The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-04-04
Talking Against the Saloon and
Voting With it.
RISING sun, MD, April LIST, 1890.

correct although it is difficult task to reply
to the criticisms of a paper in the columns
of that same paper, IS the Editor, like
"Echo," is bound TO have the last word !;
knowing this we will simply make state
ment of facts and not carry the argument
beyond this ISSUE
We feel highly complimented that you
should devote so much of your space to our
entertainment and did the criticism only
reflect On Our lodge we would hold our
peace, but 1t touches the whole of that
noble band of temperance workers known as
the Independent Order of Good Templars.
A great deal Of the work of the order is
accomplished by 'moral suasion," but ii is
not purely moral suasionisl." As there
may be many, like yourself, that are not
familiar with the Good Templar's Platform
I will ask you to publish it as adopted by
the Right Worthy Grand Lodge in 1859,
as follows:
l. Total abstinence from al. intoxicating
liquors as beverage.
2. No license, in any form, or under any
circumstances, for the sale OF liquors to be
used as a beverage.
8. The absolute prohibition of the manufac-
ture, importation, and sale Of intoxicating
liquors for such purposes; prohibition by
the will of the people, exercised in due for
of law, with the penalties deserved for
crime of such enormity.
4. The creation of a healthy public
opinion upon the slbject, by the active dis
semination of truth in all the modes known
to an enlightened philanthropy.
5. The election of good honest men to
administer the laws.
G. Persistence in efforts to save individ-
uals and communities from so dreadful
scourge, against ali forms of opposition and
difficulties, until our success is complete
AMI universal.
The chief points are as follows:
lst. Total Abstinence.
md. No license IN any form.
3ri. The Absolute Prohibition.
4th. The creation of a healthy public
opinion.
9TH. The election of good honest men to
administer the laws.
9th. Persistence.
Isn't there something more than moral
suasirn there: Our members are mostly
Rep iblicans and Democrats, we place no
rn:ione h,tu Co..
the best men. the men, or party that you
think will give us The best temperance laws
whether they he Republicans or Democrats.
We are not a party Of one idea Matmake oil
the noise an do little or no uork, but support
such men as we can, to be consistent with
Unr obligations, those we canLot consistent
ly support we quietly cut off and the result
is known when the votes are counted. We
vote as the whiskey men do, for the men
that are friendly toward our cause, not as
the whiskey men would like us to do, and
as some of our temperance friends do, in a
little noisy party that amounts to nothing,
as was shown when the presen. Prohi oitory
law was carried by maj nifty of over two
hundred, while at the next election there
were not fifty Third Party votes cast in the
whole county.
So you see, Mr.. Editor, we work moral
suasion, and vote efectual temperance votes
and the cause of temperance would have
been much stronger to-day in the United
States, had not SO many temperance people
been led away by disappointed political
trick ,ters, who are dividing our strength
and retarding the temperance work.
Our motto is ''Save the fallen and keep
the young pure and virtuous from ever fall
ing into the snares of the tempter."
We welcome help from whatever source
it may come, but would like our friends to
remember that it was the work of the Sons
Of Temperance, organized in 1912; and the
Good Iemplars organized in 1851, that have
made it possible to obtain Prohibition in as
many states and counties as We now haye
and would advise them to work quietly and
efftctually, and now upon the eve Of a great
National victory over the whiskey trailic,
not be like the old man who hid while his
wife was fighting the bear, when she killed
it come out and say, Betty and me killed
the bear"
We do not mean to say that our Third
Party friends will hide in the midst of the
| fight, but hint to them, that it would he
better to drop that little exclamation Of
sill esteem, 1--WE are the Temperance
Party, we do all the eiiectual work."
The Gains and assumptions of
our defender of the faith" are like
book accounts without assets behind
hem. The cash must be forthcom
ing to make the claims good, Plank
Two of the Platform says: No Ii
cense in any form or under any cir
cumstances." Our commentator
says I'VE vote as he whiskey men
do, for the men friendly to our
cause" The whiskey men always
vote for license, and they vote every
time for old party candidates whose
nomination they have a largv finger
in making, and both old parties de-
clare all the time that they are in