Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-20

its temperance republicans by scores,
only five men were there found who
would sign complaints. OF these,
three, to the writer's personal knowl-
edge, had voted for St. John. And
they felt themselves embarrassed in
their efforts bv lack of hearty sup
port from republican officials and cit
liens.
Again, as to the argument that we
are probably wrong because we are
SO small a minority, and SO many OF
the majority are as wise as we are, if
not wiser. Can any one pointsto any
religious, moral, or even political re-
form of great proportions, which was
in the beginning supported by ma
forty? How was it with the Chris
tian religion itself, the Lutheran and
Wesleyan movements, the abolition
of the slave trade, the right of trial
by jury, the duty of total abstinence
from alcoholic liquors, or the cause
of emanci patton for the negro? Were
not all these reforms opposed, and
even ridiculed for years by wise men
of the majority?
Again it is stated, ''as lamenta-
BILE fact that many who become alb
sorbed in the prohibition idea lose
sight of the necessity of resolute eff
forts in the common lines of temper
ance reform" Permit the inquiry,
what does that mean? Does the edit
or of the MONITOR exclude the prohi-
bition idea from the common lines of
temperance reform? If by these COM
mon lines are meant agitation and in
struction promotive of sobriety and
total abstinence, and the formation
and maintenance of temperance soci-
cites of all sorts, the writer is willing
to undertake the task of showing that
third party prohibitionists are as ac-
tive along these lines as any other
class of people in the country.
Finally, a man is criticised. be-
cause, having left the republican for
the prohibition party, he has declar-
ed that he would do anything in his
power to injure the party which he
has discarded. That is very wicked
to be sure, but we venture few sem
fences in his behalf. Candidly, now,
is he any worse than his republican
friends? Is the MONITOR trying to
build up the prohibition party? Was
not the able editorial in which this
criticism occurs written for the eX-
press purpose of injuring the prohi-
bition party? The man above mem
toned is in the MONITOR compared to
to a religious apostate, or to the in
CRATE who kicks his old mother out of
doors because some of his brothers
do not agree with him in politics. Ac-
cepting the MONITORS figure, which
makes the old lady a type of the re-
publican party, we would respectfully
submit one question How much bet
ter would it be for the old lady to
kick her youngest boy out of doors
because he does not agree with his
brothers in politics.? We can assure
the MONITOR that some prohibition
lists, with hearts as true as ever beat
In human breast, however erratlc
their heads, have been made to feel
the toe of the maternal republican
boot. If the republican mother were
fondly nursing the prohibition child
the case would be different since she
is doing her best to chastise it, what
wonder that the infant kicks? That
some persons in the prohibition party
manifest narrow and bitter spirit,
cannot be denied. That some repub-
licans and democrats show a like
spirit is equally true. But why
trouble ourselves over base oppo-
nents, when there be foemen worthy
of our steel? The only way by which
any party can grow and promote its
purposes is by weakening some other
party. Each is in the field seeking to
strengthen itself at the expense of
some other. Even though some pro-
hibitionists declare a purpose to
weaken the republican party as much
as possible, wherein lies the enormity
of such an aim? If that were diaboli-
cal, the attempts of republicans to
pulverize the little third party could
hardly be regarded as angelic. Each
is conscientious, and has little reason
to call the other hard names or in
stitute odious comparisons.
L. p. FRosT.
st. JohnSbuTy, IT., dug. II, 'SS.
---mnp-1z
Rejoinder.