The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-09-23
From Forney's Press.
For IaMpAranse or Re Yenrai

present Ieniperance party project
will see that its success-and by this
we mean the defeat of Governor Hart.
ranft--will bring the temperance re-
form to dead halt in Pennsylvania for
years to come. The argument is readily
stated, aud lies on the surface Of the
movement. Every vote cast for Brown
and Pennypacker is a vote withdrawn
from the Republican party. Without
the continued ascendcncy Of that party
adequate license laws are almost impossi-
BILE. The defeat of the Republican
party this fall will dsastrously affect the
canvass next year, when members Of the
Legislature are elected. Aud then,
with the lawmaking and the law-repeal.
ing power in the hands of the Democ.
racy, whisky will be sold 10 Pennsyl-
vania as freely as molasses. The ascen-
dency of the Democratic party and the
abolition or modification of proper re.
strictive liquor laws are facts so iutima-
tcly related that the statement Of the
one inevitably implies the other.
When hotly pressed, the coterie of
temperance politicians who disport them.
selves before the footlights in this all.
surd farce, who arrange its machinery
and actively assist iu the destruction Of
the Republican party, acknowledge
that the immediate purpose of the
third party" scheme is the discipline Of
Hartrauft. The safety of existing
liquor laws and the popularity of tenn.
perance work in general are to be sacri-
feed for the "scalp" of Hartranft. TO
attain that purpose the only real tenn
perance party ever in existence in this
State is to be swept from the field. 1t
cannot be concealed that the defeat Of
Hartranft is in the near view of these
persons, and it shadows the whole pros
pect beyond. The fool who held up a
dollar before the moon and obscured its
face was ready to wager that the orb
was no larger than the coin. So many
Of these enthusiasts do not seem to COM
prehend that behind Governor Har.
tranft is the Republican party, with its
tremendous capacity for the protection
of every vital interest in the State.
The vast aggregate of its followers are
persons in deep sympathy with real
temperance reform. They regard the
continued triumph Of that party as
one Of the necessities OF the movement,
aud they regard its defeat as the most
signal blow that prohibition principles
can possibly sustain. The infatuated
leaders of this foray do not appreciate
the advantage of well-ordered retreat
They never sound a halt. They prefer
overwhelming defeat to drawn battle.
It was this disposition which aided in
the defeat of Olmsted and Beath, both
of whom were gentlemen of temperance
proclivities. The change of political
supremacy in the Assembly is largely
attributable to a similar cause. Then
came the repeal Of the iocal-option law,
which, in our opinion, would still be
upon the statute-book if the event we
have described had not transplred. The
repeal of that measure is an offence-if
offence it be-which may be divided
between the Democratic Assembly aud
the temperance politicians who made
such an event possible.
1t is useless te sound q friendly note
of warning to these infatuated people
They are fond of associating the present
movement with the dscouragiDg and
meagre beginnings Of the Anti. slavery
agitation. They are stirred with the
hope that somehow and at some time
their glory will not be unlike that
matchIess leadership. 1t is their boast
that they are far in advance of the
temp:er Of the times, and in zeal to
keep in the van the most of them have
moved out Of view altogether, and are
useless as guides to any distinct destina-
ton. BY separating themselves in this
way from the prevailing temperance
sentiment they attract some degree of
public attention, and this is means OF
self glorifcation which certain class OF
minds cannot easily resist. Then there
are also certain restless spirits among
hem who are always astride some
moral "Rosinante," which they gallop
up aud down the world all their lives.
The vast array of temperance men in
tie Republican party distrust scheme
which tends to the restoration OF the
Democratic patty. Their views were
not consulted when the lly.considered
project was devised. 1t was pushed
through by convention which had nc
constituency in any comprehensive
sense. 1t was prompted by the mere
desire to discipline Hartranft. No pros
pect of ele,ting the temperance ticket
was expressed by the most sanguine
member Of the body. Nobody enter
tains to this day the shadow of {
shade" Of expectation that Rev. Brown
will occupy the Executive Mansion al
Harrisburg. Not a man in the State
believes that the defeat of the Repub
licaus would result in anything but ire
parable disaster TO true reform. 1t was
a clear instance OF self stultiication-ar
elaborate of harikari.
Side movements in politics rarely &C
complish hoped-for results. The auti
slavery agitators were nothing more
than the leaders in a feeble protes
against great national iniqulty while
they acted independently of existing
parties. But vast results were attained
when they allied themselves with the
great party which most nearly ap
preached them, aud,had infused in it {
portion of their own enthusiasm. Lin