New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-21
LIOTOR REBELLION.

LIQUOR REBELLTON
Great political changes. which would other
wise he impracticablc, are sometimes brought
about by a feeling of resentment. 1t Is III
some measure an excuse for the excuses o1
Granger LEGISLATION that they were prompted
by the strong Indignation that hlgh-handed
and defiant conduct on the part OF railroad
officials had aroused. still stronger Illustra-
ton may be found in the overthrow OF slavery.
large majority of the people of this country
had been opposed to abolition. But the inso-
lent and domineering conduct of pro-slavcry
politicians, and their aggressive acts, led to
earnest efforts to restrict the spread OF that
institution, and when these were resisted by
rebellion and war the people were reused to
exterminate the system at any cost. Ii is
question whGher the liquor interest has not
been preparing for itself Il new illustration OF
This principle. The remarkable growth OF the
ProhibitOry sentiment at the West Is certainly
due, in no small degree, to the aggressive, IN
sOcnt and lawdcfying course OF liquor manu-
facturers and liquor dealers. For many years
they have been bullying political parties,
threatening the slaughter of every public man
who did not agree with them, dOmineering
over State and local Governments, resisting
every reasonable effort to restrain their traffic
within such limits as the public welfare de
mandS, and dcfying and generally multiplying
every law for that purpose. In short, their
behavior has been exactly like that OF the
Southern slave-drivers, and, like the South,
they have arrayed themselves iii open hostility
to law. In effect they are in rebellion against
the civil authority, and have thus reused
feeling which has passed an abolition amend
ment i'll Iowa.
In Missouri, notwithstanding its Democratic
| majority, the same tendency appears. n
| strong body of voters demands opportunity TO
settle the question by direct vote. EX-GOv-
| ernOr Brown, politician who has more than
once anticipated the drift Of public sentiment,
has addressed a letter to the leader of the
| Prohbhonisis in which he strongly urges the
submission of a constitutional amendment to
| the people A strong element in the Repub-
lican party is demanding State Conven-
ton for the purpose of urging this measure
! The seuseless intolerance of the liquor inter-
est has been shown nowhere else more fire.
quently or Extensively than in that State, and
the Republicans may not unnatnrally conclude
| that they have nothing to lose by insisting
| that the people shall have opportunity to vote
or the subject as they please. In Indiana,
also, powerful tendency in the same direc-
| ton has appeared Meanwhile the conduct of
| the liquor interest in ONO, in the political
| campaign now pending, is cmiucntly c4lcu-
| lated to hindle the same feeling. For that
| whole interest is not merely in active rebellion
against very moderate laws enacted for the
regulation of the traffic, but threatening, if it
can, to defeat the Republican party merely be-
cause il is not in favor Of untaXed liquor and
abolition of the Sabbath.
1t would be we'll for tho liquor manuiac-
turcrs and liquor dealers to consider calmly to
what end they are drifting. Already THEN
| extraordinary insolence has made hosts of
enemies among those who have no theO-
retica or practical regard for temperance.
There is no other kind of business under
the sun that has SO persIstenty and in
decently dictated to political parties, and 10
other lawful business has so constantly viO-
lated and insolcntly dciied the laws. The
people have power, whenever they please, TO
declare that business contrary to public policy,
and to make it unlawful. This majority III
most of the States have not seen fit to do, ali
the time hoping that moderate and reasonable
regulations for the protection of the public
welfare might be devised and enforced without
that restriction of individual liberty which
Prohibition would involve. But if the liquor
interest resists, and rcsents any and every
regulation for the public good, defes laws,
teTorizes over parties. browbcats public
officials, brides voters, and seeks to punish
with political death every man who advocates
any measure Of restraint whatever, how long
viii it be before the wrath OF the people viii
be aroused to abolish the traffic entirely
Those VINO hold that this would be unwise and
unjust, il they have good sense, will take
especial care to see that resistance to moderate
regulations is not permitted TO prevail.