Mississippi leader., 1892-08-11
Ii is Time for 1t to Assert Itself
at the Ballot Box.
A Powerful Article on The Sub
ject by DIR. j. Ii. Gambrell.
He Says "No Christian Should
Vote the Democratic
Ticket"
"Old Anti-Sumptuary" Gets Its
Mask Torn Off.

lty IN American pOllJlcS. his nOmlna-
tion was a signal victory over machine
politics. lie is immeasurably above
his party in every respect. Even where
l do not agree with him, admire him.
Having said so much of Grover
Cleveland, reiterate with the force of
solid conviction, that the time has
the Democratic ticket. Why? For
consistency's sake, if nothing else. 1t
is nonsense for a man to pretend to be
a Christian in church and n. devil in
politics. 1t is just that kind of thing
that has brought the religious profes-
.sions of a multitude of men in our
country into deserved contempt. Pious
at the Lords supper; but tricky in
trade, and honest men outside say, 81
would rather take my chances as a
plain sinner than as doubled-f faced
church member"
Now, let US look at this case just as
it is. At the late Mississippi Baptist
State Convention Capt. w. II. Hardy
offered resolutions commencing the
closing of the Worlds Fair on the
Lords day and the exclusion of whisky
from the grounds. seconded the
resolutions and called for rising vote,
which was taken, and it was unanimous.
The Republican Senate had the honor
of engrafting the two Christian fea-
lures on the Worlds Fair appropria-
ton bill. / learned, though have not
seen the vote, that our Senators voted
against them. But any way, the DEM
ocratic House opened the Fair on Sun
day and opened it to whisky. There is
not particle of doubt that this was
done to catch the foreign and the sa-
loon vote.
In plain English, the men who have
with their open Bibles, their Lords
day, their love of home, made this ma
ton great, are now to march under the
whip of unseasoned foreigners with
their mammoth whisky monopoly
Every Christian in Mississippi should
rise up and smash such a party into
irredeem able splinters.
Again, there is not, a Christian de-
nomination in Mississippi that has not
, denounced the liquor traffic as the
chief enemy, of public morals, public
prosperity and domestic tranquility.
This has been done over and over.
The Masonic fraternity has ostracised
the saloon. The Christian conscience
of the public has been enlightened.
Now right in the face of the wreck and
ruin offthe liquor traffic and of the
universal voice of the Christian public,
the Democratic party in convention as
sembled endorses the liquor traffic. If
any one says the anti-sumptuary plank
in the platform of the party doesn't
mean opposition to the destruction of
the liquor traffic, he is very foolish
man, or very dishonest one. 1t means
that the Democratic party is for whis-
ky, that is the short of it. The rotten
plank has not even the merit of being
honestly worded. 1t not only means
to commit the Democratic party to
the liquor traffic; but in the true spirit
of the saloon it employs falsehood to
do it, falsehOod in the very wording
Of the plank.
Now l ask, how can Christian
man help such party to power? My
belief is that Cleveland will be. elected
and there will never be another Re-
publican President after Harrison. |
could explain why, but this is not the
place to do it. What then? Well, a
great party will be in power and above
that party, controlling that party, will be
$4,000 saloon keepers, nearly all of
them foreign born and alien to the
spirit of our country. No Christian
ought to help to enthrone the saloon
in the chief place of power on this con-
tinent, and yet that is what every
Christian who votes the Democratic
ticket does.
No Democratic leader in Mississippi
ought to have the face to ask the
Christian men of this State to vote for
the saloon-dominated party. Baptists,
Methodists, Presbytefians, all in their
solemn assemblies, have declared
against this matchless evil of the age.
When the Democratic party endorses
the saloons, what are we to do? Shall
we vote our religion down? Shall we
vote into power over us that which
every one of us knows is an enemy to
the Sabbath, to the home, to purity in
public and private life, to the souls of
men, to the churches OF Christ, to hu-
manity, to civil freedom, to all good
do not see how any Christian man
who does not deliberately choose to lay
down his fidelity to Heaven can vote
for the Democratic party, led as 1t is |
willing captive to the saloon interest
of the nation. And this is certain, that
if Christians will do their duty in Mis- |
sissippi this fall, there will. be reyolu-
tion, good for the people, wholesome in |
its teaching and very decisive of future
political action in this country When
ever Christians make it plain that no |
political party can commit them to |
the support of the liouor traffic. that |