The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-10-19
ST. JOHN.

ST. JOHN.
A Housing and Enthusiastic MeefinS in
the opera House.
A very large audience gathered in the
Opera House on Wednesday evening to see
and hear the Hon. John z. st. John. the
Prohibition candidate for the Presidency
in 1884. On the stage with this distin-
guished advocate and worker in the tenn
perance cause were a score or more gen.
tlemen, among them the Rev. \. II. Sem
bower, of Salem, who spoke a few minutes
before introducing Mr.. st. John to the
audience. Mr.. Sembower said We were in
the midst of a wonderful conflict. The
two great political parties that claim to be
the real parties Of the present day are con-
tending about tariff and free trade. This,
to his mind, is a seeming issue. Both parties
propose to reform the tariff and reduce the
duties, but it is more a war of words than
a war of principles. We have an issue that
is not seeming, but real. The old political
parties are in favor of a license for ven
only, but we come for the protection of
homes and to benefit the citizens within
this broad land. 81 am only here said
he. 'sas the preface of a book, and the
shorter the preface the better the book"
He then introduced the speaker, Hon. John.
P. st. John, who held the attention of his
hearers for nearly two hours. Many points
in his speech were humorously illustrated
by stories and incidents, creating peals of
laughter and frequent applause. The
overthrow of the liquor saloon, the speaker
believes, is far more paramount tnan the
question of a high or low tariff. He be-
gan by saying that in conversation with a
stranger he met Oh the train, touching the
question Of prohibition, the stranger took
occasion to remind him that the Prohibit
tionists were in the minority, 'Just as if,
he said. "we didn't find that out in 'S4-"
''But there is one thing l will admit, " re-
marked the stranger, ''and that is probi-
bition is right" And I knew that. Then
the stranger said it was going to stay, and
he remarked further that it is going to
win. And I knew that. And then, re-
marked the man, when IL does win you
bet l will be with you. And l knew that.
Let me put on record q prediction here to-
night in the beginning, and that is ten
years from now this county will give a
majority of ten to one for prohibition. and
you will not have q politician in the county
who will not be claiming that he always
was in tits movement. Good people, the
question with all good thinking, home
loving, patriotic citizens is not whether we
Prohibitionists are in the majority or IN
the minority, but the question is are we
right? If we are right. God is with us:
and if we but perform our duty, in His own
good time He will give the victory to all
the homes of this nation.
If there is any one thing in this life
above all others hard to overcome it is
iunnranoo md prafudico SnpaE from
personal experience. / had them both and
had them bad, too, and no one knows bet
ter than myself how to sympathize with a
Democrat or Republican broken out with
the same disease. You old men remember
how they had it forty years ago during the
ant~i-slavery movement. You remember
very well that il a minister of the gospel
dared to speak against slavery from his
pulpit, he was soon reminded that he Gas
running politics into religion and he was
going to break up the church; and many a
preacher had to pack lis gripsack because
he preached against the institution OF
African slavery. To-day we occasionally
find ministers who are treated in just the
same way because they dare to speak
against the liquor traffic and are charged
with running politics into religion. Posi-
bly, here tonight some real good religious
man will say that st. John is running re-
licion into politics. If the God helps me,
and He has and | thank Him for it, as long
as He lets me live | am going to keep ON
to inject religion into the politics OF
this country.
/ stand here to say that in the history OF
this country there was never a more cor
rupt campaign being carried on than is
being carried on at this very hour. | am
trying to call your attention to the fact
the result of the coming election de-
ponds upon which party succeeds in buying
the most votes. This is humiliating indeed,
but it is true, and you know it. We Pro-
hibitionists are suffering prosecutions like
the Abolitionists in the days of slavery.
said then that any political party that
was too cowardly to antagonize slavery
was not entitled to receive the ballot of
any christian citizen, and that no man
could be a true follower Of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, and cast his vote for
a political party that advocated slavery.
Good people we are confronted to-day by
the slavery of the rum power in this nation
which robs us of shelter, robs us OF bread
and clothing; destroys homes, immortal
souls; robs the home of the boy and de-
stroys the manhood of the nation. To-day
we lack the moral courage to chain this
giant evil-the liquor traffic.
The old parties are abusing themselves. l
don't abuse the saloon-Eeeper. think it
is wrong to pitch into a man who is engag-
ed in a lawful business. The saloon keep
er, morally and socially, is as good as the
saloon he keeps. And the saloon he keeps
is as good as the law which makes it pos
sible for him to keep a saloon; and the law
which makes it possible for him to keep a
home destroying saloon, is just as good as
the political party that passes that kline OF
a law, and that party that passes that kind
Of a law is just as good as the church mem
Der who votes for that kind of a party.
Is it not better to have one great idea
that looks to the protection of your homes