Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-11-12
From the Chicago Tribune.
Prohibition a Ruinous Policy.

In casting about for the causes Of the
recent defeat of the Republican party, the
man who keeps his eyes open will not be
long in finding one which has contributed
as much rs all other agencies combined
to the success of the Democracy, and that
cause is tie mOnstrous absurdity Of Pro-
hibltiOn. More than third-term prattle,
more than Butlerism, more than Press
Gag and Credit Mobilier Jobs and San
born contracts more than Gangerism or
any other ISM, Prohibition has steadily
land swiftly wrought the defeat ofthe Re
publican party, and placed its opponents
IN power in every Stale where it was made
a political issue lis mischievous infiu-
ences commenced in the October cleo
tions For some time previous, the States
OF Ohio aud Indiana had been the centre
OF the most active efforts of the Prohibit
tionists, which resolved themselves into
the shape OF woman crusadeS, and were
attended with the most reckless invasions
OF private rights Taking advantage of
the temporary popular excitement and the
t;mi1ity of the Republican leaders not
only bated their agitation upon moral but
political grounds, ard gave the Republi-
can party to understand that if Prohibi
tioa were not indorsed in its platforms,
they would withdraw and form third
party Taking advice OF their fears, il
was done, and the process Of disiniegra-
ton commenced at once. Temperance
Democrats. seeing that there was no
chance for the success of their party, gave
luD their Prohibition ideas Tor the sake OF
! that success, careless what became of
ten, GRANGE SO long us the party once
! . IL
trom which il had been Kept SO many
years. In lhe ether direction, these sump-
suary clauses in the platforms ranidly
thinned the Repablican ranks. Thou
sands Of heDu1llcan SalO0n-keepcrs, Re-
publican brewers and vendors. and Re
j publican consumers OF beer and wines, of
foreign descent, regarded This unwise ac.
ton ot the party a. erect personal blow
at them, and they. at once leagued them
selves with theDemocracy in q contest
Tor personal rights, which they consider
ed Us o: more consequence than the tri-
ulnph OF the Republican party in the "off
ear" The demand made of them was
not only unwlse and absurd. but ii was
imperinent. II was not only that they
should stop bringing liquor, but that they
should stop drinking wines and beer, CT
der, and any other beverages more slim
ulalIng than water. 1t was not only that
they should stop drinking, on Sunday,
bug that they should stop drinking every
+ day and night in the week. It was not
only that their business wGs 10 cease one
day in TIE week, bIt IL must be stopped
entirely by force OF law. Rather than
yield TO this dictatiOn, the anti-prohibi-
ton element withdrew from the Repu0li-
can party, not 10 remain passive as it
might have done had il been only polit-
I ical issue IL question, bat 10 pls,oe. it.
self in direct antagonism and fig ht for its
rights in the ranks OF the enemy and un-
der a foreign flag. 1t was not a trih;ng
! secession. Its extent is indicated in the
dimiuulion OF the Republican vote. Ev
cry saloon has radius of powerful intiu-
ence, u strong and active consiituen-
cy, both transient and regular, which is
as constant and faithful in its service to
/ the saloon, as the saloon is to it and
this power is reinforced by national Gus
toms, habits of lie, and social preiudices
and cOryeniionaiisics which are still
stronger. The Republicans went into
I tic contest, therefore, with no outside
help. They could only rely upon them
selves, ana the result, OF cOurse, was their
defeat Dy tae overwhelming odds. Its
influence die mol Stop there. 1t set a
wave IL motion which swept over the
whole country and lelt 20 spots untouch-
/ cd except those where the folly Of PrOhi-
bitinn was not thrust upon the people.
! In Massachusetts, the lesson of October
I WAS emphasized with disastrous results.
1 Prohibition was made a cleaL, square
issue. not only by Incorporation in the
/ platform of the Rtpabiiean party, but
i Uy the personal assurance OF Gov. Tai
/ bot, that, Il elected, lac would enforce it
/ 10 the utmost extent, although the rural
districts had already suffered wellnigh
intolerable burdens from It's partial en-
! lOrcement, and the whole State had been
scandalized by the briberies aud corrup-
tons OF the State Consfabularv, who
who were appointed te execute the o6ius
and arbitrary measure. Ii is folly TO as
sert that the Republican majority is lost
! in Massachusetts. The majority OF tina.
party only used the Democrat party as
the broom with which to sweep out the
/ pesiilent nuisance ofcoercive Prohibition,
and it has en- done thoroughly. The
party in that State has been swept and
garnished.
Ill is almost superfuous to moralize up
on these iacts The election tables of
October and November are silent but
suggestive proof oI the reckless and egre-
gious blunder which the Republican
leaders have permitted themselves 10 be
dragooned into making, and, if any other
proof OF this sort is needed, it may be
found in abundance in the political rec
ords of Chicago during the past two or
three years. The only safety for the par
ty is to let sumptuary legislation alone.
Prohibition is not and cannot be made
party principle. If it is made law.
it cannot be enforced. In Wisconsin,
Iowa, Vermont, Rhode Island, Nebraska,
wherever the Republican party has ig
nored and refused to have anything to
do with this folly, it has retained its pow
er. To persist in bolstering up this mis-
clievous, and insane movement any Ion
ger is suicidal Prohibition must be pro-
hibited in the Republican party, if it
seeks for success. -
Fort Wayne has already sunk over