Show TWO GREAT MORAL PLES ix IN a democracy the moral ideas of the i people become crystallized into law the statutes which rule the masses first appear as planks in party parly platforms political leaders whether elected members of legislative assemblies or not are the real en actors of legislation 1 in a a democracy there la is ample opportunity for the the agitation of great ideas hence bence the masses become educated more rapidly than under other forms of government A great idea seldom occurs to a large number of persons at the same time usually an important truth is first shown to one mud mind only the man who first perceives it is wrought upon to communicate muni cate it to his fellows and thou though ti he generally finds them slow to r receive it his zeal is stimulated by the influence of the light which has dawned upon hak mind and he cannot rest without making converts thus the truth is spread the history of the 11 united states contains masy many illustrations of how great ideas have dawned farat upon the minds of individuals tut but later have fired millions millio BS and have beair soledi tied ned into imperishable provisions of law in 1840 the liberty pai party cast votes a showing simply con temp tible in point of numbers in the very next presidential campaign the liberty party vote had bad grown to 60 yet it was not edmed 1 by poll liciana an element of politics worthy of note in 1848 in the third presidential campaign iu in which th the e liberty party had bad taken part under the name of wree boilers Soi leis lers it cast a vote of WO even then the rapid growth of the new party caused no apprehension along the lines of the old ones but in 1880 1860 under the name ot the Rc republican publican party the liberty party ot of aw elected abraham lincoln and within the next nest decade gave liberty to four million slaves and remodeled the american constitution the prohibition party has experienced a growth strikingly like which resulted inthe in the overthrow of slavery though but a few years old and alad com batting the powers of wealth and appetite the strongest est ot of all foes a reformer can contend against it has made phenomenal progress four Fou fourbears rears V ears ago its presidential candidate st john received votes this year its standard bearer gen fisk received it is id estimated the editor of the voe twee tue the national organ of the prohibition party has expressed the belief that nut lor for the tariff issue in the presidential ident ial campaign lust just closed that party would have cast votes for general fisk tens of thou thousands Rands of prohibition ests sas the voice abo relieved in free trade thought that this Bime time they must vote the democratic ticket eket and tens of thousands of protection pro thought themselves called upon just this chii time to the commercial world on this a si deThe 0 6 be atlantic from disaster by voting the republican ticket according to the voice at least eight per cent of the voters of the country favor the abolition of the liquor traffic and at we toe rate of growth the party ha has made during the last few years it will soon lie he able to force its views view upon the statute bloks of every state in the union coupled with Us its enmity to the saloon is the fr friendship lend ship of this party towards woman it believes that the saloon should disappear and that women should enoy enjoy equal rights with men anese are two great truths two moral principles whose inroads upon the sympathies and convictions vict ions of the people cannot be permanently manent ly stayed being truths these principles cannot be destroyed intelligence telli gence and conscience must be subverted among the people in order to prevent great doctrines like these from gaining converts and advocates these two principles of the will we believe ultimately prevail on the american Amerie sn continent the unutterable curse of the liquor traffic will not always we are confident be as now a ruling element in the government of this country nor will woman for many lie decades cades longer be denied the rights which conscience and experience declare she ahe should be allowed to enjoy what troublous times may intervene before such a consummation is attained we will not undertake here to forecast something more terrible than the civil war which await ethe voters of the liberty party in 1840 and which had to bs be passed through before the world saw thirty years later four qt of people lifted from the condition of slaves to that of sovereigns may sweep over the continent before the saloon disappears and women receive their dues daes but these things will be accomplished ultimately |