The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-04

It is contrary to all the teachings of
Christianity to divide the responsibility
and consequences of moral action on the
part of the sexes
Men Who Encourage Intemperance.
We have right to object to the very
way in which men of influence and
means in society cast the weight of their
influence towards intemperance, rather
than away from it. It would be an un-
selfish thing for an organization like the
Topeka club, composed of influential
men in this city, to Danish all liquors
from its house and not provide any for
its entertainments Instead of that, it
insists upon its legal right to have liquor,
and it has it l am not discussing the
legal right of the club to have liquor.
am discussing its moral right which, to
my mind, is far higher and more ex-
acting right than the legal. Does not
every one know that the example and in
fuence of this social organization is
against temperance, rather than for it?
against the enforcement of the law,
rather than for it? The fact remains that
no matter how. the law allows them to
have their liquors, they have it. But the
avenue that wants its liquor, cannot havo
it Is there any difference between
drinking liquor out of cut glass goblet
and out of a common beer mug? as far
as the influence of drinking is concern
ed? May not the influence that goes out
of the fashionable club do more real
harm in the eud than the influence that
goes out of a cheap drinking club? And
why should men who represent
the wealth, culture and standing of
society cast their influence in any degree
towards liquor drinking? Say what we
will of the difference between a select
fashionable expensive organization and
temporary drinking place whose one
object is drinking and nothing else, it
still remains true that the drinking in
the fashionable expensive place is an in
fluence that is constantly working against
the very laws and sentiment we are try
ing as citizens to enforce.
The Leavenworth Banquet.
And in this connection we have right
to object to the same kind of influence
| towards drinking rather than away from
it in the example set by leading citizens
of the state. In the recent banquet held
by the Republicans at Leavenworth, ac-
cording to the report in a local paper:
''ln addition to the above good things,
was an unlimited supply of Mumm's
extra dry and other liquid reshments,"
referring to the menu And one of the
speakers at the banquet, Il man who has
been outspoken against the prohibitOry
! law, is reported to have said: Il fear
that you have not all confined yourselves
| to the hydrant water which Governor
Morrill, was promised have not. This
| scene looks to me as it ought to look in
this fortress of liberty" That is, in other
words, the Republican party, at that
| banquet. the report of which went out all
! over the state, encouraged drinking by
having an unlimited supply of liquor on
| the table and encouraged the enemies
J of the temperance laws to believe that
after all, the demand of the party for
! temperance was not very strong.
and more than that, set the example
| to every boy and young man in
Kansas of drinking liquor. What differ
ence does it make whether it was present
in unlimited quantities and drank at
banquet given in honor of a United
States senator or drank anywhere else SO
far as the influence goes? Is it not all
the more dangerous because sanctioned
by the presence of men who stand high
in the counsels of state and who do not
utter any protest against the custom? 1t
is not alone the place and the sale and
the purchase of liquor that temperance
people object to--lt is the drinking of
liquor Itself that is the curse; and when
the drinking is made feature of fash
ionable clubs and great banquets we have
a right to object on the ground
that such drinking is demoralizing to the
temperance sentiment of the state, the
example is dangerous to all young men,
and all the more so when set before
them by men who occupy leading posi-
tiOns in places of trust and honor. OF
what use is it that we cover our statute
books all over with laws against the sale
of liquor if to indulge our own selfish
appetites we express into our homes and
clubs and banquets the very same stuff
that we forbid the professional saloon
keeper to handle? 1t is all a travesty on
tenn perance and law A sight for angels
to weep over and devils to exult in.
What the Republican Party Asks.
And yet this great Republican party
asks the ministers and church members
to vote for it, and stand by it as the great
moral, law abiding savior of the state of
Kansas 1t asks the decent, virtuous
sober, temperate fathers and mothers tc
stand by and endorse by their presence
and their silence the expenditure o1
hundreds of dollars for intoxicating g
liquor to do honor ~ to United State:
senator at time when hundreds of Kan.
, sas citizens are suffering for lack of fooC
} and fuel and clothing, and some of then
actually with nothing TO eat but corn, a
I know from a letter have recently re
/ ceived myself from western Kansas
, Brethren, in the name of Christ's chris
} tianity, this may be all right, but it look!
, to me as if it was all wrong.
| We have a right to object in genera
$ to any condition of our national life o
, our religious life or our social life tina
is not Christian and pro-pagan. Tn
world is full of things that we have
l right to object to- We are false teacher
1 of Christ if we do not object to oppres
3 sion of the poor by the rich, impure ex
amples set by men of wealth and socia
: standing, unjust discrimination in tn
: matter of representation at the head O
8 our government. For the time ha
= come when poor man can no more be
It come United States senator than h
g can fly to Washington on the promises O
j. politician.) We have a right to OF
J. ject to the contempt thrown upo
9 the appeal by respectable citizens TO