Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-08-12
EXTRACTS FROM A SPEECH OF JOHN G
WOOLLEY,

EXTRACTS FROM A SPEECH OF JOHN G.
wooLLEY.
Christian citizenship means at least
two hings-Christianity and Citizen
ship. The voting church by trying to
be true to parties, has been untrue to
both. The Christianity that stays in
dirty parties loses its SAVIOR precisely
as the fishes Of Mammoth Cave have
lost their eyes. Politics is average
virtue. The first duty of a Christian
is to raise the average. Because we
have lost sight of that the parties have
been able to disfranchise it to Christi
anity and transmute the power of the
church into saloons.
There are men enough at this con-
vention to stop that now, and we have
no business to ever pass another reso-
luton against the saloon until we have
made up our minds to march out of that
fellowship. Last general election nine
ty five per cent Of Christian men con-
scented to shut their eyes to the saloon
to help one moderate drinker beat an
other to the White House, and yet
that ninety five per cent are continu-
ally asking US to propose something
practical. Wash your hands; that is
practical.
Somebody is sure to say that l have
spoken here in the interest of the Pro.
hibition party. l make you my wit
nesses that l do not. No party owns
me; no party claims me. l speak in
the interest of a clean church, and in
my judgment the very day the church
cuts loose from dirty politics there
will come a new cleavage of voters,
new ideals of citizenship, new meas,
ures of candidates, new meanings of
loyalty, new victories and u new coun-
try, and the Prohibition party will
have done its work and will disappear,
except in its mi clean, noble page of
American history, and there will be
new party either for Christians OF
saloon keepers, for no honest party
a hold both. l speak in the interest
of a robust and vital Christianity, thai
will not be under obligations to saloons,
nor mix with cowardice or lies.
oh, my friends, come up where the
church stands like an im~pregnable for.
tress upon the crown of the rock Of
ages. Come up where the air is better,
the horizon wider, and where in the
skyward silence you can hear God
speaking. Let the unclean parties know
OF you what they know of Francis L.
Clark, John Willis Baer, William
Shaw, WILDER Chapman, Darlington
Booth, Bishop Fitzgerald, Joseph Cook
Do Witt Talmage, and some two hun.
bred and seventy thousand others in
the States alone, and though theil
citizenship go mute and inglorious for
ever for want of a party, their vote
can not be had, on any terms, for 0
man or q party that does not say, in
The platform, Down with the saloon
Join every one of you tonight in tn,
pledge of Habakuk, 81 will stant
upon my watch tower and see wha
God will say unto me-"
THE REsJLT OF THE BALLOT.
The use OF the ballot as an expires
sion of public opinion is the most efrec
tive agency to bring about this mora
revolution, and this is sure to come
the signs of the times are full of en-
couragement. The ballot must be rec
ognized az the reaper and mower b,
which we are to secure the grand har
vest for God and humanity. And th,
fiat of the people will 0 be that 18th,
saloon must 60" will the church and
Its ministers be found leading the PEG
pie In this great moral war? There's q
bright tomorrow ahead of us, and the
church should realize its opportunity to
lead the people in the grand movement
forthe prohibition of this terrible curse,
The clergy of this country are. there.
fore, under a special obligation to com
bine their influence and use their Old,
portunities to enforce or the minds OF
their people the necessity for immediate
effort; they should inspire them with
enthusiasm, and an active faith in a
grand, moral. heroic effort to Danish
the sale of this poison from the commu.
nifty by the only possible means by
which this car be accomplished, that
is. through a political combination of
the people; in which case the whole
business of rum selling could be annihi.
iated In a comparatively short space
of time.
But we must have no half a mems