirect
| iy to put the Democratic party III power.
war struggle to do that just yet. The
doctors declaration. gave the meeting
the appearance of a Methodist gathering.
Among the numerous expressions of
other speakers, one thought that ''prohi-
bition should not mean the prohibition
of the Republican party" Another
wished that the Republican platform
were better, but as it was it certaily in
Dictated an advance.
Otilclo ISIcIIcu W tlc piOSiCoo iieleiO
in Massachusetts and in New York,
where the temperance question is the
most prominent state issue. Several
speakers emphasized the point that SO
much dependence upon legal methods
produces moral apathy. Another said
the question is this: "Of the two men
who can be elected, one is a temperance
man. q Christian, honored and respected
in the church of which he is member:
the other is not temperance man and
not /. Christian; which shall we elect%
x
Those who advocated the claims of the
Third party dwelt upon the fact that the
Republican party could not be relied
upon because it coptained large foreign
element, whose vote is necessary, and
which will not sustain a temperance
movement. Thus the discussion ran on
until long after the board of trade clock
had rung out twelve, and when it was
all over most of the ministers went away
with the feeling that if there has been
such a stitching up as this all along the
Republican lines there will certainly be
a temperance man in the white house
after the 4th of March next.