Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-06-23
Gov. Foster and Methodism.

The Republican leaders IN this State are
far from sanguine of success. The course
of the Republican Legislature last winter
on the temperance question has weakened
the party by alternating the Prohibition
lists who have been voting for them dur
ing the past three years. Two years ago
the question came up in the Northern
Ohio Conference OF the NJ. Z. Church as
to whether the members of the denomin-
alton could consistently vote with the
Republican party. The matter was COM
promised by putting the party on two
years probation, and if within that time
the Republican leaders redeemed their
pledges as to the enactment of temper
ance legislation, they would receive the
support of the Methodists and Prohibit
tionists in the future; if not, then that
support would be withdrawn. This elect
ed Governor Foster and a Republican
Legislature two years ago. With what
fidelity have the pledges of Republicans
been redeemed? Let us see. The friends
of temperance went to the Legislature
and asked the passage of local option
law. Governor Foster was opposed to
such an enactment, and defeated it by
having bill introduced taxing the liquor
traffic at q rate that would largely drive
it out of existence. He skillfully manag-
ed to kill the Local Option bill with the
Tax bill, and then at the close of the SEES
sioi he had the Tax bill killed, so that
the friends of temperance were left with
out any legislation. The Stubs Sunday
bill, which was intended to prevent the
sale of beer and liquors on Sunday, was
so manipulated by Governor Foster as to
be changed into license for beer on Sun
day and then passed against the wishes Of
the originatOrs of the measure. This sys-
tematic duplicity has driven off large
body of Republican voters, and a great
many of the most thoughtful leaders of
the party concede the State entire and a
large majority of the Legislature to the
Democrats. What wonder that the doc
trine of Capitalization should be toppling
on the edge of precipice. The party
bearing its banner is torn by internal
dissentions and rlven by the pangs of
incurable corruptions. The national
leaders of the organization charge one
another with bad faith and prevarication,
respecting "the spoils" of patronage. The
leaven of discomfort is doing its appoint.
ed work only too surely. Quoting from
King James version, we say Satan divid.
ed against himself cannot stand. The
duty of Democrats amidst all this Repub.
lican uproar is plain and clear. Let the
Republicans manage their intestine
scandal and strife as best they can.
"When rogues fall out, honest men
come to their own." The Democracy
has, by right, the majority of the votes
of the United States and is entitled to her
representatives in the highest places in
the country. The Republicans are un-
masking their political methods and po-
litical moralities as expeditiously as poss-
ible, and Democrats must raise no hand
to stay their action. People of integrity
and lovers of fair dealing everywhere are
utterly disenchanted with the unclean
spectacle presented The result of all the
Republican contention and bitter recrim-
ination will surely be the edifcation of
Democracy if wise and judicious men are
placed at the heads of her columns
Springfield transcript.