The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-10-07
Not Party-NOt Men-But Votes.

Under the action of the Temperance Alliance
of this county, we have the Local Option aues-
ton eliminated of every embarrassment and
obstacle to perfectly fair and full expression
of public sentiment, and so related to those
who shall be chosen to the next Legislature as
to ensure compliance with the popular will.
beth political parties have agreed to have the
imprint of "For Local Option" and against
Local Option" on all the ballots. Both have
agreed that majority of the votes cast on the
question of submission shall have the force of
OF a vote of instruction. And the candidates of
both parties have given their pledge that they
will be governed by this vote of instruction in
their capacity as representatives without regard
to their individual opinions on the subject. No
question, whatever, remains, as between the
parties, for the consideration of temperance men,
They stand, in their relations to this question,
exactly alike And there can be but one question
as to the candidates in the field. 1t may be
asked, "Cau l trust that man, even under this
threefold bond-the agreement on the part of the
authorities of his party, majority vote of his
constituency, and his own personal pledge?"
If the voter decides that he cannot, he has found
man to whom he could not give his vote on any
ground whatever; for such man must be gen
orally untrustworthy. He need not, therefore,
put his opposition to him on temperance
grounds but on the general grounds of unrela-
bility. But may it not be said, with very great
confidence, that there is no man, on either ticket
who can not be trusted to unite with the dele
gallOu IN asking Local OptlOn Law at the
hands of the Legislature, in compliance with
the terms of this arrangement an his own SOL
emn pledgey
Thus, by the cooperation of both political
parties, with the Temperance Alliance, to this
end The temperance question has been taken absolute
IN ont Of partypolitics. The relations of temper
ance to the parties has been settled and we
have nothing more to do in that direction, ex-
cept 1t be, to carry out our agreement in good
faith. The relations of temperance with the
candidates are also settled and we need make
no choice between them on account of temper
ance. They all stand alike under our plan.-
The temperance Democrat or Republican re-
spectively, can vote his own straight ticket, or
he can cut and scratch it as he pleases As tenn
perance men that is no affair of ours and while
FREQ to do all this, he can vote for or against
localoption. Under this arrangement, it does
not matter to us, in our capacity as Temperance
men, which party triumphs or what candidates
are elected. They are all under the same bonds
We have surrendered the principle of represen-
taton, and taken instead the principle of i'll
struction because it serves our purpose best !;
and now 1t Is incumbent upon us to maintain
our integrity by standing to our chosen plan
With no political party to serve, and no candi-
dates to elect or defeat, the one work we have
to do is to get votes for local option. We count
all else done. On this must he centred every en-
ergy, with zeal and perseverance becoming
cause so vital to every interest of our common
humanity.
r. r r