Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-02-02

audible litter from the whole class
made him wish no had kept still.
Nor knowing just how to answer him
Miss Munson said: "What made you
ask the question? Tell me; then, per
haps, | can better answer you"
Because Billy Denning said he lived
on Clark street and only publicans and
democrats lived there"
Now, Clark street was literally lined
with saloons, and here was a question
earnestly asked, from which a practical
lesson might be drawn. Offering a
prayer for wisdom to speak the right
words, she was about to answer when
Marcus continued and still more sur
prised them by his next question:
BILLY said that mates wore the
white ribbon and that they and the
cranks were the only ones that voted
against the saloon. Was Jesus a
crank"
Another litter was heard which was
not confined to the class. Sitting back
of them was a class of young men who
were also listening for the answer.
Miss Munson was silent for a moment
and then said: II do not know that l
can do better, since these questions
have been asked, than to give a practi-
cal talk along the line of living issues.
This little boy has asked if Jesus was a
crank. You all know, even the small
est, that there is nothing good about
the saloon. Its whole business is a
traffic in the bodies and souls of men.
1t takes the food and clothes from chill
dren and leaves them homeless; takes
the last cent from fathers and leaves
their families to starve. There is moth
ing too bad for it to do, and the saloon
pays money for the privilege to do all
this. Remember, pays for the license
to make drunkards of just such boys as
you, as soo as you are old enough"
"Why don t the people refuse to let
them?" asked one.
THAT is just what we want to do.
You know last week was election all
over the country, and the saloon peo-
pie would only vote for such men as
would grant power to sell liquor. Do
you know what a vote means?"
Il do" said Fred Agnew, holding up
his hand, 1T means a ticket with
names on, which you put into a box"
1T means more than that. The
names on the ticket are repi esentatives
of principles, and the ticket you put
into the box represents your views and
counts one In the whole: and if it is on
the side of the saloon, when those
principles win, your individual power
as far as it could be given, stands re-
Elected in every barroom license
throughout the country. A vote is the
expression of a mans conscience and
is a power for good or evil.
Now, the word crank is used as a
term of reproach. But if to be on the
side of right draws reproach, we should
not be discouraged, for the servant is
not above his Master. Cranks and ia
%natics, al they are sometimes called,
are opposed to the saloon, and vote
against it, and they expect to do SO un-
til there is no more liquor made for
drink. Now one of the old parties is
in favor of paying for the privilege of
selling liquors; that is, every mar who
wants the business of selling liquor
must pay five hundred OIL perhaps a
thousand dollars. The other party is
opposed to making any laws against
the traffic, and the cranks, or prohibi-
tionists, want the manufacture of it
for drink to cease entirely. l am one
of the cranks, or fanatics, and l would
like to have every little boy who is on
my side to raise his hand" The hand
of every boy in the class Immediately
went up, nor was that all; three of the
young men in the Bible class behind,
also raised their hands.
The influence did not stop even here.
The parents of every boy in Miss Mum
son s class were interviewed as to their
position on the temperance question,
and nothing short of q satisfactory an
swer as to the way they voted would
satisfy. All the teacher said was told
and many more questions asked than
could be consistently answered.
Said Johnny Myres, in answer to his
fathers excuse that he would vote with
the cranks if they could win, But, pa,
your vote would help, it would count
one, and if all who 60 to church and
Sunday school would vote the right
side, why would not they be the mostt
Then help do right; that is what you
tell me-"
One Of the young men said to Miss
Munson at the close of the school,
"Your talk has opened my eyes to see
the question as l never saw it before.
I will never again have my individual
power reflected in a barroom license
Generous hope is power"
This is Meant for You.