Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-10-19

THANK u. JACKSON
care to be right and do right. and live
up to the law of Christ. If these things
are not true, if the republicans and
people of keOliuE and these other local
tiles in Iowa where the prohibtory law
is not enforced are not the bad. drunken
and unprincipIed people said by the
prohibilionists. then thr latter should
not say what is not true; should not
bear false witness against their neigh
bOrs. But if it is true: if we are whole
populations who have become thus
demoralzed and given over to evil
views and evil doing two duties arise
under the law of Christ: One is that
stones shall not be cast at Us by our
prohibition friends. but they shall
bring one or two Of the brethren in
counsel and show us the evil of our
ways: And the second duty is that of
St Paul's course. who would eat no
meat while the world stood if it made
his brother to offend. If the prohib-
tory law has made "A whole population
to offend in this way and brings them
into this reproach and evil doing then
it is against the law Of Christ to put
this stumbling block in their way. The
prohibition brethren should go without
their prohibitory law while the world
stands ifit does this evil to their
brethren in the cities of Iowa.
But it IS untrue to suy the repub-
licans and people of cities like Keolluk
are whisllyitcs and saloonites and
drunken and upholders of intemper-
ance. The charge that they are is
either thoughtless defamation or
malicious untruth. The neral. re-
ligious. intelligent, upright character
of the people of Kcokull and other
cities of Iowa needs no defense. Their
schools, churches. Sunday schools.
clergy, teachers. organs and organiza-
tions of opinion and conduct. the char
acter and conduct of the citizenship
are III the front rank of modern society
and civilization. Now then. why is it
that these representative communities
of good men and women. with their
clergy. teachers. moral and religious
influences and discernment go so con-
trary to the views and desires of the
prohIbitionists in the prohibition local
tiles? The latter should soberly con-
slider this rather than give way to mere
wanton reviling. There must be some
good cause why the people of different
localities are brought to see the same
things so differently. Do the third
party prohibtionists think that they
as clergymen or their clergy are of a
higher moral and religious character or
have more concern for religion and
morality than the clergymen of these
cities: or that their churches and con-
nj la -,
are alone care for temperance and good
character and right conduct and that
here they do not? Even if any one
secretly cherishes this opinion it Will
become prepOsterous even to himself il
he will say it aloud. But even if the
clergymen and churches and congrega
tions and people here had become de-
moralized as to their religion and mora
character by the operation of the pro
hibitory law they would be en-
titled to a hearing and to the co-opera
ton of all good men and women else
where in removing from them a caus,
that could bring upon them and religion
and morality such reproach and de
moralization. For no right minded
| person would dare maintain law o
| anything else If it demoraliZed the re
| ligious and moral agencies and in
! fluences of communities. Laws ar
but human agencies to do good, and
they do evil and work evil upon tn
supremest religious and moral agencie
of communal life then every one shout
say away with those laws that are thu
hurting right conduct instead of helI
ing it. But there is no demoralizatio
of clergy or churches or the moral an
religious agencies of Keokuk and thes
other localities. They are sane an
rational and right-minded. They III
derstand the ease as it is PRACTICAL
and the clergy and churches, the pre-
hibitionists and temperance people, tn
moral and religious agencies of othe
localities who have not this llnowledg
and experience have no right to disr,
gard the people, and the teachers an
leaders of moral and religious conduC
in these localities where the prohibition
law is not enforced.
Why is there such difference in tn
views and conduct of different localitie
in Iowa as to this matter? For yer
clear and plain reason. The clerg
and the churches cannot subvert til
civil government; prohibitionists an
temperance people cannot do it: the
must all adjust themselves TO it and b
it. The municipality. the TOWNSHIP
the county are tie ultimate factors
civil government in the American sy
tenn and the system of the Englis
speaking people everywhere. II
Judges, grand juries, sheriffs. col
stables, mayors, police, justices. the el
tire machinery of the criminal la
rests solely and supremacy with IL
people of the municipality, the tow
ship and the county. 1t Is Who'll
elective and by the majority That
the way the government of Iowa
made and the government of ever
state in this union. If the people
municipality, township and county wi
J have the prohibitoiy law and enforce
as a criminal law they elect oflicia
and court machinery of that view al
the law is enforced If they do n
want the law thep elect officials al
court machinery that will disregard
and not enforce il and not enforce
and that is the end of the matter. III
law is a local option law in every cou
ty and locality in the state. The pc
pie Of keolxuk and Lee county do n,