New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-04-14
TEuPER4NCE 4GTTATTON.

An inyariable sign of political dulness or OF the
cessation of active political controversy Is inc
agitation of the question of prohlbltory temper
ance legislation. 1t seems to lie always just
under tbe surface of current discussion, waiting
opportunlty to come to the top when the IN
terest in other questions for a moment sub
sides The proper regulation of the sale and
use of intoxicants is one of the unsolved
social and political problems with which men
are forever experimenting without ever reach
ing q satisfactory or final solution. Other
questions come up that seom Tor the mo-
ment, to the majority, more pressing, ana
this is laid aside temporarily; but pres
entity the burning issue ceases to burn, Is
settled, compromised or postponed, and the
Temperance question is brought out by those
who seem to have it in their special keeping
for further experimenting till 1t is again
superseded. 1t is, as used to be SAID OF LAY
g. Martins backing, "always ON hand" III
is one of the unsettled questions that disturb
the peace of parties, if not of nations. With
ont ever having reached the dignity of becOm-
ing national political issue, it has never in
the past thirty years failed of being some
where in the country n local issue OF greater
or less importance. It's influence has been
almost constant in elections in majority or
the smaller cities and towns of New-England
and the North it has several times deter
mined State elections but it has pever
passed over into national politics. Inc
phiosophic political observer cannot have
failed to remark the almost invariable accom-
nanimant of temperance agitation, that the
marty ont of power profits and the dominant
party suffers from IT..
This is accounted for by the fact that the
agitators are a small though very earnest and
energetic class of social reformers who are
unite content with being q mere balance of
mower, if they can reach that point; and
balance of power is always the bane OF ma
iority and the hope of the minority. In other
words, balance of power is necessarily In
the market, and market in which, slngularly
enough, the minority is always the most liberal
bidder. The first pressure for prohibitory leg
islation following the enactment OF the
original law in Maine was practically in
cluded in the period from 1852 to 1853 ;
a time when the defeat of the Wings
and apparent settlement of questions that
had long been current left the field open
for some new agitation. For two OF three
wears Prohibition was the leading question in
many States 1t was the turning point In the
election of Myron III. Clark as Governor In
this State; in all the New-England States it
was the most prominent topic OF discussion;
and it entered more or less into the politics OF
all the States of the North. The Democrats
were almost everywhere dominant at the be-
ginning of the agitation; and they were the
sufferers from it. Such thing as Temper
1856 he had become almost extinct. The
Temperance agitation drove him over to the
new party then forming of the Wing Rump,
the Name Law men, the Know-Nothings, the
Anti Nebraska men and the Free Sellers. OF
course, in the organization of the Repub-
lcan party the chief element was that
which subordinated all other ques-
tons to that of slavery extension as opened
by the Kansas Nebraska bill. But 1t is never
theless true that the beginning of the Demo-
cratic hegira, which left that party limp,
while it strengthened the foundations of the
new organization, was due to the agitation of
the Temperance question.
We are again, to all appearances, in the
midst of period similar to that between 1852
and 1864 period of political liquidation.
No question remains unsettled upon which
party lines may be safely drawn. The Repub-
licans, proud of their twenty years record and
that the peace and prosperity of the country
are due to the establishment of their theories,
and the settlement in accordance thereyith of
ALI the yexed questions, are content with the sit
uation. The Democrats, restless, dissatisfied. and
with the hunger for Office born of twenty
years famine, vainly beat the air for an issue.
1t is a time of unmistakable political dulness.
1t is not strange that at such time the agi-
tation of questions of prohibition. license, etc.,
should be renewed. In some States, as Con-
neoticut for instance, there is talk of an effort
TO put prohibitory provisions into the Consti-