River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-05

I EUf tEgI Htttt AltHtc una N0ftCb LttfAu.
(Continued)
As l said, the political aspects of
| the question al by far the most inter
esting and of the most immediate inn
| pOrtance. A discussion of the ques-
tion which should leave out the POI
| litical element would, in these days,
be like the performance of Hamlet
with the principal character left out.
| 1t is generally admitted that the
| question is a political one. although
| you will find now and then an intelli-
gent, conscientious man who holds that
| Il belongs in the moral realm and has
no rightful place in politics. 1t is gener-
| ally admitted by christian people
think, that every enemy of the liquor
traffic, in order TO be a patriotic citi-
zen, must in some way bring his Uote
to bear against it. And here | am
! brought to the next consideration.
4. 4 man is III no condition To pro-
mote the temperance cause much,
who does not put himself in the focus
of light from all quarters. This is
true in "A mans relation to any great
cause. 1t is true in his relation to
every department of the temperance
work, but especially true in the pOliti-
cal department. 1t is exceedingly
difficult for man to adjust his mind
and heart to the various and shifting
light on great questions like this.
And yet it is "A solemn duty. We are
made by things without us to large
| degree.
MAN is what he eats
Man has the ability to put himself
under the power of circumstances
that will make him One-sided: or he
has the ability of putting himself in
circumstances that will make him a
symmetrical man. 1t is true in regard
to his relation 10 any department of
| life. When a great question like the
| temperance question enters politics
| there is great danger that men-good
men-will see and interpret things in
| the light of their prejudices or coward
! ice. or rather that they will be
blinded by prejudice or cowardice.
| Especially is there this danger among
| those who are intellectual, moral and
religious leaders of bodies who are di-
| vided i'm their political affiliations, e.
g. the clergy. Please note: | am not
| here speaking of a mans power of in
| Guencing other men, but of getting
himself right. With some men the
| danger is exceedingly great because
of natural conseryativeness. New
! light is not readily welcome TO some
natures. It is easy to find multitudes
of illustrations of these natures in
| their relation to new and old methods,
new and old systems of education,
new and old theology, and new and
old politics. There is also "a danger
J that men of another temperament will
| not show warm enough side
| to the old. Let me illustrate
what | mean, in the realm of the
question under discussion. know of
Prohibitionists who seemed to be ut
| terly ignorant of the work of the Anti
! Saloon movement headed by Mr.. Grit
| fin. | say man is one-sided man
who has not kept close watch of the
| forces in another party working for
the same end that he seeks, and he is
in that degree disqualified as worker
| for the temperance cause. On the other
| hand, a good friend of mine in this
| state--a ID. D.-who votes the Repub
| lican ticket, when just lately ! asked
| him if he had read the account of the
| late Anti.Saloon convention in n. Y.
replied, that he had not. / hold that
a mans temperance education is Ia
mentally deficient, if he has not read
! the story of that convention. Meth
er this man nor the former is prepared
| to perform the lightest act of a citizen
as it relates to the traffic to say moth
| ing about his political influence other
wise.
One of the citizens cOmmonest ways
| e !. L. i ,na1fvar .,f
only the papers of his own party.
| Verify as man readeth in his political
! paper, so is he.
No man can afford, especially on
| this question, to neglect the careful
| reading of the literature of all sides
of this question even that of the
| liquor dealers. And yet | know of
| Prohibitionists who will not have GER
tain respectable Republican papers in
their houses, and | know man of in
| tegrity and honor, who will not have
| the Voice in his house. Such men, /
repeat, have not qualified themselves
to perform the high act of citizen
! ship in it's relation to the promotion |
of the temperance cause.
My plea then is that we see to it
| that we get into an attitude and posi- |
| ton where light will be focused up |
on us from all quarters. A man may |
| have a wrong conscience, popularity |
so-calleG, because the light has been !
shut out. and when the light within !
| him is darkness, how great is that !
darkness! Paul acted cOnscientiOusly, !
| but he had no business to have that !
| conscience.
5. | would mention next as impor-
tant in the citizens promotion of tenn |
perance and prohibition. especially at |
| this time, courage of conviction. |
| Many a man can be found who has |
| the mature conviction that as pa |
| triotic citizen he has no right to en- |
dorse by his vote any policy of gov
eminent involving completely with |
| the traffic. and yet who has not the |
| courage of his conviction. Such are |
| to be found among all classes of clti- |
Zens, from naen in the employ of the /
section boss to men i'm the employ OF |
| the churches. Ii is a pity that any |
such should be found, but it is thing /
unspeakably pitiful that such should |
| be found among the social, Intellectual, |
moral and religious leaders of the peo- |
pie. | am satisfied that in some degree |
| this lack of courage exists among the |
ministry. Let me say that If any /
great reform ever required courage |
on the part of those who lead men, it |
| is this prohibition movement. And /
! the time will come when the situation |
will be even more trying than now.
So bewildered was one clergyman as |
he faced these prospects, that he pub |
| llcly stated to his people that he had /
decided to have nothing whatever to |
do with the political aspects of the |
question, refusing even to take the re-
sponsibility of citizen by casting his
vote.
And this instance suggests further
/ responsibility.
8. That. resting upon leaders of the |
people, of participating in political
action. If the time has not arrived |
when public sentiment discOunten- |
| ances the idea that ministers should |
not NEEDLE with politics., | hope and |
pray that it will arrive soon. IL min |
| listers, as is common, use their lnhu- |
| ence with reference to social. and ed |
/ ucational and industrial questions, |