The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-05-27

! Temperance Politics.
The more advanced" temperance people of
this county have organized themselves into a
Iiulltledged political party, having appointed
i their county central committee taken steps to
organize the towns into clubs and made all
the preliminary arrangements for calling dele
gate conventions at the proper time to nomi-
nate candidates for office.
While the democrats, who are opposed to
sumptuary legislation, and therefore can have
no sympathy with the aims of the pfohibi-
tonists, can find no fault with such action on
the part OF the temperance people, but readily
concede that it Is the only consistent course
open to them. The republican party are very
much worked up on the subject Of temperance
political organization, claiming that their par
ty Is in sympathy with the temperance men,
and that all their objects can be attained by
acting with the republicans. On that point
the sincere prohlbltionists and the republican
leaders are decidedly at variance, and we think
with abundant cause, the truth Is, that re.
publican sympathy with the prohibitionlsts is
essentially and thoroughly hypocrlticsl. 1t IS
confined solely to localities where the temper
ance sentiment is dominant, but in opposite
localities, such as the larger cities, where pro.
hbltion is unpopular, the republicans can
even out Herod the democrats in their devO-
ton TO anti sumptuary claims and professions.
This fact is we'll set forth IN the following
article from the Bloomington PrOhtbitsonist,
which, as the temperance party in this region
have no organ, we publish at the request of
prominent members of that organization:
1 DON'T UNDERSTAND 1T.
Somehow it seems impossible for republican
politicians to understand why temperance men,
who have heretofore acted with the republican
party, can vote for prohibition, thereby weak.
ening the republicans and indirectly help
ing the democrats. If these republican politl.
clans could realize that there are men IN the
country who care more for consistency and
principle than they do for mere party success,
lthey would have no trouble III understanding
that temperance men are sincere and logical
i in their action. The temperance men believe
that the liquor traffic is today the greatest enc
my this country has, but they find the republi
can party and republican politicians currying
flavor with the saloon element precisely as the
democratic party and democratic politicians
do, and realizing that they have nothing to
hope for from either, they simply propose to
step out by themselves and leave the two wills
XIV parties 10 fight the matter oat among them.
selves, and they have not particle OF interest
In which comes out ahead, knowing that In
either case whisky is the victor.
For years the republican politicians, while
making great professions of regard for temper
ance, have ignored every demand made by the
sober and Christian element of the party, and
met without discount every demand made ap.
on them by the whisky ring, and the temper
ance element of the party has at last become
disguised with the hypocrisy and double deal
ing of the party and resolved to come out OF
the whisky worshipping ranks, and now the
republican office-hOlders and ofiice.seekers
who begin to realize that without the aid OF
the very men whose just and reasonable de,
mands they have treated with contempt they
cannot retain their places at the public crib
raise u piteous cry and beg the temperance
men TO save them from the democratic wolf
Gentlemen politicians, you ask too much
i The democratic party with all Its meanness As
no meaner and no greater danger to the coun
try than you by your unholy alliance with Sa
loon keepers and bummers have proven your
selves 90 be- AS between republican whisky
and democratic whisky temperance men nave
no choice Saloons licensed by virtue OF re
publican votes are no less deadly IN thaif
effects than saloons licensed by virtue of dem
ocratic votes There is just one way for the
republican party of this city, state and nation
TO save itself from democratic rule. and that is
to honestly give up its unholy alliance with
gror.shops and plant itself upon solid temper
ance ground The time has gone by when The
temperance issue can be ignored. IL has come
to stay, and we say to the republican polit
clans of this county and congressional district
that it Is useless To attempt to brighten temper
ancc men from the line of principle and duty
by invoking democratic spooks Temperance
men have more reason to fear republican by
pocrlsy and republican subserviency to whisky
than they have to fear democratic ascendency
/ The democrats can't sell out To the WHISKY
ring more completely or more disgraceiuiiy
than the republicans have. 1t is SIX OF ont
and a half dozen of the other, and consistent
temperance men will get out of both.