, 1874-11-05
LOST IN THE RUINS,

AJ00- AN A411z nAANCs
The lessons Of Tuesday are AZ suggestive
from moral - from political point Of Wow.
In tho debris with which the tidal wayo has
Btrewn tho country may be found two socinl
Haues, involving moral points, badly shattered
nnd 30 dIsGgured that their best friends will
hardly recoguize thon-W and
Prohibition. Pending the advent Of tho regular
political iaHues Of the daY, those two questions
occupied largo sharo Of the public attention,
by tho peculiar aGgressyoncss with which thoy
were advocated aud tho reckless manner in
which ttoy waro thrust upon tho pooplo upon
the s.ump and in crusades. Womnn-Bufrrago
wns Incorporated into tho now Constitution Of
Michigan, and. as the now Constitution ,sas
overwhelmingly defeated, Of course woman
suffrage wont under with it. It ia stated, by
frago clausorccoiycd very complimentary vote.
This, howover, will not prove source OF couso-
1atiou to tho lenders Of the movement, as
compliments are tho Last things in tho
world which theY desire. Tho result is
sevoro blow to tho movement, from tho fact that
il tho people Of Michigan rofuso to have any
thing 10 do with it, n,ore is little hope for it in
tic other Statos, which iavo not boen 80 kindly
disposed towarda it. There are three sufficient
rossona for ita defeat. First, tho Bcechor
Responsible for il, las doae much to Hickon
pooplo Of tho whole movement. Although
voman-sur1age had nothing to do with the
relaslons Of Deochor to Mrs. Tilton, yet it was
caught In bad company, and has suffered from
the association, as man moy suffer for being
in tho company Of thieves, although net guilty
OF thoft. Eyory ono Of tho prominent actors in
tho ycanial vas prominent representative and
advocate ot woman suffrage, and tho froe-loye
procllyities which were carried out In thiH
wing Of tho wonan.sunragists. The public has
not had the tirno OF tho dispoAition 10 draw any
lines Of diatirotion, but haye chosen to put the
whole thing ono aide. Second, tho causo WAS
advocated upon tho stump in Michigan in very
injulicioua manner, aud with 90 much Of false
assertion, zeoAloss statement, and bud tompor,
that many Of tho newspapers which had boen
favorable nt tho outset aud ware cordial Rdvo-
cates Withdrew their support, aud tho people
would not stay to hBten. Third, tho people
noyar wanted It, "a tho voto shows very con-
clusiyely.
Az woman. suffrage has boon defeated IN the
only gtate iu which 1t was clear, straight issue,
90 prohibition also las received Its coup De grace
in Massachusetts, tho only stato IN which it waB
4 clear, strnight issue. 1ta dofeat is utter,
crushing, aud ilnal, and 1t deserved it, During
tho Inst TWO years No attampt has boon mado to
enforce 1t In tho cities, and the operations
Of the State ConatabnlsrY hava boon con-
lusd to tho receipt Of bribsB from
tho nquor-aaliosa and tho most outrageous
practices OF corruption. The law has only been
used a. weapon Of persecution, and uaed with
cruel foxco IN tho small towns. both aa an ag-
gsession upon private rights and rs meana Of
public robbery. When, therefore, the present
Governor announced In hla campaign adlross
that lie would enforce atu moro rightly this
odiouH measure, Ii ID no uonder that tia poopla
szose Gu mhase, aud not only overthrow him,
but eyory ono else who was In any way 8uA-
pected Of fayoring II, and made clean sweep Of
prohibition. It Is safo to predict that the at
tempt to logislato what man Rhall drink will
not DO mado again In Massachusetts, for some
tina to COMO. and that this measuro for tho in
czoaso Of Drunkenness will not be ouforood again
for tho benefit Of Nhisky-sellera In tho largo
oltss and ths discomfort OF old lAdlss In oountsy