Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-01-04
OUTSIDE OPINIONS.
How Temperance Reformers View the Present
Situation and Their Remedies.


How Temperance Ref0rmers View the Present
Situation and Their Remedies.
"A short time ago the Chicago Adyo-
cate, a religious paper, sent out circu-
lars to representative temperance men
all over the country, asking an answer
to the following questions:
l. What ought to be done in regard
to the temperance question nowP
2. What ought to be attempted?
3. Ought there to be a third paTtye
Answers were received from twenty
four persons condensed as follows:
The Rev. DR.. Herrick johnson, Of
Chicago, would agitate, would avoid all
side issues, including woman suffrage;
would seat men in the next legislature
pledged to vote for the submission of
the question of constitutional prohibition
to the people. and would put third party
candidates in the field only where neith-
er the Republican nor the Democratic
candidate will pledge himself to vote
for the submission of a prohibition
amendment.
The programme of j. l.. Withrow, of
Boston, includes increased energy and
activity oil the part of good citizens and
Christians, and the formation of a new
party drawn out from the two dominant
parties rather than the employment of
the old third party.
A.. +. Sheriff., of Omaha. does not be-
lieye in third parties, but looks upon
the improvement of men through the
gospel as of the greatest helps to
temperance. Nj. NJ. Dana, of St. Paul,
doesn't believe the time has come for
q third party, but would like to see other
States follow in the wake of Kansas and
Iowa. Frank Russell, of Mansfield,
Ohio, is no more in favor of a temper
ance party than he is of an anti-taritf
party or a monogamy party. He would
punish the drinker instead of pettng
him, and scientifically educate the chill
dren to temperance principles.
George G. Adams, of st. Louis, has
no confidence in the ability OF a third
party to accomplish the absolute pro-
hibition of the liquor traffic, and this,
he is convinced, is what Prohibitionists
should aim at. James W. Strong, of
Mortified, MINI, would keep the ques-
tion to the front, ignore existing parties
where Prohibitionists cannot work
through them and form q new one. The
~ tlllGLi lcoIG 10 ~ oOOul0 ~ SOAlSilItt-
tional prohibitory amendment in every
State as soon as possible.
r. Cordley of Emporia, Kan, would
have the question discussed not by peri
patetic tramps, but by the trusted leader
of thoughtin pulpit and press, andwould
attempt to close the saloons. He doubts
the wisdom of a third party, but adj
vises that the best men everywhere COM
bine and insist on the recognition of
temperance in all political circles and
all official councils. N. A. Hyde, of
indianapolis, does not believe that a
third party would further the temper
ance cause, but thinks that the question
should be taken out of party politics
altogether, as there are many friends of
temperance in both existing parties.
George G. Noyes of Evanston, is m
phatically against the formation of a
third party. He would enforce high H.
cense, would shut up the saloons, and
would press with tenfold greater earn
estness the gospel remedy in the gospel
spirit.
The ideal plan of A. f. Beard, of
Syracuse, N. T., contemplates National
as well as State legislation to delegatize
the manufacture, importation, and sale
of alcoholic drinks, the patient and re-
solute education of the people with this
idea in view, and the letting go Of no
good in the attempt to secure the inn
possible better. As a great party can
not live in a great country on one issue,
the mission Of a third party would be
simply to hold the balance of power.
IL. NJ. Storrs, of Orange, N. j., does
not think a third party would be a sue
cess en- perDl0nence on such an issue.
j. Morgan Smith, Of Grand Rapids,
Mich, believing that you can regulate
by law what you cannot exterminate,
and holding that temperance in its very
nature is aregulative virtue, would 10Y
and always push regulatiye laws. As
temperance is not a political matter, as
no party OF any Importance a be
created which will not abandon tenn
perance for matters really political,
and as no temperance patty can give
any new political power to a voter, he
believes that temperance men forsake
their own principles when they organize
as a party, and are witnessing to their
cause before the wrong tribunal. Be
cause made-up parties have their day
and cease to be, he opposes the forma-
ton of a third party.
j. L. Rankin, of Washington, be-
lieves the prohibitionists should make
a thorough National organization, not
as a political party, but to use the party
that will be the most useful to them.
As u third party viii for years throw
the administration of National affairs
into the hands of the foes of freedom
and prohibition, he thinks Prohibition
lists are better out of a third party than
in it. He would let Christian women
manage the politics of temperance for
the present.
r. NJ. Hatfield, of Evanston, doubts
the utility of a distinct third party at
the present time, but he believes that
temperance should stand firmly by the
truth that alcoholic drinks are I'M
necessary and injurious and their manu-
facture and sale a sin against God and
a crime against humanity.
Frank p. Woodbury., of Rockford,
would encourage the largest sympathy
and cooperation in working against
i~ntemperance through any of the meth
DDS pursued by its antagonists; but as
a third party would tend to take away
from each of the present great parties
all pressure of responsibility for tenn
perance legislation, he questions the
wisdom of an attempt to form one.
John II. Barrows, of Chicago, be-
lieves that a thirdparty is only a ques-
ton of a few years, and L. Blakesley
OF Topeka, thinks that if the Republi-
can party does not take up the tenn
perance question, a new party will be
formed that will. To Charles Z. Col
Inns of Cleveland, the temperance ques-
ton in both its legal and moral aspects
seems a local one, and j. N. Hilton of
Denver, Col, holds that there ought not
to be a third party until there is a
stronger sentiment in favor of temper
ance legislation. Without this public
sentiment he believes that an effort for
a third party will only place in power
the party which has no sympathy with
temperance reform.