Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-11-03
W.. BEYAN. ANp orHERI

carry reply VIII ophSe the independent temper
/ ance voters G.. ROBERTSON
| g Il. CoNEY, JOHN RuMK.
| Il. COLLIER, Ed PATCH,
VIM. BEYAS AND OTHERS.
GENTLEMEN:-My natural dislike to
seeing an article in the public prints
over my own signature, the fact that
public answers to such communications
as the above. seldom, if ever. give salts
faction and a political prudence would
dictate that leave the interrogatories
unanswered | have endeavored, how
ever, during my short political life, to
pursue a course that would be no dis
credit to myself; and am ready, in the
present instance, to comply with your
request.
1t is not unreasonable to suppose that
the constitution contemplates that when
the people desire an amendment thereto
that they shall first signify such desire
by sending members to the legislature
who favor the principles sought to be
embodied in the amendment. The peo-
pie have an undoubed right to petition
but the arguments advanced by the
prohibitionists that it is the duty of the
legislature to submit any sort of an
| amendment for which petitions signed
by few thousand names may be pre-
scented, is fallacious one. No member
of the Legislature is justifiable in voting
for the submission of an amendment
changing the fundamental laws of the
state unless he feels confident that
large majority of the voters of the state
or at least large minority of the voters
in his district desire such change. A
legislator is presumed to know some
thing of the prevailing sentiment of the
people on the most important questions.
1t is certainly not his duty to assist, but
rather to oppose the submitting of an
amendment for a pastime or for the
purpose of gratifying the curiosity of
individuals who desire to know how
many votes any measure they may see
fit to advocate would receive. This
would seem-to such an obtuse person
as myself, at least-not only sound rea-
soning but good logic.
Believing this, and, farther, that even
from temperance standpoint, | deemed
it not only unwise and impracticable, |
did not feel at liberty to vote in favor of
submission of the so called prohibito-
ry amendment when but one siXtieth of
the total population OF the state, and, it
IS safe to say, but that proportion of its
voting population, asked for the sub
mission of such an amendment, after
tie matter had been so thoroughly dis
cussed through the columns of the tenn
perance press and SO thoroughly agi-
tated among the secret temperance or
CARNATIONS. | could not reasonably
believe the people desired such an
bly, district barely one-sixtieth part of
the total population, and as near as |
could judge from careful Examination
not that proportion of its voting popu-
lation petitioned me (and it is Il signifi-
cant fact that not one of your names
nor the names of a single inhabitant of
your township appeared among them)
to vote for its submission, it should be
matter of very little surprise to your
selves that | failed to vote for meas
ure which | thought tc be of very doubt
full propriety, received either from a
moral, temperance or political outlook.
| claim to be; | believe you know | am
a temperance man, both in principle
and practice. If the influence of
good example, the advocacy of temper
ance doctrines. both in public and pri-
vate, the refusal at any and all times to
drink anything that can intoxicate
count for anything from temperance
point of view ! think | can say without
display of egotism that | am as radical
II temperance man as either of your
selves. The evils caused by intemper-
ance are too apparent to admit of the
possibility of a doubt; with the aiders
or abettors of the liquor traffic l hold
no faith or fellowship. Personally |
will make as great sacrifices for its sup
preston rs most men of my means.
Men do not permit their names to go
before the public as candidates for office
even reluctantly without having a
strong desire to be successful. If, how
ever, parties in this district were so
evenly divided that a single vote would
throw the majority against me and that
vote could be secured by my furnishing
a drink of anything that would intoxi-
cate, rather than furnish it | would
glory in defeat. So far, then, as a be-
iiefin, and practice of temperance, so far
as temperance is concerned, we stand
practically on the same grounds. You
are prohibitionists, | am not You be-
lieve that the only way to stop the
liquor traffic is to forbid or prohibit its
manufacture, and further believe that
this result cali be accomplished by legal |
enactment. believe that the senti- |
ment of the people at present would |
not admit of the enforcement of such a |
law if enacted. Experience has proven |
that laws which public sentiment does |
not demand are nullity. The enact |
ment of such restriction laws as can be i
properly enforced, moral suasion, per-
sistent work through temperance organ
izations to teach men and women that |
the use of intoxicating drinks as bev-
erage is detrimental to themselves, to |
their families and to society, is, | be- |
lieve, the only practical temperance |
work of to-day in the state. The laws |
at present upon our statute books regu- |
lating the liquor traffic are stringent !
ones, and, if enforced to the letter, il |
would be one grand stride toward pro-
hibition, So long, however, as avowed |
prohibitionists allow liquor to be sold |
to minors or habitual drunkards at |
their very doors. So long as temper
ance men do not take sufficient interest |
in town elections to see that none but |
anti-license officers are elected, so long
as the public demands that merchants |
shall keep doubt not many prohibit |
tionists do-upon their shelves as part |
of their stock in trade decoctions la |
belled plantation Bitters," Hop Bit !
tiers" ''Wine of Life &c, composed !
of perhaps one part bad drugs, and
ninety-nlne parts worse whiskey, and
such merchants are willing to forego
their temperance principles for the sake
of 335 per cent. profit on their invest
ment, | have no faith in prohibition.
The Republican party has been in the
past, and, | beehive, will be in the future
for many years the only practical tenn
perance party. Nearly if not quite all
temperance legislation in our state has
been enacted by Republican legislatures
and taking into consideration the
avowed temperance principles of the
leading candidates upon the Republican
ticket. The fact that they are all well
known temperance men, the charge
made by ProhibitioniSts that the liquor
element has complete control of the
party would seem to falsify the facts.
1t was my privilege to serve in Gen.
Rusk's command during the war, the
greater part of the time in position
which enabled me to learn something
of his private habits, and during term
of three years never knew him to taste
a drop of liquor, and you may rest as
Sured that temperate officers were a