The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-09-02
w. C. T. u. NJ.
BY MRS. NJ L. HOBBS.


high character of the nominees O
the three leadi-s paeties, and men
tioning something of the personal Of
the conventions, giving each theil
lust dues, it discourses of the plat
forms in the following weighty
words, which we commend to the
serious consideration of every pa
triotic and conscientious voter.
Having admitted oandidly and
with gratitude these gratifying feat
lures Of these conventions and then
work, we regret to say that the two
Heading conventions--rhe Republi
can convention sienally and pre-
eminently-ignored the moral issues
(which are the dominant and pre.em-
linent issues in the life OF the ma
ton. Notwithstanding the promi-
nence into which the question OF
lMormonism and polygamy has been
lifted by the presence of Mormon
Apostle in the Senate at Washing
ton, and exposures which were
made of the denominations Of poly
gamy, and the completely Of The
Mormon hierarchy with them the
Republican convention refused the
petition of the women organizations
who asked for a deliverance on this
Question, and maintained a coward
ly silence. Nor was there one word
spoken against intemperance, or con-
corning the prevalence OF vice and
crime, or concerning the duty Of the
nation to use its magnificent school
system for the training OF our chill
dren to be worthy citizens in a Chris
tian nation, or for better marriage
and divorce laws, or concerning NOR
ial qualifications for civil Office, or
concerning the accountability of the
nation to God and the supremacy
of His moral laws, and the fact that
we violate these laws at our peril.
These are the great questions, the
momentous and the urgent ques
tons, pressing at this hour upon
American craftsmanship. Con-
corning all these questions the Re-
publican platform is studiously ST.
lent. Ii does say: "We favor the
settlement of international disputes
by arbitration, but it recognizes no
moral element in this great issue.
1t declares in favor of civil service
reform, but not on moral grounds
1t does favor a congressional in
quiry to ascertain whether the cleo
tive franchise has been unconstitu.
tionally limited in any state, and
demands that representation in Con
gress and the electoral college shall
be proportionately reduced il such il
the case. But this does not commit
the party to any efforts, or declare
any desire, to secure the righting OF
the wrong if wrong shall be found to
exist. 1t only proposes to enforce a
constitutional penalty which the
southern states could readily accept
rather than restore the ballot to the
disiranchised blacks, apenalty hich
having submittedto they would then
claim the right to deal with the
whole question thenceforward in
their own way without suggestion or
Interference from the North, and a
penalty, the enforcement Of which
would be decided political advan-
tage to the Republican party. This
is not the remedy which the ear.
nest friends Of justice rights desire
to see resorted to, and the presence
OF this plank in the Republican
platform does not entitle The Party
Of Human Rights, much less to
revive its claim to be the party Of
moral ideas. "
A great contrast in this respect is /
afforded by the platform Of the pro-
hibition party. 1t opens with this
pregnant declaration OF fundamental
truth; 1.-The Prohibition party,
recognizing that the chief end Of all
government is the establishment of
those principles of righteousness and
Justice that have been revealed toI
man as the will OF the everything
God, and desiring his blessing upon
our national life, -" makes the
following declaration of principles
and purposes. Its utterances on
the question Of he liquor traffic dis.
tinctly recognize the moral evils
which result from it and declare
that "the insignificant public rev.
enues which have accrued from it,
license or regulation have scared the
public conscience against a recogni-
ton of it, iniquity." Among other
questions on which it speaks the
platform declares in favor Of Sin.
ternational arbitration, and that our
nation shouid contribute in every
manner consistent with national dig
nifty to the permanent establishment
OF peace between all nations; for
the reform of our divorce laws, the
final extirpation of polygamy, and
the total overthrow OF the present
shameful system of illegal sanction
of the social evil with its unspeaka-
BILE traffic in girls, by the municipal |