The Press., 1894-01-11


 the movement may be sort of John the Baptist, and do good work in educating the people it is predestined failure so far as immediate victory is concerned. But when there is practical unanimity and heartiness, combination and concentra- , tion of effort among these same natural leaders, God has so made men and mems minds that there is as certainly predes tined success.
 Such unanimity tells, such work wins, such work saves.
 | In New Britain all the ministers and i churches united and worked heartily to- gether to make the Murphy temperance campaign a success, and the leading citi- zens and business men of the town, with out any apparent break, gave their hearty cooperation. There can be no failure with such union and "God or head.
 3. The great majority of the citizens of this commonwealth, and of this nation, are almost or quite prohibitionists al- ready, and only need to be wrought upon by some wise and strong influence, that does not arouse their prejudices or appar- ently antagonize some of their social, fi- nancial or political interests, to vote in a solid body to outlaw the saloon, As the case now is in most of our communities there are ffrst-the saloon keepers them selves, who want of course to preserve their business, next the men who supply their stock in trade, who rent them their buildings, who do their carrying or re- pairing or who are in any way in their employ. Next, their patrons, who in the absence af any aroused enthusiasm on the subject, are allowing themselves in what they know to be an evil habit. Next the local politicians and office seekers who want the votes of the saloonists and must have the votes of a certain percentage of them or fail of their offices; and next the most of the good citizens of the place who know their respective parties cannot win on a basis of antagonism to the sa- loon and so for the present want to keep things quiet, hoping that sometime, some-
 
 tions, waiting Micawber like, for some thing to turn up that they can vote as they pray. These circumstances create dead lock and the saloon men have the key, scarcely anybody but the saloon men and their direct allies voting on the liquor question as they would like. And inc same way of voting continued perpet- uates the same conditions.
 But let the good people take hold to- gether as they have in New Britain and much of this will be changed and the sa- loon voted down.
 Then let this same best citizenship drop old party lines and unite on a citizens ticket for local issues, and presto-the sa- loon keeper has no following except those directly interested in his trade Enough to be sure, to be very formidable and even decisive when used as a make-weight be- tween the old parties but of no political account when standing alone. Thus will the way be prepared to do the same thing on larger scale in the state and nation, and parties that block the way of progress will disappear before the aroused purpose and the new wisdom of prtriotic citizen ship. The election proves that the aver age voter is almost prohibitionist and it does not make the proposition untrue be- cause he doesn't know it.
 4. Hard times are favorable tc moral reforms and should be made use of to ad- vance them. It is hard to get the ear of a prosperous people on a moral question. The clink of the dollars coming in drowns the cry of suffering humanity. Most men who drink knows that it hurts them and would l be glad to be rid of the habit Most men |