Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-10-04
TEMPERANCE COLUMN,
EDITED BY JoNEsBoRo W. G. t. L.
THE STORY OF THE TEMPLE OF ETERNAL
JUSTICE.


brave people that a temple should be
built. They laid the foundation on the
%immutable rock of equal rights. Great
blocks of granite principle were put
into place and cemented together with
the precious blood of heroes and pa
triots. Slowly the temple rose in its
majestic proportions, while a world
looked on in wonder. A corps of archi-
tects, with Thomas jefferson at their
head, drew up the plans, and an army
of construction, with George Washing
ton in command, labored night and
day with a trowel in one hand and a
flint lock in the other. The temple was
finished, and amid tears of gratitude
and shouts of triumph it was dedicated
to eternal justice. The oppressed of
every cline were invited to it's, shelter,
and they responded with cheers. Later
on 1T was found that an important pill
lar had been omitted, and a crack that
threatened to part the structure in two
appeared: but the pillar was placed
in position and called the Fifteenth
Amendment. and the crack. which was
called Mason's and Dixon 8 line, there
upon disappeared. The temple of
eternal justice was complete.
But over the portal there had been
inscribed these words as a warning:
Eternal vigilance is the price of lib
erty." While that pillar was being put
into place a horde of parasites had
taken advantage of the general confus-
ion, entered the beautiful temple and
bored their way into the walls. Gradu-
ally and stealthily they began to eat
their way through the mortar that
bound the granite blocks together and
the timbers that helped to support the
superstructure. When the people be-
gan to observe their work, the parasites
protested that they had always been
there, that they were a part of the
original structure, and if they were re-
moved the temple would come down
with a crash. But the temple began to
grow foul. AS these parasites increased
rapidly their excrements began to stain
the beautiful frescoes and to litter up
all the hooks and n Even the
beautiful Goddess of Liberty became
befouled, her garments were stained
and the look of serenity in her face
changed to a foolish leer.
Men became alarmed for the safety
of the temple. The pillar had been
put in place, and the debris caused by
the reconstruction had been cleared
away, and they began to urge the ex
termination of these parasites. But
the men who made a living cleaning
up the temple after the parasites and
removing their stains said unto them
selves: 10, if the parasites be removed,
our living will be taken awayl" There
upon they started a discussion in re.
gard to the fence surrounding the tenn
ple-one party declaring that it was
too high, another declaring that it was
too lcw-and SO excited grew the dis
cussion that all but a few forgot about
the parasites. AS the great beams be.
came worm eaten and the mortar be.
came weak the temple began to sag
and swag. The lines of beauty became
lines of deformitory. Surely, said
many, these parasites are to blame
and they discovered a solution which
was poison to the parasites. They ap.
piled it here and there to test results,
and the parasites st~raightway rolled
over and died. Then said they, let us
apply this solution to the parasites
throughout the temple and save from
destruction the work of our fathers,
lest government by the people and fol
the people perish from the earth. But
the cleaners and sweepers rallied in de.
Tense of their livelihood. With one
voice they declared that the solution
was good for nothing. They bribed
those who were administering it in the
Iowa arcade and the Kansas arcade
and the Maine arcade to dilute the 30,
luton, and to administer it in mild
doses with less effect. And some
shouted out in behalf of the high Ii
cense solution, and some for the Ohio
tax solution, and some for the moral
suasion solution, until the temple was
filled with their din, and the air there.
of with the dust which they kicked up.
Then arose likewise a large number
of men and women who declared that
the trouble was with the architectural
design of the temple. They began to
wrangle over changes in the architec.
ture. Some were for socialistic plans
and some were for single tax plans and
some were for anarchist plans. And 10,
while they wrangled the parasites in
creased and waxed fat and the temple
grew no better very rapidly.
Then was heard a Voice, and it was
the Voice of the Prohibition party, ris-
ing above the din; and spoke as follows.
Men of America, the temple of eternal
justice is being demolished by these
parasites, which are corrupting the
very material out of which the temple
is constructed. What avails it to change
the plans if the material be rotteni
The parasites must be killed and the
temple saved. Ye have administered
your high license solution and your
tax solution and your moral suasion