The Republican journal., 1896-03-26
Catching Birds with Chaff.
No. 6.
THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.


Hate and malice and self-love mar
The notes of triumph with painful jar,
And the hel;Ing angels turn aside
Their sorrcwing faces the same to hide"
Truth and freedom are dear to the
hearts of the American people. Every
thing has been borne for Freedoms sake
in the past and as much would be borne
again We're it necessary. 1t is not always
possible to determine just what is true
and what is false, yet it may safely be
said, that as a people, we are truth desir-
ing and truth seeking.
In temperance work it is especially
needful that the freedom of thought,
which is the birth light of all, and the
decisions of honest judgments, even
though they be defective, be given their
rightful place. There is one fact which
should never be lost sight of in discussing
ways and means of temperance work. 1t
should ever be remembered that the rights
which men claim for themselves belong
likewise to their opponents. 1t would
seem, at least, to be just for us all to re-
member that our opinions are valuable
only as they are logical and pertinent to
| the subject under discussion. Personal
huence we'll meaning men in their efforts
to arrive at truth. Yet, | am safe in say
/ ing that sentiment and feeling have often
been allowed to take the place of sense
and logic. We have sometimes forgotten
that human nature needs to be dealt with
as it is and not as though it were what we
might wish it to be- We have, in tenn
perance work, judged men from our point
of view alone, when justice has demand
ed that their side be carefully considered.
Had we, as temperance men and women
| learned the real needs of those whom we
have wished to help, the reformation of
the world would have been attempted on
different lines of work than have been
pursued. This is not only true of tenn
| perance and temperance workers, but it
is equally true of large part OF the moral
and religious work done in the world. In
the great war which Truth and Freedom
wages" many false moves have been made
and much has been lost thereby. In time
no doubt, the world will learn just how to
deal with the temperance question, but
now ''the helping angels have good
cause for sorrowing over the evil caused
by the hate and malice and self love which
mar the notes of triumph in the worlds
great battle between right and wrong
Has the temperance cause any place in
politics? Most men are willing to admit
that it has to some extent. Very few men
believe that it is possible to settle it by
means of political work. 1t is now my
opinion that the party that stands ready
to do the will of the people in matters
pertaining to temperance, is occupying
the only position warranted by truth and
justice. To enact and enforce such tenn
perance laws as the majority of the citi-
zens demand, is the whole duty of any
political party in this matter If the peo-
pie are wrong in their demands, then they
need to be taught what is right But the
political party which starts in life with the
idea that it can educate the voters up to
its standard is foreordained to an early
death. If this be true, and the past life
of parties will show that it is, it is still
more certain that the citizens of this coun-
try can not be dragged down to the level of
a party which is far beneath their present
plane Of life.
What is the attitude of the Populists
upon the temperance question? What
have their leaders told you? What is the
only inference that can be logically drawn
from their platform and their teaching?
The Omaha platform is silent on this sub
Ject, but Populists have not been slow to
talk about the matter. The plain infer
ence which can justly be drawn from their
attitude on other subjects, is that they be-
lieve in national control. This is support
ed by their utterances. So far, l will not
quarrel with them, for the government has
right to control some things, and the
liquor traffic is one of them. If it can be
pIoNeu ClldU Ullo Ird11C Is q menace
to our country, the government has
right to prohibit it. By train of logical
reasoning, l could readily show that ma
tional control could only mean national
prohibition. But this is not the desire of
the Populists. When you hear me say
that the liquor traffic can be controlled
effectively only when Uncle Sam sits upon
the head of every rum barrel in the land,
you will know that mean he can control
by not allowing the barrel to be tapped
But, when you hear Populist make the
same statement, you will know that he
means for the barrel to be opened and its
contents distributed to the people at first
cost. A gigantic free rum scheme, is it
not? There are men'in the Populist army
who are firm believers in national prohibi-
ton; they have been caught by the sound
of words rather than by the sense thereof |
If it were possible for the general gov
eminent to assume control of the business
affairs of the country; if the nation had
any right to enter into trade for its citi- |
bo, Il, h. I