The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-09-06
Prohibition.



that 1t was with reluctance you complied
with the request to publish the proceedings
of the Lorain County Prohibition Convention
on account of the statements contained in its
first resolution against the Republican par
ty, and in your "observations" upon II, you
were doubtless correct in the statement that
the ''real Significance of such a request (as
you understood it) did not occur" to the one
VINO made it. Had the Secretary of the Con-
vention been aware that to ask a party or
gan" to publish anything against its party
was a breach of "good taste'' and 'the ordin-
ary rules of politeness," he doubtless would
not have committed the impropriety, yet if
the things alleged in that resolution against
the Republican party are true, it was a wise
and benefcent act of the ENTERPRISE to pub
lish them, notwithstanding it was done under
protest, and as the drift of your ''observa-
tions'' seems to deny their truthfulness,
will, with your permission, give to your rea-
ders the proof of their verify.
The substance of what the resolutions al
legged against the Republican party, is, that
it is now under the control of leadership,
which has no honest purpose to rid our state
of the terrible curse of the drink traffic; that
its professions of loyalty to the Temperance
interest are hollow, and that by trying to
steer its course between the temperance and
the liquor interest, for party success, it is
compelled to act on the principle of double
dealing, which Is more detestable and OBJ
structive to the progress of the temperance
cause than undisguised espousal of the Ii
quor interest. (The go-betweens in a moral
battle are always in the way of the triumph
of the rightly Now N proof of these allega-
tions against tho Republican party, we bring
forward some facts in its history, "By their
fruits ye shall know them," some Of its fruits
are as follows:
1. When this party had fair majority in
the Legislature it denied the petition for a
local option law, signed by over 100000 of
the people. 1t was not suffered even to come
up before the body for consideration, but
was treated with silent contempt. Yet after
wards the Legislature made great show OF
labor to pass some kind of an act that the
people never asked for, but which was de-
signed to satisfy the liquor interest.
1t was well known that three times in the
history of the State the people had declared
by vote, their opposition to the drink traffic,
and had another opportunity been given
them by the I.assage of a law they petitioned
for, they would have done the same thing
again, and why was this denied them? Let
the walls where Governor Foster and the Ii.
quor men were closeted together and gave
counsel in the matter, answer.
2. By reason Of its go-between policy, this
party was compelled to practice double deal
ing in its treatment of the Smith Sunday
law. Having passed this righteous act un'
der the pressure of a peoples convention
brought to bear upon it. There followed, in
consequence, a threatened withdrawal of the
liquor supporters from the party, and under
the pressure of this impending danger, and
| to avert it, the party in its recent State Con-
vention refused to endorse this law. Some
of the Republican papers had the mora
courage to characterize this obsequiousness
to the liquor power as an act of moral cowar
dice. But the Prohibitionists are likely tc
effect depletion in the Republican ranks
and now the party leaders arc trying to show
bold front against the ''liquor rebellion
in order to win support from the temperance
side. And SO the Republican policy wires in
and wires out, leaving the people still In
doubt whether its course upon the track i.
toward the dram shop or turning back.
| We are told by the Republican press, tha
Governor Foster has sounded the key not,
of the Republican campaign" which is IL
fight slow dives'' with the blunderbuss of Ii.
quor taxation or license, and so drive the
liquor business into the hands Of the ''higf
dives" as liquor oligarchy, which will dea
out liquor and get men drunk in q respeeta-
BILE manner according to law. And for th'
legal grant TO run this deadly business, will
pay into the treasury OF the State part oi
its profits. This is the result AIMED at in the
| Governors proposed method Of temperance
warfare, and the ENTERPRISE tells us thai
this is the best that can be done, for 'twt
have not the votes at present to secure pro
hibition," yet it claims that "three foarths ol
the Republican party are in favor of it, and
would vote for it tomorrow, il there was &
majority for it. AS this Is not the case, it is
better to tax the liquor traffic to obtain in
part a money compensation for the evils II
inficts on society. 1t does not tell us what
amount of tax would in part compensate FOL
bodies killed, souls destroyed and families
ruined, by this respectable legalized business
But Is a reason for attempting to inaugu-
rate in the State the Governors policy of IL
cense under the disguise OF liquor taxation
we are told by the ENTERPRISE that the tenn
peranee element is now strong enough to dc
it. II this be true, this element must haYe
made astonishing progress under Pepubli-
can rule. 1t has advanced so far tina. we are
now able to go back and try the license sys-
tenn oyer again as a remedy for intemperancC
faNo
sgo as cheat and sham, and provided q
safeguard against its introduction again
| into the State by constitutional Inhibition
Now IL the temperance element has progress.
ed so far as to be able to remove this safe
guard and let in upon us the curse of this
system again, how long, az this rate of ad.
vancement, will 1t take to usher in upon us
the day of temperance triumph? But seri.
| ously, who, that has any just sense of the
righteous principles which should govern in
civil affairs, can dwell upon the present con.
trolling politics and not feel sick at heart.
He will look in vain to find any sound priuci.
Piles of craftsmanship at their bottom. They
have become the ever varying maneuverings
of political demsgogues TO get themselves in.
to Office and into power, and IL the people do
not arise in the strength OF their united votes
and cast off the yoke Of these degrading pol
itics, they will prove themselves unworthy
of the name of freemen. 1t will now be ap-
propriate to PROFOUND to the ENTERPRISE q
few questions:
1st If, as you say, the money obtained in
the drink traffic is 'ill gotten gain" can the
State license the practice of obtaining this
unjust gain or share in Its profits, without
becoming involved in its crime and guilt?
End. III, as you say, we cannot now abolish
this wrong by prohibition votes, is it right in
the meantime, for any consideration, to le-