Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-07-30

Der how hard and persissently the CID
Wing and Democratic parties labored lpf
years ~ keep the Negro out q politics,
For a long series Of years both OF these
old political organizations would annual
ly resolve and re-resolve against the her.
esy of political agitation upon the slavery
question. This negro question was a
troublesome matter hard thing forpar-
~ leaders to manage. Over and again.
they would in their conventions, declare
IL dead, but The great trouble was, SAM
DO was not dead, and more than all that.
had no notion of dying. For instance,
the election of Franklin Pierce to the
Presidency was declared by both parties
n ..fnal settlement" and yet in only a
few short months following it, the passage
of the Kansas Nebraska bill swept the
lurid fires of slavery agitation Kissing hot
all over the country.
The truth was, the slavery question was
pressing upon the country for more than
forty wears before It's final settlement
under Mr.. l.incoln's administration. 1t
necessarily eecame political issue, and
lis solution could only be brought about
through the agency of political parties.
The attempts of the old Wing and Demo
cratic parties 10 ignore it, led to the for
nation OF n third party organization,
known as the old Liberty" or Free Soil"
party. This party worked for years, OPP
posed and bitterly fought by both of the
old organizations. 1tsleaderS were hunt
ed down and murdered-its meetings bro
ken up by drunken mobs-its presses
smashed up and burned, or thrown into
the rivers; and the inventions of wicked
men and devils were exhausted in theii
attempts to destroy it. And yet it lived
to attend the funeral ceremonies OF both
the old Whig and Democratic parties, and
became ruling power in the land.
\ great political issue, when once fair
" into the arena, can be settled only in
one way viz: byfighiiag Il om to The end.
So il was with the United States Bank
Question-so with Slaycry-so with the
rebellion, and so with rcconStructiOn.-
All these questions were settled through
the agency of political combinations pro
and con BY this time it may he asked.
what has this to do with temperance
Let Us see. Can temperance Dc made
legitimately political question? We
answer. ithaS been made political issue.
But howe The sale of Intoxicating Ii
quers n a beverage can only be suppress
ed by prohibatory laws. Drunkenness rs
crime can only be punished by such en-
actmentS.
For more than fifteen years temperance
has been a question in politics in this State.
In 1885. the Democratic party made Dis
tiuct issue upon prohibition, That party
has been emphaticallys "rnm' party ever
nce,-Steadily opposing all legal reform
in that direction,-tighting against prohi
bi,iou. both in and out OF the Legislature.
That party in Maine stands there to-day.
Standing upon the other side of the queS-
ton, the Republican party, rs a political
organization, has given Us all the law we
have favoring prohibition; and notwith-
standing we had rum drinkers and rum
sympathizerS, too many of them in the
party all the way along. il distinctly made
proh,5j:ioR and he rigorous enforcement
Or proht5i;ory larS prominent plank in
IL platform a, it, last State Convention.
To be more general, We think We have
good authority for saving that n Hcw era
is now dawning upon the temperance
question, rs a political issue. There Is
now. really, no grea, national question
outside the matter Of fHaare before the
American people All the old dividing
lines. separating political parties, have
become nearly obli,eratcd lay final settle
meut. Intemperancc is a terrible Scourge
IN c'ii OF gigantic proportions, spread
ing Is direiUi influence all over the coun-
Try Now that slavery is abolished, it is
tie great evil of the land Good men all
over the country are determined to Crap
pie with il. Temperance men are com
bining and marshAling their forces, and
preparing TO meet the foe in battle array.
Aud they do not propose 10 contine their
labors TO State action. They intend 10
combine against incompetence rs a ma
GoBal evil Both Houses of Congress
must be- purged of their drunken men,
bers. The Saulburys and McDougalls
must he driven out and sober men put in
their places. Temperance men are de-
termined that Congress shall not always
be disgraced by men who can be bought
up by the whiskey rings; men Of homes
" and integrity must take their places.
And they will not be content with State
legislation. Congress, by the force Of
public opinion, must be made to legislate
against iutemperance. In word. there
i TO be general movement along the
whole line" and the foe i to be attacked
wherever found. Say what you will, this
battle cannot successfully be fought out
without VOTES IF existing political par
ties will lend their agencies to this work,
the temperance men will gladly fight
through them; if not, then new nation
al party will in time spring up-upon this
platform. For 4 time it will be laughed
at ridiculed and jeered; but like the old
Liberty and Free Soil party, it will in the
end become mountain and fill the