The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-01-24
cheeky Prohibltlonists.

| is past, but its incidents will not be
"entirely" forgotten. For number Of
years in the past, when the subject ol
temperance is being considered (which
1t always is) during the week of prayer,
we have been Favored" with an abun.
dant quantity Of advice, as to show" the
Church should conduct itself in refer.
ence to the Temperance question. This
applies to Hillsboro. It may apply to
other localities but whether it does OF
not, the writer cannot say. But we can,
and do cay, that 1t applies here, and to
such an extent that some, at least, oil
the people Of Hillsboro, the members oi
the churches, are becoming just little
restive under present conditions.
Now, the question naturally forces
itself as to the duty" Of the Church in
regard to the temperance question, and
how 1t is endeavoring to discharge that
duty.
Should the attitude of the Church
towards the temperance question be diff.
ferent from that toward any other social
wrong it finds undermining the morals
of the people and neutralizing the teach.
ings OF Christianity Surely not.
Then, If the effort OF the Church in
regard to the suppression of intemper.
ance, is to be on the came line as it is in
regard to theft, falsehood, profanity,
Sabbath breaking, gambling, and all
other evils; on the same moral ground
that of appealing to the better nature
and instincts OF the individual-how is
it that some professed Christians lose
sight Of their Christian duty and clamor
for political methods? It is this "high.
toned" political domineering Of new
methods, to suppress and overcome sin
and evil, instead of the Scriptural
methods, which have been relied on,
(and may still be relied on), for the past
eighteen years, that gives annoyance.
1t certainly 10 humiliating to the average
church member to be told that the
Church has been mistaken in its meth.
DDS, and mislsd in applying them, for
10 these many years. Another humili.
sting feature of this condition to the in.
telligent church member. is that this
discovery" of misapplied effort was
made by politicians. If the "original
discovery" was not made by the polite
ian, certain it is that politician, loses no
opportunity of enlightening the Church
and would in regard to the discovery.
It is the eagerness to "catch" an op.
portunity, in season and out Of season,
in place and out of place, On the part of
politicians, that has produced this res.
tiveness on the part Of some church
members in Hillsbors.
In close connection with this eager
ness to "instruct," not to say dictate,
to the Church, its imperative duty,
comes the thought, but, what If you,
the instructors, are wrong? Such ques.
tions are quite pertinent to the subject.
And, on the true answer much depends.
The Church has passed through many
trials, has had to give up some of its
methods, yes, has had to modify some
of its declarations, but it still stands,
and because of it's Divine authority.
1t may be wrong. We are not one of
those who believe in an infallible Church.
Neither are we of those who believe in
an infallible party. And, if there is
even remote possibility that the en-.
tightening party, the Prohibition party,
is wrong in regard to the method of pro.
noting good morals, not to say consist.
ent Christians, what is to be thought of
the repeated acts of members of that
party, pushing themselves and ideas, on
the attention of Christian gatherings,
and instructing them as to how they
should conduct themselves in regard
to certain issues, yes, more, read the
"riot act" to them, If their instructions
were not strictly followed?
It's cheeky. Taking the most chari.
table view of it, it could not be furnish
ed with a milder name. And, if the
surmise that the Church is right, and
the Prohibition party wrong in it's doc.
trines and demands, then it it is down.
right impudence.
The right of freedom OF speech should
not be lost sight OF, but when a meeting
or meetings are called under the aus.
pices of any organization, and subjects
under consideration are vital, though
familiar to all, any volunteer remarks
antagonistic to the order holding such
meetings, could only be considered in
bad taste. We might illustrate by sup.
posing meeting called for the purpose
OF advancing agricultural knowledge,
and perfecting the organization of
Farmers' Institute, and some eloquent
objector occupying much time by de.
nouncing all shook farming" and sich,
a Republican orator securing the floor in
q Democratic meeting, and vice versa.