The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-06-03
For the Free Trader
VIII Jonah swallow tho Whale2

A quaint clergyman puts it shusly: THE
Republican whale has carried Jonah long
time In her BELLY. e. the Republican party
has absorbed the prohibition party. "Now the
question for today is, will the Republican
party throw Jonah up, high and dry, upon the
land, that he may preach repentance TO the
people of Nineveh?" We doubt if she will
voluntarily. What must We do! Why, make
the whale sick and she will be forced to throw
him up. But the Republican party cries lin
gratitude! lngratitude! We are the only par
ty that ever tostered the prohibition party"
Well, We will give the devil his due; let us
see The records say: The Maine law was
first passed IN 1851, the legislature being deu.o.
cratic, and 1t WAS signed by Gov. Hubbard q
Democratic Governor. Before the Republican
party came into power in that state the law
had become 80 strongly intrcnched in the pub.
lie confidence that no party dared advocate its
repeal, and now, no matter whether the Repub.
lCans, Democrats or Green hackers are in power
the prohlbitory law Is lett untouched for its re.
peal would damn any party that attempted it.
Vermont WAS the second state to adopt prOhibi.
ton, bnt 1t was the old Wing party that was
in power. The Republican party accepted it
for the same reason that 1t did in Maine New
Hampshire was the third state to enact prohi.
bltion, both houses Of the Legislature being
Democratic, but the Governor vetoed It, In
1855 the Know Nothing party came into power
and gave the state prohibition, and the Repub-
lican party has SIMPLY acquiesced In this
piece of Know Nothing legislation Connec-
ticut was the next IN the list of prohibitory
states, but it was the Know Nothing party
that placed 1t upon the statute books The
Democratic party afterwards repealed the law
and the Rppu hlipup "a.
repeal. In Massachusetts the Know Nothing
party adop.ed prohibition and the Republtcan
party repealed it, at the demand of the whisky
power. New York adopted prohibitory law
in 1884 and 1t was vetoed by Democratic
Governor That fall the Wing party carried
the state and re-enacted the law, but il failed
through an adverse decision of the Supreme
Court In Michigan and Iowa, the anti Ne.
braska party, before the organization of the
Republican party passed prOhibitory laws, and
the action OF the latter party has been in the
direction OF weakening rather than strength
ening these laws, This completes the list of
the states that have adopted prohibitory legis.
lation. In Wisconsin, Kentucky. Texas, In.
diana, Pennsylvania and Illinois, local option
or civil damage laws have been passed, but
these have been intended rather to allay TEN.
pcrance agitation than to control the LIQUOR
u oihS, "iN p''h hoNS snuICu TIC
sponsibility about equally In Kansas, Iowa
aud North Carolina, constitutional amend
ments have been submitted to the people; in
the two former states the Republican party
being entitled 10 the credit, and In the latter
the Democratic party being entitled tot. Now
how about the Republican party being the
temperance party ofthe country! The claim is
not good. Neither party dare antagonizc the
whisky party since 1t has become formidable
power In the politics Of the country, and both
parties are willing to get rid of Jonah by
throwing him up If he becomes IN the least
abstropulus or noisy. In Iowa, they vote
on the amendment on the 27th of June
INST, and all three of the leading politi.
cal parties are advocating the restrictive or
prohibitory measurc-sensible. The Iowa
newspapers are making it hot tor King Alco-
hol. Listen TO this: There are 10000 ma.
MACS in the land, and 10000 idiots made 30
through strong drink. Its whole track Is that
of Shiny, filthy monster, whose breath poi.
sons the whole atmosphere; whose bite isi n