Daily Republican., 1882-09-08
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBAK s. 1854
The Prohibition Issue.

canvass as it does this year, especially
in the Northwestern States. In the
middle and eastern States the issue has
been fought over and over again in vari'
GUS shapes and with various results, but
seldom ever reaching the anticipations
of the most sanguine expectations of
the extreme advocates of prohibition.
In the present political campaign on
progress in Pennsylvania, the breaking
down of old party lines and the forma-
tiDn of new political parties and issues,
but little is said or thought about pro-
hibition and the same is to certain
extent true as regards New York.
There is no use however in shuttingou our
eyes to the fact that in the Southwest
and Mort invest the issue is becoming
prominent, and like the ghost of Ban
quo will not down" at the bidding
of the political leaders of either party.
In Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan
and Wisconein, though the old party
lines remain practically intact, the
question OF constitutional am endment
prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liq.
nors as an article to be drank, to be
submitted to a vote of the people, is the
main issue. To greater or less extent
this issue is dividing the two leading
political parties. The Western Ger
mans, who in very large numbers be-
long to the Republican party, are in the
main opposed to prohibitory principles,
and many of them are breaking away
from their old party affiliations and
uniting with the Democrats, who, in
tho main, oppose extreme prohibitory
measures, and on the other hand large
mum bers of Democrats, who favor
extreme prohibitory measures, are
uniting with the Republicans. But 1t
is not that the Democratic party is
free whiskey party that the anti.prohi-
bitiOnists and anti.temperanCe Ger
mans and others, who believe in the
largest personal liberty, are locking to
it, nor is it that the Republican
party is a prohibition party that Tenn
perance Democrats are flocking to it,
for neither of them measures up to the
standard, so far as to be called either
free whiskey or a prohibition party. 1t
is hard to tell to what extent the pres
ent transformation of issues will effect
sither party. In Ohio there has been
no license law for many years, and this
has practically resulted in the free sale
of Intoxicating liquors, with such in.
curious effect upon the morals and hap
pir ess of large plumber of people, that
the Republican party passed what is
known as the Pound law, a gentleman
of that name being the author OF the
Law. This law is actually not so strict
as the Delaware license law. 1t pro-
vides that all places selling liquor shall
pay license to the State proportionateI
TO the amount of liquor sold, and the Ii,
sense required is not more exacting
than that required in Delaware. In
addition it entirely prohibits the sale of
liquors on Sunday, which is nothing
more than the Delaware law does. and
W hiCh the law in all the States, so far
rs We know, prohibits. The enforce
ment of this law, which would be called !
an extremely moderate law in most of
the States, is the cause of the Temper
ance issue in Ohio. The Republican |
party supports the law, but the Demo
cratic party is On-committal, the plat
form being so ambiguous in terms that
hose who are opposed to Temperance
n easures, readily support the Demo.
cratic party, and those favorable to
find ready and plausible |
excuse for supporting the Republican
party. 1t will be seen from this that
Ohio is really behind nearly all the
other States upon the Temperance ques
lion, as The license question, which is
generally acqniesced in in all but the
prob ibitory Sta, es, is the issue now.
In glanciDg over the States to find
she record Of Temperance sentiment, it
will be seen that the New England
States of Maine, New Hampshire and
Vermont, maintain their long record Of
Kansas two years ago
Joined the prohibition ranks, and re-
caAtly Iowa took a step in advance of
all the prohibition States and has
sun ended her Constitution prohibiting
shs sale of liquor as beverage. The
BuTceBs OF Iowa has started not less
tian len other States upon the same
braRak.
New jersey and Pennsylvania have
local option In quite number of towns;
in two thirds of her counties;
Sontb Carolina in nearly all her rural
districts; Georgia in some forty.two
eOnntiess Alabama in about one-third
of tho State, and in Mississippi, Louisi-
ma, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas.
Tho following record from the New
York Christian Advocate shows the
szift OF fpublic sentiment gradually to-
Ixsxils prohibition: