The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-11-14
TEMPERANCE IN roL1T1os.

During the history OF the Demo-
cratic party no Democratic state ever
passed a prohibitory law. The party
has always held that such laws vir-
tually c~onfiscated the property of
others, therefore no Democratic plat
form countenanced prohibition. In
several Eastern and Western States
constitutional provisions have been
called into existence to kill the liquor
business in every form and con6scate
property invested in distilleries and
breweries. Statistics shew that in
temperance has not been checked by
the operation OF such laws. and yet
we find the Republican party ever
ready to commit itself to the prohib-
itory policy. Attic last election in
Ohio over 800 900 Republican votes
were given to secure a prohibitory
amendment to the constitution of
that State. In New York the Repub-
licans in their State platform have
pledged themselves to submit such a
provision to the people. They now
have the power to do this, and will
probably keep their promise. The
amendment will be defeated and will
lose that State to the Republicans at
the next general election.
Intemperance cannot be rooted out
of the land by legislation. No politi-
cal body can legislate a moral idea
into a man. It may prevent the
brewing and distillation Of intoxi-
cants in a State and prohibit the sale
of the same. Still the appetite of the
man for strong drink is not reached.
1t may remove spirits from his imme-
diate neighborhood, but the rebellious
spirit of the man will devise ways to
get it-not by the single drink, but
by the gallon, keg Or barrel. The adj
vanced thinkers of the day recognize
this fact and recommend a change in
the warfare against intempersnce.
They have learned that temperance
10 out Of its place in politics; that it
must be removed from the political
arena and fought for independent Of
extraneous aid. They have also
learned that prohibitory as we'll
as other laws fail when
public opinion does not sustain them.
No matter how stringent they may
be or what penalties may be imposed
for their violation they will not nor
cannot be enforced unless the sympa
thy of a community be given them.
This is not always done and when
the exception is made the cause Of
temperance is weakened and its adj
vocates discouraged.
Its removal from politics will place
the cause upon higher ground. In
stead of an appeal being made for the
temperance vote the appeal is made
to the Incorporate voter. The fight
is made with him personally. The
fear Of the law is removed from him
and the terrible consequences Of in
temperance Is pictured before his
gaze. His better nature, not his fears,
is appealed to. This is the old plsn
of conducting temperance crusades,
but the old plan has never been inn
proved upon. A convert to temper
ance made by it is generally Il stay
ing one, but prohibitory laws never
made a disciple of the cause. Hence
as has been remarked, those who
have given deep thought to the suo-
ject are in favor Of removing it en-
tirely from the field Of political
strife.
Temperance has no more business
in politics than religion has. 1t is
purely a question of morals, and like
all other moral subjects it is fully
able to stand alone on its merits.
When it is made an aid for this
party or that party to obtain office
the cause is prostituted and raises
up enemies where it otherwise would
have found friends. 1t is a noble
cause and always suffers when its ad-
vocates suffer it to be dragged down
in the mire of politics.