The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-08-09
Democracy and Prohibition.

Democracy and Prohibition.
There is pretty good prospect that there will
be conflict in the Portland convention on the
question of inserting in the platform resolution
condemning the prohbtory law, and calling for a
| license law. Mr.. RawSon gave notice last year
that he would press such resolution this year,
and he probably will, and be more OF less strongly
supported. There isa class of men who call them
selves Democrats-but who seldom vote that way
who would like the party to abandon everything
| else and make the canvass the sole issue Of
tivorDg the enactment of IL license law. Another
class, composed Of timid politicians. would have
nothing said about the law at all. The convention
should listen to neither Of these The right course
to take and we believe it is also the most polite
as right things generally are in spite Of the thee
reS OF mlsanthropstS-is plain enough
/ The Democracy OF Maine is practically unani
nous in opposing sumptuary legislation-the Bel
fast journal to the contrary Notwithstanding.
| They have seen the smartest men i'll the Republ
can party Try for twenty years to form prohibi-
tory law which shall help the cause of temperance,
and II; in vain The present law has been an IL
jury to the cause rather than a help Prohibition
has been long and perseverngy tried by its chosen
| friends and under the most favorable conditions,
and it has utterly failed. Opposition To sumptuary
legislation is cardinal principle of Democracy,
and it will continue to be-
Let the convention, then. simply reatfrm its
ancient and sensible principle OF opposition to
slmptuary legislation, and let it go at that. [Rocl
land Opinion.
Sumptuary legislation may be defined
as that which undertakes to regulate the
expenditures Of the people in matters of
dress, diet, &c. The prohibition of the
sale of liquor to be drank may be classed
as sumptuary legislation. Therefore a
resolution such as the Opinion recon-
mends would be one directed against the
Maine liquor law and would be under
stood and accepted as such on all hands
1t would cali for the nomination, and if
| possible the election Of members of the
Senate and House pledged to the repeal
of the law, and Governor who would APP
| prove such repeal The repeal of prohi
| bition would leave us Just where we We're
before its enactment that is, without re-
straint upon the liquor traffic. This is
equivalent to resolving in favor of license
| Indeed the Opinion says, in another part
of the article referred to, that the De
mocracv, when in power, will be able to
frame sensible and salutary law in re-
gard to the liquor traffic.
There is very good reason to believe
| that our Rockland friend is mistaken in
saying that ''the Democracy of Maine is
practically unanimous in opposing sunpt
uary legislation, or that such opposition
is one OF its ancient principles Let us
| appeal to the record. The Democratic
party achieved its last success in Maine
in 1855, when it elected a majority in the
Legislature, and by that majority chose
Samuel Wells Governor, in default of a
! choice 10y the people One of the resolu-
tons of the Convention that nominated
Wells was as follows
Resolved That we are opposed to the unre
Strcted sale of intoxicating liquors. AND IN "a
NoR OF SUITABLE PROHIBITORY LAWS:
but laws to command respect and obedience. must
be based upon the principles of the constitution
and the bill of rights. Their provisions must har-
monte with the sentiments of an enlightened PEG
pie: their necessity must be shown BY actual ex-
listing crcumstances-thc wisdom must be re
Elected by their practical operation.
1t seems from this that an s'ancient prin-
ciple' of the Democracy was the approx
al of sumptuary legislation, and that the
party was then ''practically unanimous"
in asserting the need of prohibition 1t is
also apparent that the Democracy carried
the state on this platform. The Demo-
cratic Legislature matured and passed u
bill repeating the prohibtory law, and
substituting license law Gov Wells
gave it his official approval, and license
went into operation. a majority of the
party, believing that the people were with
them in support of the principle of license,
inserted in the platform adopted for the
election OF 1886, a resolution approving
the license law, and it was made prom
lnent feature in the campaign. The re-
suit was that the Democracy were over
Whemingly defeated Hamlin was elect
ed by 10000 votes over Wells, and Il pro-
hibitory Legislature was chosen. That
Legislature, in order to test the feeling of
the people, provided for d submission of
the principles of prohibition and license
to the popular vote, at special election
in the summer Of 1883. At that election
prohibition was again overwhelmingly
sustained only eleven votes for license
having been cast in Belfast. And in the
state generally the practical unanimity of
the party rallied to the support of license
to a scarcely larger per cent.
These records prove, if they prove any
thing, that the Democratic party cannot
place itself on record in opposition to
prohibition, without disastrous results.
Whether it be right or wrong, the princi-
pie has become so ingrained with the
people OF Maine, that it cuts through
party lines and holds voters to it's sup
port, because they believe it to be correct
in morals and polite in the regulation of
public affairs We have aforetime striven
to believe the reverse to be the case-but
cannot help seeing what is so plainly set
before us. The past is a true index of
Inc lulufc III TINS matter. We believe
that should the party inscribe upon its
banner "opposition to prohibition, it will
march to terrible defeat. At the same
time, if the advocates of liquor license
have forgotten the lesson of 1886 and
80, and are determined to try once more,
there will probably be no better time for
the experiment than the present year.
They will be wiser sixty days hence than
they are now.
Among the candidates mentioned for
the Democratic nomination for Governor
in Maine, should Mr. Talbot decline, is
Charles H. Haskell, of Portland. Mr.. H.
is a prominent merchant hiGhIv oStnomad