The Portland daily press., 1881-01-27
Prohibition

TO the Editor Of the Press:
The article of Delta in your issue of the 22nd.
shows very clearly that among many Republi-
cans the relation of the Republican party to
Prohibition is not clearly understood. When
that party was formed in Maine, prohibition
was the most prominent feature of its platform
and has been so ever since. The purpose of
the party was not to forbid the rum traffic as
matter Of form, but to extrpate it thoroughly
and in good faith to carry out its legitimate
and logical conclusion-its leading principle
Suppression of drinking houses and tippling
hops''
When that policy was accepted as the we'll
established prnciple'of the party, temperance
men began to vote for we'll known enemies Of
prohibition, because they were considered to
be bound, irrespective of their own opinions
and inelinations, to stand by the principles of
the party, viz, the thorough extirpation of
the liquor traffic. And for long time the re-
suit justified the reasonable expectations of
the temperance men.
There was striking example of this some
years ago when a staunch Republican and
well-known "liberal'' was nominated and
elected to the Legislature at the head of the
poll, having the hearty support of the temper
ance men, who knew him as man of honor,
and were sure that he would acquiesce cheer
fully in the policy of prohibition. During his
term very stringent Act Additional was
passed with his assent. On his return home
one of the secret rumsellers said to him:
"Why didn't you oppose that bill?"
"What would have been the nse of that?''
said he. Think yourself we'll off; they would
have passed bill to hang you, if one had
been offered"
The law as it stands has suppressed fully
nineteen twentieths of the liquor traffic
in Maine; the one-twentieth remaining is
harder to reach than all the rest. 1t fingers
secretly in our larger towns and citi S, and de-
fies the law and its officers and the conrts The
temperance men do not propose Ito sge it up
so;" but will persevere and persist, until the
State shall b. thoroughly delivered from that
horrible trade which lives only by converting
our sons into drunkards and spreading an in
finite misery through society. To accomplish
this we must have votes in the Legislature,
and to that end we must refuse inexorably to
support any man who will not respond to our
demand. Until last year men well known as
opponents of prohibition, when in the Legisla-
tore, have concurred in whatever legislation
was deemed necessary to the extinguishment
of the liquor traffic. But now men seem in
clined to do this no longer. Very well, that
is their right; but then, it is very childish of
them to whine because they are no longer sup
ported by temperance men.
Let them take their way and stand by it, if
they please; we shall certainly take our way
and stand by it as with US it is matter of
conscience. The Republican party in Maine
cannot stand without the temperance men in
it, who constitute fully two-thirds of its num-
bers. They are generally unselfsh men, not
seeking selfish ends or personal aggrandize-
1arlti in hrta OF tnrr har
sacrificing much time and money and anxious
thought to accomplish the great work, redemp-
tion OF the State from the curse of grog shops.
Delta shows himself to be ignorant of the
past and present history of the temperance
cause, in charging intimidation upon the tenn
perance men; unless he means that self-seek-
ers and ofice-seekers, who are opposed to pro
hibition are afraid that they cannot vote for
rum and at the same time retain the support
of the friends of prohibition If that is what
he means he is quite right; if he means any,
thing else, he is quite wrong. The attempts at
intimidation come from Delta's side or rather
they did, until it was found not to pay.
We have had our meetings broken up by
mobS aud rows; our carriages have been de-
faced, our harnesses cut up; our horses dsfig-
ured by being shorn of name and TAIL and
sometimes they have been MANNED; and do
mestic animals have sometimes been destroyed;
our orchards and shade trees have been girded;
our fences broken down to admit stray cattle
to our corn and grain fields and gardens; our
barns and houses have been burned; we have
been personally assaulted and in one instance
a temperance man died of the wounds inflicted
upon him in the night by one of Delta's side,
who waylaid him on his route nome from a
temperance meeting think Delta and others
like him, will see that it is not very modest in
persons whose party has argued their case in
that way, to complain OF temperance men as in
timidators, simply because they refuse by their
votes to support aspiring politicians, who are
opposed to measure which they believe to be
of supreme importance to the nation, state
and people.
know very we'll that Delta may claim to be
also q temperance man; but it is i'll Pick
wickian sense; he will say he is in favor of
prohibit. That is the difference between him
and his side, and us and our side. 1t is simply
a question of votes his side has always laid
by every consideration, except that which will
defeat temperance men, it is not manly in
them now to complain of us because we vote
our principles irrespective of personal preiu-
dices or preferences
Temperance men are generally Republicans,
but they are temperance men first and Repub
licans afterward, because they believe the OBJ
jsct at which they aim is of far more impor-
tance than any other. The temperance cause
is eminently in the interest of the Republican
party. Every grog shop is rifle pit that kills
off Republican voters. When men begin to
haunt rum shops they may be considered lost
to the Republican party, and canvassers al
ways put D. (doubtfuD against their names,
and when their downward course is prolonged
the d. no longer stands for doubtful. The Re-
publican party cannot successfully compete
with any other for the rum vote. Every vote
gained in that way will involve loss of two
take his course and adhere to it if he likes it;
we shall do the same ID.