The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-03-06
DIR. Cuyler and The Voice.

party, the Voice, recently published an
editorial arraigning Rev. Theodore l..
Cuyler, the noted temperance worker,
for incor sistency and moral cowardice.
The chief count in its indictment was
the following declaration: Back of
the war no man was more Jealous
against the encroachments of slavery
and more uncompromising than was
DIR. Cuyler. But when the pivotal
moment came, in 1860, at that hour
when it was most essential that every
enemy of slavery should stand like ada
mant, to the surprise and grief of abo-
ltionists, DIR. Cuyler came out in favor
of returning the fugitive slave, and in
favor even of permitting the slave
master to bring his slaves with him on
visits to the North"
This charge the editor attempted to es-
tablish by quoting from speech made
by Theodore Cuyler in Philadelphia in
1860. Unfortunately for the Voice, the
Theodore Cuyler who made this speech
was not the Rev. Theodore l.. Cuyler,
whom the paper was attacking, but the
celebrated Philadelphia lawyer of that
name. DR.. Cuyler at once sent to the
editor denial of this libelous charge,
and of the further accusation that,
when the war broke out, he " swung
back " to the right side and hosted the
stars and stripes over his church. The
editor published the letter in mutt
lated form, emitting the two most inn
portant sentences. No apology was
made for the baseless fabrications con-
corning DIR. Cuyler, and fresh charges
were made, to prove what the editor
termed his working hypothesis " of
the DOCTORS Inconsistency and vacila-
ton.
DR.. Cuyler then sought redress
through the columns of the National
Temperance Advocate and demoishes
his assailants in a strong and incisive
letter, in which is much food for rehec-
ton not only for the editors of the
Voice, but for third party prohibition
lists also. DIR. Cuyler hits out straight
from the shoulder and every blow tells.
After repudiating the charges against
him, he makes the following statement
of the reasons that prevent his allying
himself with the third party: "O
Long observation has taught me that
wherever prohibition has been success
fully enacted, it has not been by sep
arate, distinct temperance party. (2)
| am conscientiously opposed to your
proposal to burden woman with the
trust, duties and responsibilities of the
ballot and of civil office. (3) AS the
president of a non-partisan society
for the promotion of both total absti-
nence and the suppression of the liquor
traffic, l do not feel at liberty to identify
myself with any partisan organization.
Wherever | can hit the drink-devil |
hit him whether the voice of my con-
science agrees with your Voice or not. :"
The temperance platform on which
he stands, and which contains two
planks sound and broad, unwarped by
partisan animosity and sectional strife,
is stated in the following words: 1.-TWO
things are as clear as MONDAY. The
one is that our great vital reform rests,
under God, on the enlightened con-
science of the American people. That
only can be secured by a thorough edu-
cation of the people as to the nature
and perils of strong drink, thorough
education against the drinking customs
that feed the dram-shop, and thorough
education as to the appalling iniquities
of the liquor traffic; for without the
persuasion of the nations conscience,
we can secure no prohibition of the ma
TONS curse. The other truth is that in
the face of our cruel and colossal foe
there should be no internecine conflict
between the honest advocates of our
, reform. If offences come, woe unto
him by whom the offence cometh!"
DR.. Cuyler closes his remarkable de-
Tense by delivering whole volley of
hot shot straight into the prohibition
camp. Gentlemen of the Voice."
3 he declares, after forty-fve years of
5 unselfish, unpaid, and untiring labors
l for our reform, shall not submit to
the crack of any dictatorial whip, OF
, allow you or any men to defame me
. with impunity. will gladly cooperate
: with every union male or female,
t with every order and league and So
ciety or political organization, for the
promotion of our sacred cause; but no
: man shall charge me with treason to
the negroes freedom, or with insulting
n Christian womanhood, or with disloyalty
t to the great temperance enterprise,
without receiving an indignant blow
e on the lips that utter the calumny.