The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-18
TIE OHIO EMERGENCY.
Cincinnati Commercial (Rep.) April 8


AS for rallying democrats to take the
place of republican Germans, the election
of Monday last is an example that should
be sufficient. The lesson will be repeated
as often as needed. The simple question
at Columbus is whether the Legislators
there asscmbled-elected in spite of the
| teetotal Apple sass Crusade-will throw the
state of Ohio hopelessly into democratic
hands. AS the case stands they have done
it. unquestionably. The Pond bill needs
amendment. That is not disputed. Il
was not adequately discussed, or even toll
erably understood, before passage. 1t was
accepted as we accepted it, as a measure
| that simply taxes saloons and discrimin
ates against the small ones, and as there
wa call to do something this was done
in haste, with u rush, in q panic.
The idea that it would be passed and be
come law, with all its imperfections, and
| that this would be done suddenly and, as
it were, in the twinkling of an eye, did not
occur to us.
All at once, while the sitting stencil of
the canal scandal was filling the public
nostrils, came the news that the crude
Pond bill was a law, and the spring cleo
ton was just at hand.
THE bill was rushed through Just at the
end of the week before the country mem
| bers went home to spend Sunday. They
wanted to divert attention from the cor
rupt and exposed scheme to sell the canals
to the railroad, and thus divert public at
tention from the rascality and bribery bust
ness
The Germans who have heretofore acted
with the republican party, have whether
wisely or not it is needless to discuss fur
thcr) made 1t the occasion of defining their
POSITION and the definition they have Civ
en- is not the less imposing because they
smashed city ticket on account of state
affair.
AS far as the beer is concerned, it does
not become the Scotch or Irish English or
Americans to talk to Germans about the
use of Intoxicating drinks Whatever else
may be in this dispute, malt liquor is pref
cradle to whisky as beverage, and there
are less madness and ruin, less frenzy and
murder in the German than in the Ameri-
can drinking customs. The Germans have
done us great good in teaching that it is
not necessary to get wild with fiery spirit
In order to celebrate an hours social enjoy
ment or a holiday. 1t is stupidity and
know nothingism to say that they muct do
as we do. In the first place, they
they won't. We can learn as much
of them as they of u.s. They
have already helped the National character
by softening the ridiculous rigors of per-
verted Puritanism. The assumption that
we must follow the narrowest path of the
narrowest Yankee is preposterous The
country has outgrown Connecticut, and the
New England experiments in all sorts of
blue laws are not encouraging. The Ger
mans propose to observe Sunday as Martin
Luther did. Our Yankeeism on that sub
ject is about played out. and that which is
left Of it should go.
Without the German Republicans in this
city, this State and this Nation, the Demo-
cratic party has . clear field. If the Re-
publicans of Ohio take the Gasette's pre-.
scription, Hamilton county is good for TO-
600 Democratic majority. The war is over.
Specie payments are restored New cues
tons that may wreck old parties are turn
ing up every day. Party allegiance is,
therefore, less strongly forfeited than for
merly. Millions of Republicans are deeply
dissatisfied with the increasing identified
ton of the party with the high tariff ring
system, and the dry bones rattle when the
wind blows.
In this situation the democratic party