Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-24
POSITION OF THE RECHAD|TES
PAST HIGH CHIEF RULER ON
LOCAL ISSUE.
Declares Order Is Pledged to Moral
Suasion in Campaign Against
Drink Evil

Mr.. John e. Moore. past high chief ruler
of the order OF Rechabites. takes issue
with the declaration in The Star yester-
day. as made by High Chief Ruler Nowles
Of the same organization. that there is no
foundation for the report that members of
the Recha bites are opposed to forcing the
order into the local prohibition crusade
Mr.. Moore SAYS: 1T is to be regretted
that a question about which there should
have been no controversy from Rechab-
tie standpoint should have TO be de-
bated in public. but l must stand by the
sentiments expressed by "a leading Rech-
abite.' as published in Tuesdays Star
1T did not strike me that in his state
ment to The Star the prominent Rechab-
itc' assaled the order or its present sd-
minstration in any way. but. presented IN
a forceful and truthful form. what is IN
doubtedly a cardinal principle of the
order. reclamation from drink by moral
SuaSion.'
Nor did it appear that lie accused any
tents of the order with thoughts OF seces-
sion from its ranks. but merely stated a
fact very generally mooted at present or
the formation OF a new body. with new
constitution and ritual. to be modelled
along up-to-date lines. 10 suit American
conditions.
1T is not correct that the tents referred
to populated and denounced the state
mentS made at their next meetings. as Is
claimed. In reference to the pledge as
sumed when joining the order not TO
countenance the manu- acture or sa OF
Intoxicating liquor which High Chief
Ruler Vowles quotes. he omits the qualify
ing clause which says in all suitable
ways and many Rechabites do not con
cur in the order whole saying that
prohibition is suitable way.
Would Vote Prohibition Ticket.
There is not Rechabite in the Dis
trict of Columbia. myself included, who
would not vote the prohibition ticket were
the issue thrust upon him. hut we do oo-
ject to taking the order into the prohibi-
ton crusade.
LAS a member of the High Tent and a
past head of the organization. | do not
see wherein the organization committed
itself to prohibition al its last annuai
session at Newport News.
at is claimed that a clause contained In
the annual address of High Chief Ruler
Cordell authorized the Rechabites OF the
District of Columbia to join in the pro-
hibition movement but forbade the Hecn-
abites in the states from participating III
any prohibition campaign.
No sane organization could tnink OF
such a paradoXical and absurd policy.
Mr.. Moore then referred to the address
of High Chief Ruler Cordell at Zanes-
VILE. ONO. lie lilSu Clliei - puo'co
as having then said:
This organization was established In
the United States fourteen years Detore
thu republican party and tWenty-seVen
years before the prohibition party. and its
influence for total abstinence and proh1pl-
ton along moral suasion lines probably
has exceeded that of any other organ!za-
ton in American history.
Hence we should continue TO steer
clear of political prohibition. and not al
10 ha RI
movement that would jeopardize the So
briefly Of a single one of our members.
I'VE should be thankful and continue
our fight along moral Suasion lines until
North America shall be free as result
of our teachings.
This address Mr.. Moore states. was
adopted and Endorsed by the High Tent
at GAINESVILLE. and expresses the policy of
tho Order OF Rechabtes for the past
siXty-five years.
Letter to Mr.. Ewin Quoted.
at the same session the committee
on the state o. the order. of which Mr..
James T. Rolf was chairman recon-
mended that a letter be sent to MFR. James
L. Ewin. which letter was approved by
High Chief Ruler Corden. It was in part
as follows:
Your invitation to the High Tent In
dependent Order of Rechabites. that they
appoint ten delegates to your convention.
which convenes in St. Louis November 49,
has been considered by our body. ] have
been instructed to inform you that we
decline the request for the following
reasons:
We believe the progress Of the tenn
perance cause is due to an uprising
among the people. an awakening
! to the evils which come from the drink
t.l~ bot M aff
is the result of better home life among
our citizenship. which has been brought
about by moral suasion through the menu
bershio in churches Epworth Leagues.
Christian Endeavor societies. Good Tenn
p!as w. c. T. l.. Masons and Rech-
abites.
we do not believe as an organiza
ton that any permanent good. any ad-
vancement can be made by attacking the
saloOnkeeper, or the saloon. by closing
up Bill Smiths saloon on one side of the
street and permitting John Jones to dou-
BILE his receipts on tie other side.
I'VE believe that YOU have commenced
at the wrong end of the question. The
drink We want to convince the man in
front of the bar that he is doing wrong:
bthat he is committing; crime against
his God his country. his family and him
self by destroying his life by indulgence in
strong drink but I'm order to do that We
do not find II necessary to abuse the
men whose business il is to accommodate
those who persist in drinking.
We make this counter proposition: II
YOU will name one delegate from each of
the organizations represented in Your body
TO our next High Tent session. and they
will organize a tent of or ordcr in their
neighborhoods and the temperance cause
does rot advance more within one year
than il has during the past five. We will
be willing to try the project of closing
saloons which are only run in compliance
with the demands Of public sentiment
Regarded as Corroborative.
The above matter needs no comment
from me- continued Mr.. Moore. 1t is,
however complete confederation Of the
statements of the leading Rechabite
published last Tuesday In The Star. and
| is in complete accord with the policy
pursued by the order for the past sixty
| five years. and places the effort to carry
the organization into the prohibition
| movement in very ridiculous light. TO
those conversant with the matter.
| 1T is also very apparent to the casual
observer that the prohibition leaders in
| the District doubt the sincerity of the
Recha bites in their sudden and aStonish-
| ing change of front. as Is evidenced from
| the ia ct that although Rechabite speakers
have been present at prohibition meetings
they have not been invited to make adj
| dresses and have been seemingly ig-