The national prohibitionist. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1907-1911, 1908-06-18

history. 1t has seen a dozen parties stronger
than itself grow up, flourish, die, be buried, and
forgotten, while it holds steadfastly on its Sway
with very few offices in sight, with little or no
immediate prospect of victory, with no eff7el.Hs=
ments or hopes of reward, with the almost con- :
slant pain of being misunderstood and of being
mlsJudged and alienated by friends maligned
abused, lied about, depositng its ballot often to
be thrown out and not even counted its steadfast
devotion to the cause OF humanity, its willingness
10 stand up and be counted alone with God and
righteousness rather than to go with the multi
tude to do evil, its heroic stand with the vcto-
rlous minority on the picket line of the ad-
vancing army of Gods righteousness, its cheer
tulness IN the midst of defeat its star of hope in
darkest midnight, its patient endurance of abuse
and persecution, its aggressive conscience which
has pioneered its way to high ground and held it
to the most consecrated warfare which the world
has witnessed for 1000 years, the high order of
its intelligence and the changeless devotion of
its purpose, its unwngness to file its tongue
to silence upon one question thinking so to help
another, its consent to be divided and disrupted
rather than to admit any other doctrine but the
annlh1lat1on OF the liquor traffic to equal fellow
ship, or to consent for one hour that there was
any other political issue before the American peo-
pie but the death of the saloons-these are some
OF the things which identify the Prohibition party
as the most heroic and unique body of men that
Ids SlOOu lot righteousness since America was
discovered
Such party has come to stay 1t has stood
alone in the darkest hour of midnight, it will not
now run away when dawn appears It has held
to its high purpose when to proclaim the over
throw OF Gambrinus was to incur the jeers of the
multitude; will it waver when it is mot
as lonesome as it used to be?" It believes in
God, in TRUTH in righteousness, in sobriety, in
clean blood, clear brains, honest purpose, and
steady nerve. 1t believes that God reigns and the
saloon must die. And it proposes by the help of
Heaven to be in at the death of the infamous and
accursed thing.
Yet with all of its martyr-ke devotion to the
doctrine of Prohibition which it believes is the
cause of bleeding, suffering, outraged humanity
there is probably not man in the entire organi-~
cation who would not instantly agree that the
Prohibition party as an organization might at
once and forever disappear provided that the
principles of Prohibition were crystallized into
law and enthroned the policy of the nation.
You may disband the party, if you will first
kill the saloon. While the saloon fourishes the
Prohibition party would be ashamed to die.
AS long America protects the saloon to de-
bauch and ruin men, to make paupers, drunk
ards and criminals, the Prohibition party will
continue to be aggressive crusade, a herald
of Gods righteous indignation against the in
famous wrong. 1t will never disband nor break
ranks until it does so at the grave of the Ameri-
can legalized liquor traffic. When the accursed
saloon dies and is buried and goes to the hell
where it belongs, the Prohibition party, dressed
in full regalia proposes to attend the funeral not
as mourners, Tut master of ceremonies, and
to sing above its malodorous carcass:
Gall hail the power of Jesus name!
Let angels PROSTATE fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
And crown Him Lord of all"