The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-11-07
Temperance.
Prohibition and Practical Politics.


We are no enemies Of impracticability
in politics. We understand that not only is
the zone with God" an actual majority,
but that, if the one will stand by his posi-
ton, he will grow to be visible majority
among men. That is the way that few
abolitionists grew into the liberty party,
and the liberty party into the free soil
party, and the free soil party into the re-
publican party with it's long history of
triumph. This is, in American history,
the one great example of impracticable
politics proved practical; an example
which no sanguine theorizer tires of quot
ing.
Of course the prohibition candidate for
governor of Minnesota makes the most of
the example and its principle in the letter
of rebuke which has been published.
That is all there is to say, and he says it
we'll enough, telling how "the weak
things of the world I've have heard the
quotation before" confound the things
which are mighty" But as the poor are
not all alike, there being the Lords poor,
the DEVILS poor and the poor devils, so
there are varieties of "weak things" and
when Goo wishes to confound any
" mighty things" he selects his "weak J"
instruments with discrimination. The
woman's temperance crusade is evidently
one of his chosen instruments. We see
no evidence that Charles Evans Holt with
all his allied political prohibitionists is
either called or chosen for that purpose.
The abolitionists did right to separate
and form new party. Why? Because
they could do nothing else. They were
not wanted in either of the old parties.
The wings did not want them the demo.
Gratis did not want them. They had to
60 by themselves, because they could
work in neither party. Both parties we're
hopelessly agreed to prevent all legislation,
except in the interest of slavery.
The case with temperance legislation
is quite different. Men in both parties
are willing to take up the temperance
question and legislate upon it. Nobody
is road out of his party for urging prohi.
bition or home protection or restrictive
taxation. In the northern states the ma.
jor part of the republican party, and, in
the South very large part of the demo
cratic party are in favor of severe repres
| sion. Several states have inaugurated
total prohibition, and others severe re-
striction. In Iowa the people, chiefly
republicans, have once enacted total pro
hibitioD, and are now repeating their in
terdict as fast as circumstances will allow
In Minnesota the same good work is go
ing on, and the republican party is doing
its part in it. There is absolutely nj
comparison with the state of public ant
political sentiment on the slavery ques
tion thirty-fve years ago. 1t is case o.
utter contrast.
Therefore, we not only see no use for
political temperance party, but we do se
that it is as mischievous as it is uncalled
for. In such states as Ohio and Mime
sofa, where effective temperance legisla
ton can be speedily hoped for from tn,
republican party, its only task is to weaker
the temperance element in that party, t,
endanger its success, and to imperil or i'm
pede temperance legislation. 1t is acros
the path of righteous practical methods
OF righteous practical politics. We will
not say that it is the refuge of cross
eyed, oblique-witted, dresm-walking o
slsep-talking Missionaries in ethics, blu
we will say that men who are wise an,
soberminded, as we'll as earnest, are, witt
few known exceptions, found elsewhere.
What chiefly passes for an argumen
with the little so-called political party o
prohibitionists is the assertion that prohi
bition is 30 exclusively right that, as Car
didate Holt says, "every Christian vote
ought to insist that this grand remedy b
tried" BY this he means that ever
Christian should insist on total prohib
ton, ard work for and accept nothing
less, even though he knows that total pre-
hibition cannot be had, and that it coul,
not be enforced if enacted. We can onl
say that this is supremely silly. Beform
go by stages. You cannot get total pre-
hibtion till you have proved partial pre-
hibition a success or failure. If absC
lutte prohibition is an absolute good, the
partial ohibition-whatever name 70
give to it, high license or local option
a partial good. If that can be had an
will shut up half the dram-shops, the
for heavens sake give us that as step t
the better thing. The man who canno
vote for partial prohibition by taxatio
because somebody has given it the mil
leading name of license, is too shor
sighted to forego glasses.
Therefore Candidate Holt does not cor
vince us with all his piousness and Scril
ture. So far as we can we will make tn
temperance issue question for good cit
zsns in both parties. We will do our be:
to put it into the platform and campag
in every state, and we hope our demo
cratic friends will do the same. We wi
vote for total prohibition in the legisl'
ture, and when that fails we will vote fc
the next best thing that will carry tn
public sentiment which we are helpin