The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-07-13
NEW ISSUR8S
J Ff0nl Rdy1lEr,S Wefk'l

minT1 dnrin0 n generation. And it Is,
mon thTS situation that the Dem Ocrat-
fr marty founds it's hope of returning
TO partial power. For the new issues
arise, of course, in the Republican
Dartv, which comprises the great body
or independent and progressive men.
and of those who are inspiredaby other
purposes than the possession Of the
spOils merely. The anti-slavery move
ment was not supported by the Demo-
cratic party. The Temperance move
ment, tor the same reason, is not sup
ported by it, and will never divide that
party. The reason is not that the
Democratic party holds that govern
ment has nothing to do with such ques-
tons, as some Democrats, and many
who are not Democrats, honestly
believe, but because the great body of
the ignorant voters belong to that party
and the party policy must be shaped
accordingly; and equal rights and tenn
perance are not agreeable to ignorant
minds.
The new issues, therefore, will spring
from the Republican party, and the
first one, apparently, is to be that OF
temperance. a National Temperance
Convention, with political objects, Is to
meet at Chicago on the 1st OF Septem-
Der. A Temperance Convention will
presently assemble at Syracuse. in this
ton has lately met, almost unanimous
ly laid upon the table the temperance
resolution of the Republican Conven-
ton, and nominated temperance can
didate for Governor. In Massachusetts
it is announced that the election will
turn mainly upon the liquor issue. If
Governor Clatlin should prefer to gotO
Congress, it is supposed that Mr.. Geo.
B. Loring, positive prOhibitionist,
will be nominated by the Republican
party, to avoid a schism upon the ques-
ton, while the freedom OF whisky will
be represented by MIR. John Quincy
Adams.
It would certainly seem to be very
possible that i'll so languid political
year vigorous campaign of the Tenn
perance men, who must be drawn
almost exclusively from tue Republi-
cans. would offer the Democratic party
in Maine better chance OF success
than it has known for many years;
while the nomination of Mr.. Loring
upon strictly prOhibltOry platform in
Massachusetts would for many reasons
make the vote for Mr.. Adams much
more respectable than his former votes.
Mr.. L0ring is an old Democrat; OPP
posed to the war, we believe, until the
second year; a friend and ally of Gems
eral Butler. who is representative for
Mr.. LOriug's district, and gentleman
Butler Republicans, and who prefer the
older contessOrs OF the faith. The SenA-
tOrial election for the successor of Mr..
Wilson will occur during the session of
the next Legislature; and should a de-
ctded majority OF the members prove to
be strict prohibitiOuists, Gen. Butler,
who is a candidate for Mr.. Wilson's
seat, will undoubtedly appear with ex-
cellent effect as II more teetOtal teetOtal-
er than the late lamented Father Ma
thew.
No one who has watched closely since
the end of the war can be surprised by
the prominence which the Temperance
question has assumed in the public
mind OF this country. The progress OF
intemperance Is such as to challenge
the most thoughtful inquiry as to the
proper method of arrestlng it. The
Temperance politicians rest their cause
upon experience and public order.
They point to statistics and to humani-
ty. They appeal to the tax levy and
powerful and persuasive. The right
and prOpriety of license are, they con-
tend, every where conceded; but the
principle of license or regulation in
wolves prohibition; and the degree of
the restraint is merely a question of
expediency to he decided upon careful
The rejOinder is that
laws of every kind always
fail, and that the reform sought by the
party must be achieved by
moral suasiOn that if government
may decree what we shall sell and
eat and drink, it becomes the
most intolerable of despotisms, be
cause in the nature of things there can
be no guarantee that Its prohibi-
tions will be always, or indeed often,
wise; that beginning with prohibiting
beer and wine and spirits, it will pros
coed to prohibit coffee and tea; and that
there will be no security for rocking
chairs and feather beds; that it reverses
the order of civilization by tending 10
sacrifice the individual to the State, and
increases instead of lessening the func-
lions of government.
But to these arguments the practical
OF communities in which
there has been trial OF the two sys-
TENS will furnish a conclusive answer,
If 1t has been found, for instance, in
during the rule of the
most stringent law, that the taxes were
reduced, that the good order of villages
was palpably improved, that the char
acter OF the public interest was height
ened, that hundreds of young men were
saved by the increased difficulties of
gratifying the appetite for liquor, and
hundreds of homes restored, for the
same reason, to cheerfulness and peace,
these facts will be mighty allies of the
new Issue, and perilOuS adversaries to
the theory OF the limitation of govern
lnent.
But there are other considerations
which should be carefully weighed by
every Repu blican who is urged to vote |
exclusively upon this issue. To divide |
The party is to bring the Democrats into |
power. Is the eXigenCy such that the |
public welfare, including the interest |
D! Temperance, will be more benefited |
by the ascendency of that party? The |
platform OF the Maine Republicans de-
clares "that we alphabetically renew our
adhesion to the principles of prohibit
ion and a vigorous enforcement of |
avs to thar end" Ought a Temper
anCe man, under the circumstances, to
abandon party which takes such a
position, and thereby help to give the |
victory to one that denounces all such |
aws7 Could an honest member of the |
party in New York twenty.
three years ago have consistently re.
fused 10 support the Wing or Demo-
cratic party if either OF them had ex-
pressed themselves in corresponding
.erms upon the Slavery question? AS
It WIS, II was evidently doubtful
whether Liberty would gain by the
success o: either party; but can the
same be said of the Temperance move
nent now?