The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-09-08

Alliance was organized in this State.
The plan of its organization, as | under
stand it, was that Churches, Sunday
Schools, Temperance societies and other
similar societies were authorized to select
and send delegates To State Conventions
to forward temperance work only. This
was most laudable object and in carry
ing out this work politics were to be
totally ignored. The Maryland State
Alliance over and over again declared its
non partizan character. That 1T vas a
body composed of men and women in
spred by one common object-the good
of their fellow men ill The Punishment of
Intoxicating liquors from the State and
the absolute prohibition of their manu-
facture and sale. This was high and
humane motive. l think every good cit
izen should have helped in this work and
should do so now. If the object for
tor which the alliance was formed had
been regarded and kept in view, much
good would have been accomplished. For
a few years the meetings of the alliance
were looked forward to with pleasure by
maLy sincere workers in the temperance
cause. 1t was State organization that
shared my individual support and respect,
so long as it remained such. But unfor-
tunately it contained members who were
ambitious to have the State Alliance as
sumo political character, and it soon
became apparent that it was to be merged
into and became part OF a national
of presidential candidates. This has been
practically done, the old organization has
been merged into the new. As Temper
ance Republican fully as aggressive in
my sentiments towards the common
enemy-rum-as the most advanced
third party man, yet | cannot without
FORGETTING my political tenets, at this time
involving most important national issue,
that of protection to our whole American
industrial system, be transformed into
Reao party man. AS one of the people
favoring every practical measure proposed
by prohibtionists for the extinction of the
whiskey evil, | am Lot prepared to be
method simply because, as Temperance
Republican, | can only become IN fact a
helper of the Democratic party which,
in every state of the Union, has denounced
sumptuary laws and advocated personal
liberty associations, which mean endless
hostility to any restrictive Legislation on
the whiskey question. Now outside
of the question of prohibition in
volved in the third party movement to
effect any result at all as such it must
assume political shape. That is it must
be organized as a party. Now in this
phase of the question l am opposed to
bringing it into the church. We have in
this country, or at least are supposed to
have, complete divorce of church and
state. Yet what must be the final result
if the Christian church in any branch of
it should, as an organization, be identi-
fed with political organization or party?
Suppose Gen. Fisk should be by some
sudden revolution of sentiment for in
stance, elected president with the entire
patronage of the Government at his dis
posal. The tendency would be right
away to convert the entire Methodist
Church if not into an army of office
holders, certainly into one of Office
seekers. | do not say all Methodists
would become such, but 1 do say the
effect would be to inoculate the member
ship of that, in my opinion, grand religi- |
GUS denomination with the virus of
partnership.
Now l saw the primary meetings of
the third party held in the Methodist
Church of this town North East) and
that too on the Sabbath day. l think the
Methodists should have seen by the NOM |
ination of Mr., St. John four years ago,
what the political drift of the third party |
meant and should have cut loose from it.
At the General Conference last spring,
composed of bishops, preachers and lay
delegates, General Fisk was endorsed as
candidate of the third party and the
only conclusion / can come to is that the
leaders of the third party look to that
church for large support for their ticket.
These same leaders may see a faint ray
of hope of gaining ascendancy through
e., 10 Thu iIaa of Ir,n
the women of America into the arena of
practical politics either through the
medium of temperance or any ether good
cause is not pleasant to contemplate.
Now as to deceit and treachery refer
red to by the contributor to the Star, |
agree with him that when men act from
high motives no honorable man i'm
putes unworthy motives to them. But
when man blooms" temperance and
St. John on every day of the year except
election day. and on that day goes to the
polls with ST. John ticket in one hand
and Cleveland ticket in the other and
secretly votes the latter, then chides
other temperance men for not acting
consistently,as he did and finally anchors
in a snug political office under Mr.. Cleve-
land, honorable men will question motives.
Now, in my opinion, prohibition is
state not national issue and must be
secured through state legislation after
public sentiment has been created favor.
able to it. Otherwise it is a delusion and
a mockery. This being my opinion l do
not see what state work can be done
half so effectively through a national or
ganization as 1t can be done through
state organizations. In Other words
believe the third party movement is in
the wrong field to accomplish grand
results. Such results can only be expected
by eliminating politics from the issue
and by avoiding antagonisms with either
| of the political parties. This has been
the history of temperance reform in Cecil
| county We never did secure local option
until we got the question outside OF local
politics and the conditions are The same
everywhere else.
A TEMPERANCE REPUBLICAN.