Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-06-09
Thursday, June 9th, 1881.

Mr. J. ]. AsHENHURsT. who once ed
tied Prohibition newspaper at Mar
tins Ferry, is now publishing paper at
Freeport. Harrison county, and was a
delegate in the recent Prohibition con-
yention held in that county. Mr. Ash
enhurst says in his paper that some of
the delegates to his convention "were
"anxious to have the Freeport Press
"ceme out as the organ of the Prohibi-
"tion party" This step the editor de-
ehnes to take, but he proceeds to advo-
cate the caHse in a much more effective
way than he could had he taken the ad-
vice of his delegates.
Beyond the defeat of one or two can
didates on the county Republican ticket,
and the election of their Democratic op-
ponents, Mr.. Ashenhurst's party accom-
piished nothing in this county, and we
presume will accomplish no more in
Harrison. If Republicans think the
Democratic party better representa-
tive Of temperance principles than the
Republican party, and, in the case in
hand, that the election of the candidates
of that party to county offices will pro-
mote the cause they have started out to
advocate, now is their opportunity
all means vote the Prohibition ticket.
or, what is better, vote the Democratic
ticket at once; but when they talk of
prohibition of the manufacture or sale
of intoxicating liquors ''by amendment
@of the Constitution, or necessary or ap-
I" propriate legislation" they are in pur-
suit of an object which they are not
much more likely to overtake than is
the man who pursues jack-o'-lantern.
OF course intemperance is the cause of
much misery and crime, and anything
that can be fairly done to lessen it should
be done; but there is no especial reason
why men should not be practical in this
as in other matters. Prohibition tickets
have been voted for in Ohio at various
times within the twelve or fifteen years
last past, but in every instance the vote
has been a. very Insignificant one. Why
not try practical way of dealing with
this question? Why pursue shadow,
when the substance can probably be
reached9 especially when the pursuit
of the shadow renders the attainment
of the substance an impossibility. If
either of the political parties presents
intemperate men for offices, why not
unite and defeat such? If additional
legislation upon that subject is needed,
can that object be not better attained
through the present party organizations
than througha new party? Can any
thoughtful and reasonable man doubt
that it can? OF the 100000 votes in
Ohio, with the utmost effort this third
ticket may be able to muster 10000 or
5000 votes. 1t can not elect single
member to either branch of the General
Assembly. and unaided, probably, can
not elect a single important officer in
any county in Ohio. A very large per
centum of its vote will be drawn from
the Republican party now, as it has in
the past. Suppose enough are drawn
off to give the Democrats control of the
Legislature, is it at all likely the cause
of temperance will be benefited there
by? We ask sincere temperance men to
reflect upon this proposition. and are
sanguine no sincere and thoughtful man
who wishes to promote the cause of
temperance viii aid this movement, af- |
ter he has given it due reflection. The
Democratic party of Ohio. as party,
row and always, has opposed legislation
looking to the restriction of the liquor
traffic. Do temperance men think the
restoration of that party to power in
Ohio desirable? If they do, a much
better plan will be to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket at once, instead of getting
up an an organization which heretofore
has been simply an auxiliary to that
party organization.
The Prohibition people are camoring
for more legislation. Why do these
good men not assist the officers of the
law in enforcing the laws we already
have? If they were rigidly enforced
more than ifty per cent. of the misery
and crime produced by drunkenness
would be averted, and perhaps a like
per centum of liquor shops would be
closed. We have in Belmont county.
probably. two hundred or more places
where liquor is sold. At the present
term of court four of them were indict-
ed for the unlawful sale of liquor, and
there is one case for trial under what is
known as the "Adair law" which au-
thorizes the wife or other representative
of the drunkard to bring a civil action
for damages. These are the sum total.
Does any man doubt that very large
majority of the liquor sellers of the
county have violated the law many
times since the last term of court, or
that many of them are liable under the
Adair law? 1t is not the. business
of the officers of the court nor of
the grand jury to hunt up violators
of the law. and few of the women who
suffer because of drunken husbands
or sons have the courage or. tie
means to bring suits against the desola-
tors of their households. If the Prohi-
bition brethren. instead of organizing
political party and adopting resolutions
which are about as effectual as "the
pope's bull against the comet" will turn
their organization into one looking sole
ly to the enforcement of the laws against
liquor selling. and will devote to that