Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-01-11

GtHTIL0 LH slitl i've ttN tlLf IA Nt444=at taaa
rest of my days and work in the >lulHs
for bare living and / could enjoy ir
more than the Thought of plunging into
a fight for the reform of this whisky
ridden citv. It would cost me less But,
like vou. / have been unable to shake
off my responsibility. The answer On
the question What would Jesus doF
in this case leaves me no peace. except
when | say Jesus would have me act
the part Of Christian citizen. Marsh,
as you say, we professional men, min
listers. professors. artists literary men.
scholars. have almost invariably been
political towards We have avoided the
sacred duties Of citizenship either IL
norantly or selfshly. Certainly Jesus
in our age would not do that We can
do no less than take up this cross and
follow him.
These two men walked on in silence
for awhile. Finally President Marsh
said
1--WE do not need to act alone in this
matter With all the men who have
made the promise, we certainly can
have companionship and strength even
of numbers. Let Us organize the Chris
tan forces of Raymond for the battle
against rum and corruption We GER
tainly ought to enter the primaries
with "a force that viii be able to dc
more than utter a protest 1t Is fact
that the saloon element Is cowardly and
easily frightened. in spite Of its law
lessness and corruption. Let Us plan
campaign that will mean something be-
cause it Is organized Righteousness
Jesus would use great wisdom III this
matter He would employ means. he
would make large plans. Let Us do so.
If we bear this cross, let us do it brave
ly, like men.
They talked over the matter a long
time and met again the next day in
Henry Maxwell's study to develop
plans. The city primaries We're calle
for Friday Rumors of strange and un
heard of events to the average citizen
were current in political circles through
out Raymond. The Crawford system Of
balloting for nominations was not In
use in the state, and the primary was
called for public meeting at the court
house.
The citizens of Raymond will never
forget that meeting. 1t was SO unlike
any political meeting ever held in Ray
mori before that there was no attempt
at comparison. The special officers to
be nominated were mayor, city council,
chief of police. city clerk and city
treasurer.
The Evening News in its Saturday
edition gave full account of the pri-
maries, and in an editorial column Ed
ward Norman spoke with a directness
| and conviction that the Christian peo-
pie of Raymond were learning to re-
| spect deeply because 50 evidently sincere
and unselfish. \ part of that editorial
is also part of this history:
cit is safe TO say that never before in
| the history of Raymond was there
! primary like the one in the courthouse
! last night 1t was, first of all, a com
plete surprise to the city politicians,
| who have been in the habit Of carrying
on the affairs Of the city as if they
owned them and every one else was
| simply a tool or a cipher The over
| whclming surprise of the wire puller
last night consisted in the fact that
| large number of the citizens of Ray
mond who have heretofore taken no
! part in the city's affairs entered the pri-
| mary and controlled it, nominating
some of the best men for all the offices
to be filed at the coming election.
at was IA tremendous lesson in good
citizenship. President Marsh of Lincoln
college, who never before entered city
primary and whose face even was not
| known TO many Of the ward politicians,
made one Of the best speeches ever
heard in Raymond. 1t was almost lu-
dicrous to see the faces of the men
who for years have done as they pleased
when President Marsh rose to speak.
Many of them asked Who is heI' The
CONSERVATION deepened as the primary
proceeded and it became evident that
the old time ring of city rulers was out
numbered Henry Maxwell pastor OF
the First church; Milton Wright, Alex
ander Powers Professors Brown. VIII
lard and Park of Lincoln college, Rev.
John West, DIR. George Maine of tho
| Pilgrim church, Dean Ward of the Holy
| Trinity and scores of well known bust
| ness and professional men, most OF them
church members. were present and 10
| did not take long 30 see that they had
| all come with the direct and definite
| purpose of nominating the best men
| possible Most of these men had never
! been seen in IA primary. They were
complete strangers TO the politicians,
but they had evidently proited by the
politicians methods and were able by
, organized and united effort to nominate
the entire ticket
GAS soon as il became plain that the
| primary was ont Of their control the
regular ring withdrew in disgust and
nominated another ticket. The News
simply calls the attention Of all decent
| citizens To the fact that this last ticket
contains the names of whisky men. ana
the line Is distinctly and sharply drawn
between the machine and corrupt city
| government such as we have known
for years. and clean, honest, capable.
businesslike city administration, such
us every good citizen ought 10 want
It is not necessary TO remind the people
of Raymond that the question Of local
option comes up at the election That
will be the most important question
on the ticket The crisis Of our city
affairs has been reached. The issue
Is squarely before us. Shall we con
tinuo the rule of rum and Doodle and
shameless incompctency. or shall we,
as President Marsh said in his noble
| speech. rise as' good citizens and be
gin n new order of things. cleansing
our city of the worst enemy known TO
municipal honesty and doing what lies
in our power 10 do with the ballot-to
purify our civic lifel
"Tho News il positively and without
reservation on tho side of the new
movement We shall henceforth do all
in our power TO drive out the saloon
and destroy it's political strength. We
shall advocate the election of men nom
mated by the majority of citizens met
I'm tho first primary, and we call upon
all Christians. church members and low
ors Of right purity. temperance and
home 20 stand by President Marsh and
the rest of tho citizens who have thus
begun long needed reform in our
city
President Marsh read this editorial
and thanked God for Edward Norman.
At the same time he understood well
enough that every other paper IN Ray
mond was on the other side He did not
misunderstood the importance and seri-