The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-03-31
w. C.T.U. COLUMN
CONDUCTED BY MRS. NJ. L. HOBBS.
Message TO First Voters.

10 lne young man WllO y doDut
TO cast his first vote: You are to be
congratulated in this, that you are
about to become a vital part of your
government-you are TO become
equal, in an important sense, to any
man in the United States. 4 mill
ionaire, or the greatest orator III your
government, has legally only one
vote. ard in this you are equal to
him or to any man.
You are about 10 become a stock
holder in the United States. On
the Sth day Of November you will
vote that stock for the first time /;
you will inform your government
what YOU want. Among other
questions of greater OF less impor-
tance, you will inform your govern
ment whether or not YOU want sa-
looms.
You can inform your sweet heart
whether or not you favor saloons,
by the smell Of your breath You
can inform your church whether or
not YOU favor saloons, by your
prayers aud talks at prayer meet
Iings. But you must inform your
government at the ballot box. There
is only one political party that i
recognized and working for the over
throw OF the liquor traiiic-that
party is the one whose cause this
paper is advancing. Ask few
saloon keepers, and you will not
lind one who is going to vote the
Prohibition ticket. Both major
parties in this country stand for the
Licensing of saloons, which a GER
tainly protects and sanctions the
saloon business "a licensing school
teachers sanctions and protects
school teaching.
1t is an important question TO
YOU. whether the drink traffic is a
large enough question for political
consideration. If you will make a
thorough investil alton, you will
learn that il is the largest financial
question, the largest moral question
ani consequently the largest politl
cal question, before the American
people.
The late Hon. w. +. Gladstone
the greatest statesman Ct this CEN
tury, declared that the dram shop
destroys more Of the humln family
than war, pestilence and famine.
Our owa United States supreme
court declares that it is the greatest
-ource Of crime, pauperism ana
misery in this fair land OF ours.
Then, nv young friend, Is it not a
sufficiently important question to be
ade the leading issue in political
party?
You are a young man who is nat
lrally incl ned to think ard act Tor
yourself. Why not do this polite
ally? Remember il was the old
party. the big party, that stood for
slavery few years ago in this coun-
try; and your father likely took a
stand for the young Abolition party,
and forced that question TO the
front for political recognition.
Why be bound TO the same polIt
cal party that your father used when
he was young, any more than use
the same instruments To cut your
wheat that he used?
This day requires new political
machinery, as certainly as fsrmlng
and commerce require different
machinery than was used thirty
years ago.
The wiping Of the legalized saloon
from the face of the earth is the
great moral battle OF the coming
century.
Young m IN, we need your help,
and we will never need it so much
as now, when this question is be
ing forced TO the front for righteous
settlement. The liquor power i
Ientrenched in law-and it will re-
quire new political party, like the
anti-saloon voters are helping to
build-to place the law on the right
side. A large part of this work
must bt done by young men, else il
will pever no dome and the saloon
will reign. Can we depend upon
you?
1t is an old and truthful saving
that "Wise men change their minds,
but fools never" We are all wise
men, in many respects. And the
lwiaest man Of all, politically, is th,
lone who ceases to train with hi:
political party when it ceases {,
represent his principles. .-Phalanx