National Republican., 1882-03-29
North Carolina Again.

North Carolina Again.
Our criticism upon the letter of Dr.
Mott, chairman of the Republican State
Committee Of North Carolina, published
i'm Yesterdays REPUBLICAN, would be that
there is no way in which he can establish
his assertion that only about 400 Re-
publicans voted for prohibition last sum-
mer. Ifby any chance the claim made
by others should be true that there were
10000 such Republicans, then it would be
unsafe to assume that so large a number
of our own friends suffered political
death on that occasion. There is no
doubt that the Republican party in North
Carolina must have recruits; no doubt
that there should be Liberal alli-
ance" promoted between the party and
all Democrats who are ready to abandon
their own organization for any reason
whatever. But there would be no liber-
ality in dealing with prohibition Repub-
licans as though they had, in some man
ner, been uniaithful TO the Republican
cause. Chairman Mott says:
The Republican party with its Liberal alliance,
will cooperate with Mr.. Ball and his friends, es.
pecially as he now denounoes this prohibition
measure as an obnoxious abortion; but he ought
not to ask that the mountain go TO Mohammed,
nor that the monarch be beggar to the man.
" Mr.. Ball and his friends" being all
Republicans, the offer that the party and
its Liberal alliance will cooperate Wth
them does not strike us as n good form
of liberalism.
Until the Republican voters of North
Carolina have spoken in convention
through chosen representatives it is not
good politics forany Republican, however
prominent to liken one set to "the mon
arch and their opponent TO " the man."
That is not the road TO harmony.
The long and short of this business is
that there is in North Carolina, as else
where, factional feud. Leaders on each
side declare that they have all the voters,
and that the other side is of "no ac-
count" The battle going on is for leader
determination of the other sine qua non.
There is no way of ascertaining just now
how many Democrats are inclined to act
independently. Our opinion is that the
number will be very few, if they are TO
act with but one division of the Repub-
lican party, because that would promise
defeat. DIR. Mott represents those who
claim that the Republicans are all OPP
posed to prohibition except forty-four
hundred, and seems to think that these
are under some ban. Mr. Keogh, the
former chairman of the State committee,
represents those who think otherwise,
and claims that the great body of the
voters are opposed to any coalition not as
sented toby the whole party. The Repub-
liCan party needs all its voters, and more
Who shall hold the Federal offices is inn
portant to individuals; but how much
more important to the party at
large it is that able and active
leaders should compose their differences
or else submit to the voters OF
the party all matters of party concern
OF course all will do this eventually, and
there is little doubt that the Republican
State convention will be ready for 6
hearty alliance with all who desire tc
crush Bourbonism in North Carolina
We do not want to see any crushing o
Republicans who are good and true, and
who are ready to unite at the proper
time and in a proper way with all Inde
pendents who can themselves be libera
enough to ignore side issues. Bourbon
ism is the enemy to be destroyed, anG
not either side of the liquor question
Anti-prohibition Democrats should be
informed that we are not swapping Pro
hibition Republicans for them, but only
uniting on the ground that prohibition il
a settled question, and that for its intro
duction into North Carolina politics the
Bourbons were really responsible,