, 1874-11-09

aeoipg that thoro was now chance for tho sto"
csss Of t,elr party. gayc up thotr Prohibition
idoas for lilo sako Of that sucoesa, caroloss
What tocamo Of temperance so long "a tho
party onco moro got control OF tho of1coa aud
hpoIls. from which 1t bad boon kept no
many yoars. In tho othor direction, thosc
aumptuary clausca in the platforms rap
idly thnued tho Republican ranks. Thou
satdB of Republican aatoon.koepora, To-
publican breworB and vendors, and Ropu5lfc-
IN conBunlorH Of beor and wines, OF foreign |
descent, regarded this unwso nction Of tho
party as = diroot porsonn1 blow At thon', and
tl,oy at ouco lcaguad Themselves with tho Do
mooracy In contest for personal rights, which |
they considered as Of more consequence than |
tho triumph Of tho Republican party in the
"ofY-ycar." " Tho demand mado OF thom Mas
not only unwiso and absurd, hut 1t was in1-
pertinent. It wss not only that they should
stop drinking liquor, but TINT they should stop
drinking wlnea and baer, cider, and any othor
beverages moro stimulating than watcr. It wna
not only that they should stop drinking On sun-
day, but Tint they should stop drinking every day
and night In tho woak, Il WAS not only taatthoir
hueineaa vaa to ceaao ono day In tho week.
but It uust DO stopped entiraly by toroo OF
Law. Rather than yiold 10 this dcta-
tion, tho anti-prohib!ton cloment Withdrew
from tho Republican party, not to remain pas
aiyo aa It might havo lone had 1t bean only po-
]itcal Issue in question: but to place itself in d.
root autagor,iam and fight for its rights in The
rauka of tho enomy aud unaor foreign flag.
It was mol tri1iug secession, 1ts extent Ia IN
dicatad In tho dminution Of tho Republican
vote. Every aaloon has radius OF powerful
influence, q strong md active constituency. both
transient and regular, which Is as conssant and
faithful In its gorvice to tho Haloon aa the saloon
ia to it; and this powor is reinforced by uattoual
CUSTOMS habits of life, aud social prejudicos and
/ convontiona1ities which aro s!ill stronger. The
| Republicans went into tho contest, therefore,
| with no outside help. They could only
roIy upon themselves aud tho result,
Of course, was their defeat by over-
wl,elming odds. 1ts influence did not
| gtop there. It eet wave in motion which swept
oyer .he whole country aud lott no spots uu-
toucboa, except those whero the folly Of Pro.'i-
btion was not thrust upon the people. In Mas
sachuBetts tho Lesson Of October WAS otnpha~
sized with DISASTROUS rosulta. Prohibition waf
malca clean, square iBsue, not only by inoorpo'
ration III tho platform Of the Republican party,
but By tho personal aAaurauco.of Gov. Talbot
TINT, If eiocted, he would enfofco 1t t.
tho uttormost extent. although the ru
raj districts had a!roadY suffered vol
nigh intolcrnble burdens from ita partial ell
! forccment. and tue whole State had been scan
t1alized by tho briberies and oorruptiops Of th
State Constabu1ary, who wore appointed to exo
cute tho odious and arbitrary measure. 1t l
folly to assert that tho Republican majority i
1oat iu Massachusetts. Tho majority Of tim
marty only uaad tho Democratic party as th
} trooua with which to aweep out tho position
nuisance Of coercivo Prohibition. and 1t La
been done thoroughly. Tho party in that Stat
has boon swept aud earnished.
1 It is almost supcrfuous to moralize upo
these facts. The election tables Of October IN
November arc silent but suggestive proof {
tho reckloss aud egregious blundoz which til
Republican lenders havo permitted themRelvt
= to 30 dsagooned into making. and. II any }urshe
Q proof Of tl,is sort is noed1d, 1t may bo found
Q abundance In the political recorda Of Chicag
during tue past two or three yoara. The on
: safety for ths party ia to let sumptuary lega'f
:. ton atone. Prohibition ID not aud cannot
l. made party principle. 1t 1t Is naaao low,
9 caunot 10 enforced. In Wisconsin, Iowa, VI
u mout, Rhode Island. Nebraska, wherever IL
i Republican party has ignored and refused
4 have anything do with this folly, It las retail
= cd it's power. To persist in bolstering up til
t mischieyous, and insane movement my longer
simply suicidal. Prohibition must bo prohlblte
: in tue Republican party, If it noeks for SUCCESS