Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-10-24

The following interesting paper on
the Duty of Christians in Municipal
Elections, wat read by Mrs. ]. B. Dos
ser, to the w. c. T. U. Convention re-
Gently held in Knoxville:
"How shall we secure municipal
temperance legislation How shall
we get our city law makers to under
stand that the Supreme Court Of the
United States Of America declares that
no citizen Of any State, and no citizen
Of the United States has any inherent
right to sell intoxicating drinks. And
again and again the legislatures have
been obliged to admit that prohibition
as a principles and applied to Govern
ment is right and constitutional and
the people have a right to enact and
enforce it.
1t is not tomorrow that our cities
will be in the clutch of the saloon; 1t
is today. We used to hear our fathers
prophecy that II would come: now we
are in it.
President Andrew D. White says that
without the slightest exaggeration and
with very few exceptions the city gov
ernments of the United States are the
very worst in Christendom; the most
expensive and inefficient, and the most
corrupt. In the face of the deliverance
of the United States Supreme Court
that no citizen has any inherent right
to sell intoxicating drinks, where do
they get the rightp 1t is conferred on
them and in more cases the right is
laid on foreigners, not the best but the
worst. The Review of Reviews states
that in Minnesota the period that must
intervene between the landing of a for
eigner and the casting Of his first
American ballot is but four months.
A company of Polish or Italian pau.
pers absolutely illiterate, and Of unde.
sirable morals, may leave their native
country in mid summer and arrive in
Minnesota in time to participate in the
November elections for local, State and
Federal Offices. In various States the
period Of residence is six month, two
months longer than in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, American women, devoted,
intelligent and patriotic and incarna-
tions. of the highest American ideal con.
corning popular rights, and home pro-
lection, stand by ready and willing to
help, but are discrowned and dishon.
ored at the ballot box where saloon
politicians float their myrmidions in
"blocks of FIVE" and enthrone alcohol
with all its evils, under the hated
meshes Of high license" and increased
revenues.
The city Of Chicago responded to the
piteous appeal Of reputable men. who
said we want to try high license. Since
1884 $500 is the fee and that gives the
saloon a purchasing power Of two mil
lions Of dollars annually in city poll
tics. l do not mean that this is di.
rectly paid in, but only that it fixes
the ticket. Since each saloon controls
about twenty votes and Chicago has
about four thousand saloons this set
les the balance of power. After q trial
of four years of high license there was
an increase Of fifty eight per cent. in the
arrests. And what is true of Chicago
is true of other places in proportion.
High license has failed as a police
measure because saloons are no fewer
and no more reputable, and just as
many police are required to keep them
orderly I'm so far as they are 80 kept)
and they violate the law just as they
always did, while unlicensed places
are more numerous than ever. As a
careful student Of them from whom l
quote has said, "The license has be-
come a security Of the soloon keepers
that he has invested 80 much money
and 1t is very little else.
We women do not believe that it
a ever be according to Gods plan of
government for the very best men and
the very worst to march together to
the ballot box and vote the self came
ticket. There is something wrong with
somebody's conscience or perception,
whenever this is done. Our institu-
ton have leaped to this conclusion and
they will never change. No party will
ever do right when you give 1t your
vote when 1t does wrong. Just think
of Christian men praying "Hallowed
be Thy name" and then voting to lie.
galize the liquor traffic by tax or Ii
cense, which causes Gods name 10 be
continually blasphemed, or ''Thy king
dom Gomez. and then voting that Sa-
tan's kingdom 1.-THE s%aloonl may con.
tinue IL they will only pay the price
which politicians have fixed upon
them; ''Thy will be DONE" and then
voting that 1t shall not be none; give
us this day our daily bread" and. then
voting to license that which takes the
bread from thousands Of starving
mothers and helpless children; lead
us not into temptation" and then vot-
ing that the allursments and tempta-
tions of the saloon may 60 on un-
der some form of license. DE
liver us from evil' then voting that
the State and nation shall become q
partner in drawing young men into