Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-07-15
The Temperance Question.

| Ihe sneckled Democracy were
driven by the whiskey men, with
Col. Eiboeck, editor of the EerGld Of
Liberty, at their head, to declare in
their late Iowa convention emphat-
ically for q license liquor law. They
dared not longer refuse to conciliate
the beer and whiskey crowd, the
saloon keepers and saloon patrons,
the roughs, the gamblers, and all the
worst elements in the cities on the
Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and
hence they declared for an unquali-
fed repeal of the present temperance
laws of the state. And they did not
declare by close vote, but by
a unanimous shout. And now these
crooked whiskey men, having done
what they could by pledging them
selves to united effort against the
cause of temperance reform, are un-
tiring in their efforts 10 induce the
ultra prohibition men to organize a
third party upon the issue thus
made, in order to divide the Repub-
licans and insure the election of
State Senators and Representatives
who are pledged to repeal the law
which prohibitionists want retained
and made stronger.
Unfortunately, as we thought, the
Republican State convention could
not agree upon an expression upon
this topic to be placed in the party
platform; and the Speekled Democ-
racy attempt to make an argument
of this fact in urging the prohibition
lists to make ticket.
Now let it be remembered that the
Republican party Of Iowa has never
hitherto said anything upon this
subject In it's State Declarations OF
principles, and has this year only
been consistent with its former course
in relegating this side issue to the
people of the several Senatorial and
Representative districts, where only
it can be settled by the choice of
Legislators. But while Republican
| platforms have been silent, our Re-
publican Legislatures have given us
such temperance laws IA we have;
and there is no probability that the
party, If it should have near it,
usual majority In the next Legisla-
ture, will blot its record by repeal
of the present law. If there il dan
! ger, that danger will lonly be increas-
ed by a reduction Of the present Re.
publican majority in the Legislature
The great bulk of the temperance
and prohibition elements in Iowa IL
i'm the Republican party, and the
temperance cause certainly has moth
ing to gain by assisting in the eIec-
tion OF men pledged 10 favor license
law. That cause must depend for
maintenance upon the Republican
party, and fall with the party; and
we confidently believe that there IL
sufficient wisdom among the leaders
and masses of tho prohibitionlsts to
appreciate the true state Of the case,
and avoid such division Of the friends
Of the Temperance cause as has been
threatened. . l.-.. "a
! The Republican party of Marion
county viii nominate such men AS
will uphold the present temperance
laws and favor legislative provision
for their better execution. No man
should be placed upon our ticket who
stands in an equivOcal or doubtful
! position, or whose prospective official
course could be suspected. Every
nominee should be temperate man,
and show a clear temperance record.
We would not hold this question
paramount to.every other; but while
our nominees must be men OF un-
I questioned integrity and capabllity--
men Of the people and for the people
they must not be such as would
break down The barriers which pro-
tect peace and morality.
A ticket worthy Of the support OF
Eall good men, will, we believe, be
offered to the people hy the Kepubli-
can party Of Marion county this year;
and such a ticket will receive en-
doraement by majority Of from two
to FIVE hundred over tho vStc any
man on speckled license ticket can
command.
sfOs aad Gold.
Since the days Of the Cincinnati
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