The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-09-24

ing as TO total abstinence, but who
drink to the point of intoxication I;
who, be it in the Executive Mansion,
Or in the palace car, at the family
sideboard or the public bar, de.
family put the bottle TO their neigh
boris lips and make him drunken,
also.
| am no doleful prophet; the odor
If the pessimist is not in all my
garments. By nature and by habit
| see and choose to contemplate the
bright side, and believe that we are
living in the best tenth of the grand
est century the world has seen.
But, with all my optimism, would
be untrue to truth, and unfaithful
to the duty of the hour, if / did not
say that at least on the other side
Of these great lakes the cause OF
Methodism and the cause of Christ
has suffered serious harm because
some among us have been prompt
apologists for lapses OF conduct on
the part of the great, the wealthy
and the powerful, which they would
have just as promptly condemned
on the part of the weak, the mean,
the insignificant. On this great
question let there be no retreat.
Let us stand by the standard, and
advance the flag as far and As fast
as possible. The saloon is against
the church; let the church every
where and always be against the sa-
loon. Let her favor nothing, con-
sent to nothing, accept nothing sat
isfactory to her arch enemy.
1t would be in harmony neither
with my present purpose nor with
the propriety of the occasion TO dis
cuss the question before us from
the standpointlof par isan. | will
not even attempt to tell you, Ep-
worth Leagures, how, party-wise,
your ballot should be cast; but
speaking to you, and through you
to the young men of all the Meth
odisms, it will not be outof keeping
with the hour if, as more exper-
fenced, elder brother, | seek to tell
you some things not to do.
lst. DO not attempt to excuse
yourself from political responsible
ties. The overthrow of the saloon
and the inauguration of civic right
business must come, if at all, through
Christian sentiment dominant in the
politics of the state and nation, and
every Christian citizen should be
willing to bear part.
I'd. Make yourself fast in the
councils of the party with which
you act. Do not leave the running
Of your party machinery to the bad
men of your party organization; for
when evil comes of your party's
policy it will not excuse you that
you failed to take part in its de-
liberations.
3. Do lot consent to the devil 5
maxim that everything is fair in
politics. Remember that nothing
is fair but honor, and honor is al
WAYS fair. Away with the absurd
notion that an honest man can be a
rascal in politics. Show me a man
who lies, cheats, AMI deceiveth in
politics, and will show you in the
same man one who cannot be trust
ed anywhere.
4th. If you find party where
rumsellers are more intlueLtial than
Christian ministers, that is not your
party. II you find a party in which
the worst men are at the front, and
the best men are relegated to the
rear, that can be no place for the
Epworth Leaguers. You must re-
verse the order or leave the ranks.
If you find a party in which no.
bility Of character is at discount,
while cunning commands a premi-
um, look it over carefully and with
suspicion. If you find party in
which man can be too good to be
an available candidate for office,
run against il and run hard. If you
find party into whose ranks you
cannot go with Christ in your heart,
90 elsewhere, for where He cannot
90 with you, YOU cannot 90 in safe
ty without him. II you find a party
upon whose policy and methods
YOU cannot devoutly ask Gods
blessing you must look for another,
and either find it or make II. LII
you find a party that is hurt by the
counsel | give. or would be should
YOU follow such Twice, then you
have found a party that ought to be
hurt, and in the name Of every
thing pure and of good report, let
every young Methodist lay on the
harder and make the sore spot
larger.
And now let me close by saying
that when inebriaty il forgotten
vice, and the saloon an institution
IA