The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-07-26
A Question of Policy.
The Boston Post. in course of an

upon the coming election in Maine, says
There is diversity of opinion to the matter
of making an open fight against ultra prohibition
The more conservative Democrats are dsinclincd
to make this distinct issue for the reason that in
| the rural districts party lines have never been
drawn on this subject But in many sections the
| feeling is very strong that the time has come for
square fight on this question. Their reasoning is
that the principle of prohibition is wrong in itself
suicidal Ill policy as regards temperance, adverse
to the business interests of the State and that the
present year is of all Others the best for testing the
will of the people on question which has never
been fairly discussed, except on one side. There
have been those heretofore who have been strong
y inclined to make war upon the suggestive policy
Of the radical Prohibitionists Up to the present
time they have given way to the more conserva
tive influences which have deemed an open and
well-detined issue on this subject undesirable. But
the intensified legislation of last winter under
which cider has been rendered an article contra
band in trade, has produced decided change Of
sentiment and at this writing it seems probable
when the Convention meets open and direct is
sue will be rendered. Should such be the case an
unusually active campaign may be expected.
1t is doubtful whether even the inten-
sity of the cider law ought to suffice to
lure the Democracy into the suicidal pol
icy indicated above. That there is among
the Democracy Of Maine n sentiment
which largely sustains the prohibition
legislation of the state, is well known to
every one who is in a situation to be
aware of the sentiments of the people
The class of Democrats who favor prohi-
biton very well know that it has been
carried to extremes in some instances
that its friends have made some mistakes
but they hold that its advantages, and
the good that it is doing, very greatly
Overbalance the errors of its over-zealOuS
friends. The class Of our political asso-
ciates, to whom we refer, feel the benefit
to their business OF a power to control and
restrict the sale of liquors. They are en-
ployers to whom a liquor shop in the vi
entity is pretty certain to give drunken
WOrknen owners of vessels. who desire
parents who are anxious to keep tempta-
ton from their sons. We call to mind a
prominent and active Democrat of this
vicinity, who has experienced so much
benefit from the prohibitoly law in pre-
venting the use of liquor among his work
men, that he said to us that when De-
mocracy made license a plank on its plat
form, he should decline to stand upon it.
The large loss which the party will eN-
perience in this way will find no com
pensation. There will be no recruits to
Democracy on this issue, any more than
there has been in the past The stam-
pede of license Republicans has been
much talked about, but it never took
place, and never will.
\ shlewd Republican once remarked to
the writer hereof, that there had been
many occasions when his party had found
itself in embarrassing and dangerous
straits, but that the Democrats had al
ways done some foolish thing that lifted
their opponents out of trouble The Re-
publicans Of Maine to-day are divided in
to factions that are at swords points con
corning the course Of the President. The
party has not, since its formation, been in
a position of greater peril. 1t would be q
Godsend to Blaine should the Democrats
of Maine, in a moment of blind folly, en-
able him to fight the battle on the issue
Of prohibition. He would raise such a
clamor as to draw attention from the
discussions and weakness in his own
ranks, and defeat the Democracy with
the utmost ease. If the Democracy are
wise they will commit themselves to no
such suicidal policy.