The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-17
Ohio.


The action Of the Prohibition Conyen
zion which assembled in Ohio the othel
dav must have been source OF eonsidera
HE surprise TO the Republicans OF tha
State. II certainly was 20 us. We had nc
expectation Of learning that the Prohibition
Convention OF this year was the largest
that ever assembled there, as il Is reported
TO have been; nor that The Prohibitionis's
would as a party oppose so changing the
State Constitution as TO allow licenses ioE
the sale Of spirituous liquors 10 W
taxed. For thirty years the hquo'
traffic has remained untaNed III Onio
because the State Constitution has All '"",
time forbidden any licenses to De 'ssueu
legalizing that traffic. We had suPpo,eo
that eyoryb body in Ohio had beco'ne us
sa,iseed with that constitutional provision,
e,nce /, opcrated only to allow everybody
who chose 10 do so TO sell liquors without
license. Nobody who has ever been IN
Cincinnati needs 10 be told how thick
Neutrality-suspicious. are in that city. The
prohibi,ionists. however, stand. IL seems,
~ they have stood FOR thirty yearS-Super
onf;o,ias riaS. They hold that the best
way 10 fight the evils Of intemperance is to
refuse TO countenance In any way the traffic
in spirituous liquors.
The Republican Legislature last winter
proposed two amendments to the Constitu-
Iion on this suliect-one allowing the
traffic 10 be prohibited, and the other, we
think. allowing 10 TO be regulated by law;
and the Republicans calculated that The
Prohihiiionists would accept the one or
the other Of these propositions as a COM
promise, and vote for the Republican can
didate for Governor. But not so. The
largest Prohibition Convention ever held
in Ohio. consisting Of three hundred dele
gates. nominated on Thursday last ticket
of their own. 1t brought out candidates
for all the State offices.
We know next TO nothing yet as to the
strength Of this movement; but we do
know that the Republicans look upon it as
calculated to diminish their chances Of sue
cess. The New York Tribune expresses
the Republican feeling on the subject in
the following words:
"By nominating a State ticket the Pro-
hibitiOnistS OF Ohio have played directly
into the hands OF the Democrats. 1t is i'm
possible 10 understand by what process OF
reasoning they thought this would benefit
the cause OF temperance. The Republicans
are in favor Of giving the people OF the
State a chance 10 vote for prOhibiory
amendment, a. well rs on policy fayoTlng
fbe restriction OF the sale Of liquor. What
faircr attitude could be assumed? None,
certainly. The Democrats, on the other
hand. practically favor free rum. Despite
this plain situation the ProhibiliOniSts have
turned from The only party that ever has
done anything for temperance to the one
that has always been against il. They
could not have pleased their worst enemies
better"
The Tribune forgot 90 mention that the
last Republican Legislature repealed the
Sunday law and the law prohibiting drink
ing on the premises. 1t was for this rea-
son more than any other, we suppose, that
the ProhibitionistS refused to act with the
Republicans. II they could countenancc
those measures, they could cOuntenance the
Democrats without straining their con-
sciences much.
The running Of Prohibitionist for Gov
ernor will help the Democratic candidates,
as the Tribune says. 1t will insure his
election ir the movement has much strength,
Democratic success being highly probable
even in the absence Of a Prohibition nOmi-
nee. Ii Judge HoADLY be elected Govern
or, he may possibly be nominated for
President of the United States next year,
and thus the Ohio ProhibitionistS may
have unintentionally helped to make
Democratic President.
Another result will follow. The compe-
tition for the Democratic nomination for
Governor will become stronger. We do
not consider it probable, but it is at least
possible, that Judge HOADLY may be de-
feated OF that nomination and new man
be brought forward. The only objection
we know to Judge lIOADLY is that Senator
THURMAN, the best Democrat in OHIO if not
in the Union, is opposed to his nomination.