Evening journal., 1894-06-25
THE LACK OF SINCERITY
Has Dampened the Ardor and
Interest in the Party.
PHARTsEEIsM AND PARrIsANsHIP

Rev. I. Il. Terry Read Paper on the
Temperance Question To-day. In which
lie Paid His Respects TO the Narrow
Mindedness Of the Prohibition Party.
The Ministerial Union met In Associa-
tion Hall this morning, Rev. John
France, OF East Lake and Elsmere
Methodist Episcopal Churches, presid-
ing The attendance was not large, but
quite number Of churches were
represented.
Rev. Il Il. tTerry. Of st. Paul's ME.
Church, read paper on the temperance
question which, while II did not meet the
views OF a number Of ministers present,
was attentively listened to. IL WAS, In
part, as follows;
There Is at least one thing In exist
enoe thRt God did not make, and that
one thing has provoked more opposition
TO the law Of God, and wrought more
misery and ruin among men than any
other agency OF the evil one,
and scarcely need say that
that single thing is alchohol. It's
evil effects on the human race are 80 nu-
merous that / dare not even attempt to
enumerate them. Like death, IL claims
all seasons and all ages for It's own.
THE one word around which all the
temperance sentiment Is revolving and
in which It Is crystslzlng is prohibition.
The churches have made their deliver
ances on this great subject and the key
note Is prohibition. The M. Il.
Church has planted her colors at
the very front declaring that
the traffic In intoxicating liquors
cannot bs legaiized without sin. So,
also, have the Presbyterians. the M e.
South and other organizations.
Working together for the accomplish
ment OF this great purpose and eud are
four great agencies that chiefly repre-
sent the work Of temperance reform.
They are the educational, the
Woman's Christian Temperance Union,
the cooperative evangelical Idea
and the distinctive and independent
political movement, led by what Is
known as the Prohibition party This
party certainly has the proud distinction
Of standing for something, and though
not as large, is certainly as respectable
as any other political organization
among US. and II ths question Is to be
settled as political question then
perhaps this Is the best way to settle Il
But while some may claim that Il is
/
that IL Is moral question, and being
both 10 Is a question whether or not
/ 10 can be properly decided by
an appeal TO partisan politics.
| ProhibitionBis are the men who vote tho
Prohibition ticket Neither do they
throw away their votes because they
vote IN the minority. But the Prohibi-
tlOnists are not all found I'm what
is called the third party. This political
Organization represents only a small part
Of the prohibition sentiment OF our
times. Two things have dRmpened the
ardor that some Of us have once felt aud
the interest we once took in the success
Of this party.
zone thing was the utter lack Of
sincerity on the part Of some OF the
recognized leaders Of the party and the
other is what, for lack OF a better
term 10 describe IT, must call
the extaeme narrow mindedness,
the intense partisanshp, the undisguised
pharlseelsm of a large proportion OF the
rank and file OF the party; that
spirit that denounces as unworthy
lof the name Of temperance
people all who do not think as they
think and vote as they vote, and train
their thoughts down to the narrow
gauge Of their way OF thinking, however
narrow that may be, as IL appears
to other people; the spirit that even de-
nounces the idea of a united effort
among Christian people Of all denomina-
tlons that seeks to promote Christian
temperance sentiment That without
stint or qualification charges Christian
men Of praying fof prohibition aud vot-
ing for the saloon, simply because they
. claim the right to follow their own
Judgment in the exercise Of the
elective franchise. which is the inelien'
{ able right Of every American freeman.
When does any sane man ex
pect to convince another who has
sense enough to decide between right
J aud wrong, and independence Of thought
] enough to think for himself by sucf
methods
He concluded by saying that he had
q very little confidence in the permanenc'
! or durability of any moral reform that
e did not grow directly out Of the Chris
tian church.