The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1874-07-30
ssWhat is the Matter!"

"What is the matter with the Indepen-
dent" is question now before the peo-
pie of Tama county for consideration, and
we will frankly admit that we are not
physician enough to tell; but we thinks
perhaps the people will enlighten us next
fall, or perhaps the Independent, through
some ono Of its numerous editors, will
explain ere long. We are led to write
thus because of an article in the afore-
said sheet last week headed with those
striking words quoted above. In the arti-
Gle referred to, the independent seeks to
cast the odium, if odium exist, Of being
the particular champions of the crusade
movement, upon the Republican party
seeking to make capital by publishing
that which in honesty they must acknowl-
edge to be gross exaggeration, if not a
falsehood. Now then we wish to state
that if odium existed, and the Republican
party were the particular party cham
pions Of the temperance movement, we
as individuals would perhaps say amen to
that article. But such is not the case.
The question of license or no license is
not at issue. We will admit that as
party the Republican party is always to
to be found on the side of law and order,
and that it is conceded that very great
portion, if not quite a majority, of those
who are in favor Of the temperance move
ment are politically Republicans; and we
are willing TO admit further, that for prac-
teal temperance in all things the Repub-
lican party is far the superior of its oppo-
nents, who will persist in dragging the
Temperance question into their political
faith, when it is well known fact that
they refused the license plank with its
40, 900 German votes, as offered them in
convention at Des Moines quite recently,
and having refused that plank in their
platform, they of the independent seek to
hide their chagrin because of it by hurl-
ing their venom at the Republican party,
because it perchance may have ma
iority Of the temperance reformers in
its ranks-as If that fact had anything to
do with the policy fixed by the Anti-Mo-
nopoly leaders at their State convention.
We would not hesitate for one moment,
if the question Of prohibition or license
was before the people for their decision
at the polls, to assert boldly and frankly
our belief and principles, and If they
were in opposition to the belief and prin-
ciples Of our neighbors, we Of course
would feel that. it was all right for an OPP
opposition expression to be made polite
ally. However, when the attempt is made
by an organ of the Anti Monopoly party,
like the independent, to whip its own
recreant prohibition party members over
our shoulders, we are compelled to OBJ
iect and humbly call their attention to
the fact that the Republican party is not
responsible for the shape that the Anti
Monopoly policy islplaced in by its prime
ministers. In closing we wish to say
that in the entire record of the Republi-
can party in the State of Iowa there is
not single instance wherein its platform
policy has been one thing and the policy
as advanced on the hustings another
while this is the case with the Anti-Mo-
nopoly party, according to the lndepen-
dent. Their party refuses the license
plank in the platform, and the Ldepen-
dent hosts its colors with that platform
at the front While it bushes itself fight
ing the political battles of.its party BY ad-
vocating both directly and indirectly
whislley platform. We wonder how this
suits some of our citizens who are acct
IDENTIFY ntiMonops and advocates OF the
temperance cause also 1t would please
us to hear from some of them in the
premises ''Oh consistency thou art a
jewel"