Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-03-30
gtmpsranfe.
Temperance and Politics.

We last week published the Prohibi-
tiOn State Ticket recently nominated at
Delaware, Ohio, by the Prohibition
State Convention. 1t is proposed by
the Temperance men of this State to
thus place the Prohibition issues square,
ly before the people.
We have heretofore taken occasion to
express our opinions very freely in re-
gard TO movement of this character
and propose TO pursue the same course
in the future. We have stated, time
and again, that no good could possibly
result to the cause Of Temperance by
mixing it with the issues of q political
campaign, and we have since seen no
cause to change Onr views in regard to
the matter. The Temperance organiza-
ton of this State can only hope to effect
reform inside of the Republican ranks
or through the means of a Republican
Legislature, and the fact is evident
that fully nine-tenths of the votes cast
for this Prohibition ticket will be by
Republicans, and weakening, to that
extent, of the strength of our party in
this State. Hence it is that the leaders
of this Temperance movement, If they be
sincere in their professions are directly
placing weapon in the hands of their
fdversaries, to destroy the life of their
organization and all hope of permanent
reform. Therefore, the nomination of
this ticket is not only imp0litic at
the present time, but it is also unjust to
the cause of temperance itself.
All true advocates of total abstinence
should think of these matters; calmly
and dispassionately. We believe the
great majority of those who favor this
movement, are earnest and sincere men
men who are convinced of the evils
arising from the terrible curse of the
whisky traffic, and who honestly seek
its abolishment. But among the num-
ber of those who are engineering this
new scheme, there are some dema-
gogues-men whoare actuated solely by
motives of personal ambitien or parti-
zan vindictiveness, and who are but
riding the temperance hobby to sub
serve their own purposes. Let the
true friends of the cause look to 1t there
fore. that they are not betrayed into
the hands of the enemy by these
sswolves i'm sleeps clothing"
The fact Is. we have laws now on the
statute books of the State which, If
properly SlfOfCci3 WoNiU pAh'Ah
all that the most ardent friends of pro-
hibition could desire. The law of last
April will, alone, exterminate every
rum shop in this town and county II
enforced with any kind of vigor. 1t
will take no more, in fact less EFFORT, 10
enforce this law than it would to en-
force a prohibitory enactment, while
the latter, however stringent, would no
more affect the traffic than it would the
tides of the ocean unless enforced.
This is what might be termed prac-
tical Temperance. 1t involves no
scrambling for Office, no political man
aging and caucusing, no Ocompetition IN
that race for official emolument and
public plumber, and leaves no motives
for demagogues to cast Odium on the
cause by perverting it to the accom-
plishment of selfish ends. Then let us
In the future, have more practical and
less theoretical temperance, and If the
friends of the prohibition think 1t ad-
visable to keep up their State organiza-
tion, let them cast in their lot with the
Republican party-a party which alone
has given the cause of temperance n
more hearty support, and whose Leg.
islators have enacted more stringent
law for the suppression. OF the liquor
traffic, than any organization, either
political or prohibitive, that ever ex-
isted in the State of Ohio.-l Athens
Messengers,