The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-07-14
gnlttttA1.
TEMPERANCE AND POLITICS IN
OHIO.
BY R, L. STANTON, D. D.

with the political parties in ONO lem"
perance will 10 1t. With this question
out of politics entirely, the Republican
party would probably succeed in O1to'
ber next; but at the present outlook 1t
will be defeated. Mark the prediction ::
1t will be "snowed under" by several
thousands. will give my reasons, or
some of them.
The ticket just nominated in ClevA'
land, though inevitable from the polit'
icsl standpoint, is in several respects
very offensive to all shades of temper
ance men and women. Governor Eos.
ter as a politician and a Republican
merely, is popular with the whole party
throughout the State but his course on
the temperance question has offended all
classes of temperance workers. In his
public utteranCes in speeches on the
stump and communications to the legis'
ls'ure, he has fought shy Of the question;
but by other methods he did more to de-
feat the local option" which large Sec
tion of temperance men wanted, and the
liquor tax bill" which another large
section desired, than all other men put
together, brewers and all, at work on the
men bers of the Legislature last winter,
Then in his electiOneering campaigns he
spends large amounts Of money in sa.
looms and among drinkers everywhere
to gain votes. He is very wealthy (or
his father is), and as he is an only son
no amount Of money will be withheld, if
needed, to secure his election. He is
"great mixer" says my lfOrmant, fei'
low-town3man Of the Governor, in "Fos'
toria"-mingles with all classes freely
and is magnetic and popular; but the
temperance men Of the State ere deter
mined on his defeat. A large number of
Temperance leader in various parts Of
the State, have been interviewed since
the nominations were made, and their
resolve is taken. AS to the rest of the
ticket, the present inCumbents, with two
exceptions, we'e put up for reelection.
Mr.. Richards, for Lieutenant Governor
will be acceptable to many temperance
men, perhaps to majority, but not to
all. Judge Longworth, nominated for
the Supreme Court, is very distasteful to
:. any in Cincinnati who know him.
have heard this very day the utmost dis
gus expressed that he should be put up
for the Supreme Court. forbear to
name the things stated; but am sule Of
this. that these very things which will
set the temperance and moral and relig
ious elements of the party against him
will secure for him the German vote,
Ofall the men on the ticket, however,
Governor Foster is the most objectiona.
Bile to temperance men. Among those
in Cincinnati who were interviewed, in
cluding a large number who talk the
same way, let me name just one. Rev.
John NJ. Walden, D. D., Methodist, at
the head of the Sook Concern, was a
candidate for bishop at the General Con-
ference in Cincinnati, last May, and re.
ceived the next highest vote to those
elected. He is leading and represent
ative temperance man. When asked |
hi opinion, he said of Govern )r Foster
'If the Republican party had sCraped
the country from Lake Erie down to the
Ohio river, it could not have nominated
a candidate more Objectionable to the
Temperance and moral element of the
State"
Let me tel ycu here little story,
showing what DR.. Walden once did. IE
1877 the Republican party nominated
Mr.. Voegler, a German, Of Cincinnati,
for Lieutenant Governor, He was op'
posed to the temperance cause and op.
posed to the laws for protection of the
Saboath, hut was nominated to "CstCh
the German vote" DR.. Walden said to
me, in his Book Concern Office "That
man shall be defeated. will send cir.
cular to every minister of all denomins,
tions in the State, and hundreds for dis.
tribution in every congregation, telling
who and what Mr.. Voeg!er is." That
was done. Mr. Voegler was defeated,
running over thirteen thousand votes
below the rest of the ticket. He did not
know from what particular cloud the
came that struck him. Cover
nor may be hit by the same sort of chain"
lightning.
Another reason for defeat is the plat.
orm. The Cleveland Convention tho't
it did a very cute thing The temper.
anCe plank in the platform Simply pro-
poses to submit an amendment Of the
Constitution to the people, 80 as to have
all that relates to the liquor traffic elm
mated, leaving the whole matter to the
Legislature. Instead of this pleasing
temperance men, they will be unani-
mously opposed to 1t. To make this
clear, allow a little history.
The present Constitution OF Ohio was
adopted in 1851. 1t provides for a new
Constitution, through action Of the Gen.
eral Assembly, if people by vote 80 de-
eide, every twenty years, 1t declares
that the traffic in intoxicating liquors
shall mot be licensed in this State" but
that the General Assembly may pass
laws to regulate the traffic. The amend.
ment proposed by the Cleveland Con.
vention, if adopted, would allow the
Legislature to license" the traffic. That
Is all. In all other respects the power
Of the Legislature over the traffic would
be just what it is nov.
In 1871, or little later. twenty years
have passed, the Legislature provided
for Convention to draft new Consti.
tuition. The Convention, among other
radical change, submitted to popular
vote a proposition to strike out the
clause prohibiting 'license;" that is, pro-
vided for the people voting on this prop
osition separately. This particular pro.
posal to "strike out" was defeated by
many thousands (the precise number not
now recoleCted), and then the whole
constitution was defeated by some 10000