The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-08-30
TO PURIFY POLITICS
GOOD CITIZENSHIP LEAGUE OF IN
DIANA ORGANIZED.
An Address to the Public I'm Which
War on the Saloon Element
Is nnounce

as Oil VI q
cation to work for better conditions in poll
tics. was formed yesterday in Masonic
Hall at a meeting which was attended by
about three hundred people. about half of
whom were from this city. The call for
the meeting was sent out several weeks
ago. and IL was more recently announced
from the pulpits Of the churches of this
city. The organization was under the aus
spices Of the religious societies, chief among
which are the Y. p. S. C.. E, Epworth
League, Y. NJ. C. A, Baptist Union,
Brotherhood Of st. Andrew Episcopalian)
and the Knights of Father Mathew (Catho-
lie.) h these societies were largely rep
resented was evident from the great num-
Der who were seen wearing the different
society badges. The Epworth League was
probably the best represented. Among the
audience were many who heretofore have
worked only in the church and not for an
organization that has the semblance of a
political one. Several politicians dropped
in for a few minutes and smiled at the eff
forts OF those assembled. Among those
present were Timothy Nicholson, Of Rich
mond; u. T. Sweeney, of Columbus, former
ly consul-general to Constantinople; Rev.
o. L. Ellis, of Paramount; Charles A. New
lin and Wilson Doan, of Irvington, and
~ NHS 1SCAA l. ACoO -
terrain Church: Rev. j. A. R~ondthaler, Of
the Tabernacle Presbyterian Church,; Rev.
d.. r. Lucas, Of the Central Christian
Church. and t. A. Goodwin. Rev. H. A.
Buchtel. of the Central-avenue NJ. E..
Church, sent a letter stating hat he was
in sympathy with the movement.
Timothy Nicholson, of Richmond, called
the meeting to order at 10:45 o'clock. His
suggestion that Ell f. Ritter, of this city,
act as chairman was unanimously carried.
After Rev. ]. y. Rondthaler asked divine
blessing upon the movement. Mr.. Ritter
spoke, in part, as follows:
Nowhere on the records of Indiana can
the precedent of such a meeting as this
be found. 1t is something new to all the
people because il was never ~emp be-
fore; 1t Is the result of the desire of thou
sands or Indiana'S best citizens TO have
ton OF the laws attended to by the officers
from the State down to the township. The
one evil that overpowerS everything that
has a touch of goodness is liquor. If it
must exist, then let the laws that affect it
be enforced and obeyed, and in case they
The municipal government of this city de-
serves great credit for the way it has en-
so tied to his party that he will vote a
straight ticket every time. The best men
a aoee rarely a 1yra on the s,c Ssme ticket Il @en Io do r fSt
straight ticket always the politicians and
the ring easily get control of the offices.
are forgotten. IL men vote scratch tickets
they get to be independent, the politicians
fall fall and; consequently men Wh9 ga, are tit to
the 5000 votes Of the churches of Indiana
arrayed against the 800 saloon keepers"
l.. o. Ellis, of Paramount, was chosen sec
rotary. by reclamation: After he read the
call of the meeting, Chairman Ritter said:
a persons who are here in response to
that call and who indorse 1t are authorized
to participate in the proceedings of the
On the suggestion of Scion L. Goode, of
this city. a committee on resolutions was
appointed to prepare an address to the
public, the Chair naming the following:
Timothy Nicholson. of Richmond; Scion l..
Goode, John H. Furness and Pleasant
Bond. of this city, and z; T. Sweeney, of
should be made in writing. AS the commit
tee desired considerable time in which to
prepare the resolutions. a recess was taken
the recess dinner was served in the corridor
by members Of the w. c. T. L.
THE PUBLIC ADDRESS.
The afternoon session opened promptly,
and Timothy Nicholson. chairman of the
committee on resolutions, offered the fol-
lowing address to voters OF Indiana:
Reasonable people will have a good rea-
son for everything they do. 1t is unreason-
able TO expect the official affairs OF govern
ment to be properly conducted unless they
are in the hands or men who are honest,
capable and fearless. An upright man can
not afford to be a candidate for an office
unless he intends TO be honest In his can
vass and in office, if elected. The moral
standard of candidates and their official
conduct may, as a rule, be accepted as the
moral standard OF the voters whom they
represent. If evil influences control officers
In the discharge OF official duties, 1t is be-
cause the common voters are either timid,
Indifferent or corrupt. There is nothing
more clearly established by experience in
civil n mir N this ErnVRTn mnnT and rho
governments than that party leadership and
party action must sometimes be ~repudiated
and defeated for the public good. When
ever the worst elements and influences In
society dominate party action in platforms
and nominations, as has been done in In
diana, patriotic citizens cannot be excused
from expressing their condemnation and
from seeking TO avoid the disastrous conse-
quenceS likely TO follow.
1.-The saloon keepers and liquor dealers In
Indiana have formed themselves into an or
ganiZation and announced their intentions
TO control. in their interest. the election Of
officers, legislation and judicial action. rms
organization, by the unstinted use of
money. united action of its members and
corrupting schemers in politics, has secured
an appalling influence. 1t is the open friend
of vice. 1t seeks to mainta IN and promote
the saloon business. with all its attendant
evils, and is a business so disastrous in its
effects upon society that the Christian and
civilized sentiment of the whole land should
be arrayed against Ii.
'"The Supreme Court of the United States
for more than forty years, at divers times,
has recognized the dangerous character and
disastrous work of this business and finally
has declared that the statistics of every
State show a greater amount OF crime
and misery attributable to ardent spirits,
obtained in these retail liquor saloons, than
to any other source
eff the saloon business is what il is de-
clared to be by the highest judicial au-
thOrity, and every intelligent person knows
il is, then the fact is established that Ii Is
the greatest evil that disturbs. distresses
and burdens society. The first and chief
concern of good government should be TO
promote the public welfare by providing re-
lief from the greatest evil and burden
upon society.
Gambling resorts and lawlessness have
had such influences in political affairs and
| the discharge of official duty. that these
| vices stalk at MONDAY. Social evils and
impurity have been tolerated until they
claim public consent. Anarchism has been
| encouraged by the dalliance of political
~demagogues. The corrupting influences of
corporations and trusts are matters of ma
tions of great Importance party leadership
has become a mere agency through which
to defeat the best interests of the whole
people.
TO FIGHT THE SALOONS.
1.-THE saloon business. to which the above
and many other evils have attained. ac-
cepts the rendered lordship. and by the or
ganIzation of the 'Saloon-keepers' Associa-
ton has assumed the offensive, and under
the black flag has issued its proclamation.
declaring that it will. with every man on
its muster rolls, and every dollar in its
treasury, oppose every candidate and sup
ts,l.t 4. T. -.