The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-10-02
The Ohio Campaign.


The Ohio election will occur a week from
to-day, and until that time politics will be
lively in that State as indeed they have been
for month past. The vote is expected to
be the largest ever cast. One cause of this
extraordinary interest being the fact that
two constitutional amendments affecting the
liquor traffic are to be voted upon, and the
moral elements of the population have been
stirred up irrespective of party to make a
record on the issue. The last legislature
submitted to the popular vote two amend
ments of the constitution as follows:
First. "The General Assembly shall regulate the
traffic in intoxicating liquors SO as to provide
against evils resulting therefrom and its power to
levy taxes assessments thereon is limited by
any provision of the constitution"
Second. 1.-THE manufacture of and traffic in in
toxicating liquors, to be used beverage are for
ever prohibited, and the General Assembly shall
provide by law for the enforcement of this proyis-
ton.n
AT present the constitution forbids licens.
ing the sale of liquors, a provision which
has stood in the way of efficient regulation
of the traffic. The first amenment is de-
signed to give the legislature the power it is
now without. The second amendment was
submitted to give the prohibitionists a chance
to show their strength, but with little expec-
tation that it would have formidable sup
port. The latest advices however indicate
that it will receive great vote and its adop-
tion is not now regarded as an impossibility.
Its friends were early in the field and with
an efficient organization and plenty of speak
ers, they have worked for this one object. A
prohibition ticket for State officers was
nominated but that has been generally ne
elected. The amendment Is the issue upon
which all the strength of the prohibition
party has been spent and they solicit votes
for 1t without regard to the political prefer
cnces of the voters. They will present at
the polls the tickets of all the political par
ties in connection with votes for the amend
ment, and are comparatively Indifferent as
to what candidates are voted for if the
amendment is supported
The churches and the temperance organ
izations have .cooperated to urge the secoDd
amendment upon the attention of the peo-
pie. For some time there has been an aver
age of 70 second amendment meetings daily
in the State, and it is said that during this
last week there viii be not far from three
hundred such meetings daily. This far ex-
ceeds the number of party meetings al
though these will be unusually numerous
In almost all the country towns the ladies'
are organized to distribute second-smend-
ment tickets at the polls and it is seriously
considered whether they will not also
attend 9he polls in the cities. 1t is really a
great effort that is making and wonderful
degree of enthusiasm has been aroused. A
majority of all the votes cast is required to
carry either amendment.
This great uprising of the moral and reig-
ious elements of the population on the sub
ject of temperance will help the Republican
party in the election. 1t calls out the re-
serves whose participation in an election is
almost sure to give the Republicans victo-
ry. Moreover the Republican party gave
the temperance people the opportunity they
restrictions of the liquor traffic while the
Democratic party has placed itself in the po-
sition of opposing all restriction and
courted on alliance which has been openly
formed with the manufacturers and traders
in liquors, the distilIers and the saloon
keepers. The party had sins enough to an
swer for before; but by this action it has
forfeited the confidence of all those who do
not favor free trade in rum. Judge Hoadly,
its candidate for Governor, is smirched
with the notorious corruption of the State
convention. In the city of Cincinnati the
party is split by the quarrel between Nc
Lean and Pendleton. Hoadly has been
sick and out of the State for month The
The Republicans, on the other hand, have
been singularly fortunate and harmonious,
and they confidently expect to elect Judge
Foraker, Governor and the balance of the
State ticket, with legislature that will re-
tire Senator Pendleton at the end of his
term,