The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1892-11-04
TALKS PROHIBITION !
CONTINUED from First Page.

il makes which may seem to be a toucn
of the hat TO the moral people of Amer
lea as it passes. 1t is the 18th plank
eve svmpathiZe with all wise and legltl-
mate efforts to lessen and prevent the
evils of intemperance and promote mo-
rality." How can I believe that: NO
one can deny that the suppression OF me
saloon would "lessen the evils OF IN
temperance and promote morality NO
one can deny that some wise and legal
measures might be devised to suppress
the saloon. But the republican party
declines TO consider such measures.
Therefore, as a christian, | would not
vote the republican ticket.
~ Is the democratic platform any bet
ter A candid examination of this doc
ument shows that like the republican
platform it maintains some very sound
views upon some important questions.
But, on the tariff question, it is mere
modification of the republican platform.
it. After finding, as a christian, that
| cannot vote the republican ticket
because it utterly ignores the most i'm
portant question of vital interest to the
country we turn to the democratic plat
form first of all for the issue it makes
on The drink traffic, as the most
important question ever IN American
politics. But there is no one word to
oInu, fbot tho lorncrotin varfr hos on rH
that there is a most nefarious traffic
which is made legal at a cost to the
country of millions and millions of dol
lars, a traffic which pays back only eight
cents on every dollar it costs the
try, and brings back pauperism, crime,
insanity, and sickness past all computa-
ton. And this party which is, perhaps,
very Justly enraged against the Force
BIZ has not one word to say against a
traffic which has its marShals at the poll
ing places and more and more controls
the election returns throughout the
land. This party in the 10 plank of its
platform says 1--WE are opposed to Stump
tuarY laws as an interference with the
individual rights of the CITIZEN" a most
inane expression, as there never has
been a "Sumptuary" law, a law to regu-
late the expenses of citizens for clothing,
food, etc, proposed in this country.
Why should a great party express OPP
position to what never existed and to
what has never even been, and is not
likely ever to be, proposed But if by
this sentence was meant opposition to
laws prohibiting the drink traffic then
here is IA party which frankly tells me to
my face that ! must not vote it's ticket
unless | am willing to renounce Jesus
Christ as my master.
take up the platform of the prohibi-
ton party. Upon reading it over care
fully | discover that whatever opinions
expressed in the other platforms accord
with the ethical teachings of Christ are
retained here. Any christian of either
Of the other parties who is not in favor
of continuing the drink traffic can vote
for this platform, while no christian who
is in favor Of suppressing the drink
'S4' >N4A WV " ia Vi IL UNIV
platforms. Any saloon keeper may vote
indiifercntly for either of the other
platforms, but he could not vote for this;
for its very first utterance concerns the
most important question of political
economy ever submitted to the American
people, and denOunces the infamous
drink traffic in the very tones of the old
Hebrew scriptures, and in phrases that
sound like the crack Of the thongs of the
whip with which Jesus of Nazareth
dashed the mOney-changers from the tenn
pie. Jesus and John and Paul and
Isaiah, if they were American citizens,
and TODD by their utteranccs, could not
vote the republican or democratic ticket
or indorse either platform. If they were
compelled to vote, they would have been
shut up to this third platform.
And |, a simple christian man and
minister, who, for over a half a century
have been teaching christian ethics in
colleges and pulpit, never bringing poll
tics into school or church; |, who am
more than seventy years of age and may
not vote often |, who must vote next
month, here, in my closet, with no per-
sonal interests to serve, have prayerfully
studied my duty, and, without criticism
of the conduct of any other christian,
enter my determination to vote for the
prohibition platform and the prohibition
candidate, and have no misgiving in car
rying this record to the judgment seat of
Christ.
CHAs. +. DEEMS. d. d. LID
New York City.