Evening journal., 1894-06-26
THE TIME IS NOT YETI
Prohibition Should Be Put
Alongside Other Reforms.
THE PROHIBITION INTOLERANCE


PoIitics-Men VIII Not Renounce All
Their Principles for Single Issue.
A paper on the Prohibition question,
read by Rev. T. E. Terry, Of ST. Pauls
N. e. Church, at the meeting of the
Ministerial Union, in Association Hail,
yesterday, has ooeasioned considerable
comment. especially that part o. it pub
lished in the EVENING JOURNAL yester
day afternoon. The following extracts
will not be fsvorsbly considered By the
radical Prohibition element but will
commend themselves TO the conservative
temperance men of the city and state:
'Very recently lis tened to the read
inS OF very carefully prepared paper on
the probable benefit of the Evangelical
Temperance Alliance. and as nearly as I
can summarize the work Of the essayist.
he set up q certain doctor Of divinity as
the exponent and champion Of all non
partisan temperance workers, convicted
him, in his own mind, of utter insin
cerity, and with him condemned all who
choose TO work according to the Alliance
methods, even going to the extent Of
making those Of us who believe in using
the laws we have for the protection OF
society and the promotion Of good order,
brigauds aud outlaws, declaring that
our Law and Order Society is a mob
actusted by the same spirit and en-
ploying the same met. ods as the mob
engaged in administering lynch law.
Were it not for the fact that this
brother had made the same statement at
least twice before publicly, and had now
deliberately written this sentiment when
he could look st it and analyza &c, we
might have excused such a deliVerance
on the ground Of hasty preparation or
some such charitable consideration.
but when We have this deliverance as the
result of mature and deliberate thought,
we can only set it down as another illus
tratiOn Of the intOlerant fanaticism that
forms so large share Ia the working
capital Of very many really good aud
sincere Christian people who seem to
think nothing is good that does not
originate with them. and that nothing
is properly done that is not done accord.
ing TO their way of doing things
If Christian temperance work amounts
| to nothing, then whence came the tenn
perance sentiment that is growing all
over our land to dRy2 This sentiment
that has made the Prohibition party
itself possibility; Is il the result Of
education, or Was it by inspiration from
| heayen2 The Prohibtionists are the men
VINO have conscientious scruples on
this question. Who vote for men
Of known temperance sentiments
who may or may not happen 90 be nomi-
mated for Office by tho Prohibition party,
and who dares TO say they do not vote as
they pray2 They are ministers Of the
gospel; they are teachers in the dag and
/ Sunday schools, they are plous parents,
who, under the guidance of enlightened
consciences, are teaching their children
the vices of intompsrance, aud the
/ virtues of sobriety and all that is pure
and good. Ia short, we are all of us who
are thus doing the best we know to pro-
mote the cause Of Prohibition, to that
extent Prohibitionists, and the spirit of
intolerance can rightfully have no place
among us. The question is not whsther
you say 'shibboleth' or 'sibboleth, but It
is this: If thy heart be IS my heart give
me thy hand. A conscientious man is
justified only in doing what his consci.
ence and his best judgment approves,
regardless Of who may approve or con
demn and it is to the united effort ol
such that God will ultimately give the
victory in this matter.
"Now how shall this result be reached
How shall Prohibitionists secure Pro
hibition2 Is it likely we shall gain it by
separating this question from every
other question Of moral roform and
seeking it through a political organiza-
tion representing the single idea of pro
hibitinR the drink traffic, or shall VIZ
more likely succeed by separating it en-
tirely from partisan politics, and putting
it alongside Of every other needed re-
form and seek it's enactment as a mora
reform by all parties. under the form o.
what is known as local option2 All thai
has been done in this matter has beer
done by combining the ideas Of thu
{ temperance league, which is cooperative
evangelical and educational work alonl
with the thoroughly democratic prln
ciple of local option, and for various
reasons this method commends itself Il
our favorable consideration.
If this were the only moral issue upoI
which the conscience Of this natiol
needed toning up, then we might thu
separate It, but how can we close on
eyes to the political corruption tha
permeates our system from the loves
| to the highest Office; how can we forge
Q the moral leprosy that poisons the yer
@ atmosphere Of society how can we L
a Indifferent to the shameful prostitution
d that blights our social life in which on
q State OF Delaware has the dishonorabl
g distinction of making the way to a lif
8 OF shame easier than in any other stat
- In the National Union, aud say there
g nothing demanding attention in thi
a while innocent, thoughtless children al
being decoyed 60 a life Of sin and shame
that leads by the path of present dis
grace to a future and eternal hell
a Not Possible for Party Success.
J. 81 do not believe it possible, in tI
:. present state of human society, ever
IS carry this question to e satisfactory an
g triumphant issue as a separate and di
Il tinct psrty measure. am looking fO
t and hope to see before / die, anoths
.e party that is yet to be born out Of Il
awakened conscience Of our Anne
lean manhood, party that saa
stand for all that is good and pure
d against all that Is wrong, upon who.
= banners shall tbe emblszoned, 'Holine