South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-06-23

robber. But how Is the great Horl
of protection by prohibition to b,
accomplished Precisely Ne every
other work. First, procure the met
to do the work ; and then provide
the tools to do 1t with. In other
words, the grand prerequisite II
the election of men to Office who
will sustain and enforce the lave,
and the next thing is TO enact the
laws. The best laws are impotent
if the judicial and executive officers
are not ready TO take hold and ap.
ply them to the evils which they
are designed to remove. Ard here
is seen the absolute necessity of q
prohibition party, not formed for a
day, but for a perpetual power in
the Governments party that will
furnish both the right men to do
the work and the right tools 10 d.
it with. There never was a politi-
cal reform which demanded such
thorough and universal political
organization, national, state and To-
cal, ard the control of all officers IN
the Government, from President
down to Constable, as that of sup
pressing the manufacture, traffic
and importation of intoxicating Ii
quors. Every public officer has a
direct duty 20 perform, or a direct
political power TO exert on the ques-
lion. Yet the friends Of temper
aEee have all along been blunder.
ing and failing with the unwise po-
Icy of procuring prohibition stat
utes and leaving them 10 execute
themselves. Ono of the most I'm.
portant divisions OF our Govern
ment is the judicial, yet how few
estimate Its vast influence IN the
work of prohibition. Yesterday, g
supreme judge took his seat for the
next five years, in the highest court
of the State, who. as l am well in
formed, is addicted to the use Of in
%toxicating drinks. Pass your law
of total prohibition, and how will
he deo.de the question +? No doubt,
he will say it is unconstitutional
that Is, opposed 10 The constitution.
Laughter. And so he will de-
clare it null and void. He was elec-
ted by the Republican party, yet
what Republican voter though: a.
bout the matter, when he voted his
party ticket? Put two more men
Of the same opinions beside him on
the supreme bench, (snd, perhaps,
they are now thore,O and prohibi-
ton in Ohio will be impossible for
years. A notable example of this
short sighted, nay this. utterly
blind and infatuated policy was
witnessed IN the Stale of New
York. In the great prohibition
movement that followed the enact
ment of the law IN Name. the
friends Of the cause in New York
made q mighty and successful effort
to incorporate it's principles in the
statute book OF that State. With
vast expenditure of labor and
means and amid grea. popular ex
element. they carried the State C.
lection and placed IN power q pro-
hlbIlion Governor and Legislature.
The law was enacted by the Legis-
lnturo and approved by the Cover
nor, who stood ready TO execute IT;
but the question of its constitution.
alIty had to pass before the Court
of Appeals, and most of the judges
of that court had been chosen years
before when dram-shops controlled
the elections. The frleLds of the
cause had thought too littls Of this.
They had secured two of the three
great departments of their State
Government but they had ever
looked the third ! In vain was sv-
cry argument urged and every ap-
peal made - that court, In behalf
of humanity and justice. In vain
the clerk of that court, the gifted
and lsmented Harwood, greatly es-
teemed by the judges and aii who
knew him, went to the judges in
private and pleaded with them TO
save the law and thus to save him
and thousands with hun, from the
destroyer /; they declared the law
unconstitutional, and in recording
their decision, he recorded bis own
death sentence. In u few days sf>
Ter he died Of deEirium tremenS.-
That decision from the Court OF
Appeals fell like q thunderbolt on
the cause of prohibition m the En-
pre- State, and crushed II in such
hopeless defeat that it has never
since recovered, and there IL now
lies In the very dust, ~trampled
down by the myrmidons of the
dram-shops. Its friends could moi
wait the slow process of years to
change the political character Of
that court. They had exerted them.
selves in a special effort which had
failed, and they had ne organized
party to sustain them In defeat
AaCJ d~OduuOucu LuO CObAiCt ouu
their power was soon sunk in the
contests of other political PARTIES
The whole history of the temper.
ance movement IN our country de-
monstrates the necessity of a thor.
ough and permanent party organi'
xation to sustain the cause.in veto
ry as well as defeat, and to give j,
a substantial and enduring ascend
cy in the Government.
THE DRAH-sHoP PARTIES.
But we " told 10 trust in the re-
publican and democratic parties Il
abolish the evils of intemperance
Have we not trusted and tried them
long enough? Have we not faith
fully tried the republican party fol
fifteen years and the democratic
party for forty years, in Ohio, anG
what has either of them done t
prohibit the crimes and woes o
the ligusr traffic? Each in turr
has had the power 10 crush it, anc
each has protected and enlarge;
that destroying curse. How car
Ua trust than on thia onasrion /