Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-07-13
"smaII Beer Question:

Let not the Democrats be diverted
from their duty by the small beer questions, and
immaterial issues which will doubtless be tender
ed us at the ensuing election.-PortG1e ISenttTel.
The above is an isolated paragraph selected
from article which appeared in the Sentinel of
the 29th ultimo, and is made text for a short
sermon by one of the correspondents of the Star,
who figures over the signature of UNION. This
one paragraph taken apart from the rest of the
sentence, does not, of course, convey the mean
ing of the editor in the article from which it is
taken. The intention was. to exhort the Demo.
cratic party to faithful and strict adherance to
the we'll established principles of the party, in
dicating that attempt would be made to divert
the Democrats from their tried and we'll defined
policy, by springing new and immaterial questions,
questions upon which there is, and can be no dis
pute regards the several party organizations but
merely as hobby for demagogues and small-fry
political 'tumblers," who are unable to meet the
broad questions upon which party distinctions are
founded; those, who like the horse in the tread
mill, have been turning round and round SO long,
it is impossible for them to walk straight forward.
If the tenor of our former article was misunder-
stood, we hope now to make ourselves sufficiently
explicit, to enable even the comprehension of
UNION to grapple it.
Let it then be understood that we have no war
fare to wage against Temperance men or meas
ures; that we would hail with satisfaction the
passage Of healthy, Democratic temperance laws
| by the State Legislature. That our State or Ma
tional platforms have no ant-temperance provis-
ions that furthermore, Senator and Repre-
sentative in the Legislature, advocated the pas
sage of the law by virtue of which the citizens OF
this village have been able to put stop to liquor
traffic here and which is the subject of the Stars
encomium, under date of July 9th; and while DIR.
Bigelow voted on every occasion with the Maine
Law advocates, Mr.. Gillett voted for law which
proposed to prohibit the manufacture and mporta-
ton of intoxicating drinks. Said he, ''you may
as well punish the man who passes counterfeit
money, and legalize its manufacture, as to permit
the importation and manufacture or ardent spirits
and then prohibit its sale and consumption
We say now, as we wished to be understood
then, that there is no dispute between any of the
political parties on this question. We say now
as we said then, that it is an 'simmaterial issue,
and is only endeavored to be made for politica
capital, by party that has not sufficient merit tt
increase its numbers, so as even to expect success
without stooping 10 tne Hedhest sllataSy -
this end it embraces every new creed that is pro
mulgated; processes itself convert to every hum
bug that disgraces the community; opens wide it
arms to embrace party that is foamerly denounc
} ed as mass of foul and putrid corruption; pro
claiming equal rights to all men of every distnc
ton, it grows eloquent over the GRIEVANCE of tn
banks, because the people have said they shoul
be taxed like themselves avowing in its platform
the doctrine ofequal taxatoni it showers a torren
of denuncaton on law that enforces the collec
ton thereof; in the face of all this, it's organ
abounds with moral reflections and entertain thei
readers with homilies necessary reforms, witt
chaste, yet spicy inuendoes, intending to ntimat
, that Democrats are not devoted to the cause O
humanity and reform, by the use of gentle an
, courteous expressions, such as "base," "sordid,
''hellish,'' and other gentlemanly epithets whic
characterize the christian spirit of the "great re
former" But with these we have nothing to dc
!. we make no complaints, nor recrmnate whe
E such elimination is rendered, it may perhaps be
and we hope is, the mere impulsive effort produl
, ed by disappointed hopes, or undigested dinner
We hope at least that there is no malice.