The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-10-03
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

1t has been customary in years past
when the Republican party had in its
ranks men of broad and liberal views,
TO declare that it would he impossible
| for Prohibition to succeed in this great
| and enlightened State. But Ohio to-day,
controlled by Governor Foster who is in
| full fellowship with ex-senator Pond,
Judge West, DR.. Scott, st. Smith, DIR.
| Leonard, and the cTanks and bigOts, in
accord with Senator Sherman who goes
about, declaring there il no need for
the manufacture of one drop OF alcoholic
liquors in the United States," is quite
another and quite serious matter.
| Governor Foster is reported, in late
| interviews, to have said that there
will be 100000 votes cast in the
approaching election, for the Pro-
hIbitiOn Amendment to our State Con-
/ stitutiOn. This is, indeed, a startling
assertion from such source. Do our
| friends appreciate all the gravity of such
a possibility? DO they remember that
| there are over 100000 voters in the state
| of Ohio, and that the PrOhibitiOnists
aware of the unparalleled activity going
on among the cOld-water fanatics all
over the state?
Dir. Walden stated last week, at the
Conference of the Methodist church, that
there were at that time over seventy
Prohibition meetings held daily in the
state, and that it was intended by these
people to increase the activity in this
direction every week before the October
election, until not less than 300 meet
ings should be held every day and even
ing to be addressed by the most elO-
quent Temperance and Prohibition
speakers i'll the United States. Impas-
sionate and attractive orators are
brought here from distant points, and
all the machinery of the TEN perance
Lodges is being emDIoyed to work uD
the enthusiasm among their members,
lay and clerical, to engraft the fOlly of
Prohibition upon our State COnstitu-
tiOn. If, as Governor Foster al.
leges, 3OO,OOO voters in Ohio are now in
favor of the adoption of Prohibition, and
If the activity visible in every direc.
tiOn shall be continued by our Alversa-.
ries, Until Tho eject OIL, by the c8Lrer-
ing of millions Ul n, " papers, uam
phiets and handbills, by meetings held
every day, and by appeals from the pull
pits by mistaken but earnest preachers,
have we not, we ask in all seriousness,
grave reasons for feeling alarm at the
dangers that are staring US and our in
teTests in the face?
Remember, friends, that, If PrOhibi-
tiOn succeeds il means cOniscation to
our bTeweries, with SAC, 600 600 of invest
ed capital in the State; it means hall as
much more in our distilleries; it means
the sweeping out of existence of the
means of livelihood of more than 10000,
families directly dependent on these in :.
dustries, and twice as many more who
would indirectly be almost as seriously
injured in their business by the passage
of such a measure.
1t would empty 1900 business houses
of tenants, and lessen the rents on twice
or thrice as many more. 1t is our fixed
conviction that the income of capital
lists in cities and large towns of the
State from Fentable business houses
would fall in thirty days from the pas
sage and enforcement of prohibitOry
laws fully one fourth, 1t is our
belief, it would check the i'm
pTOVement of cities and towns enOrm-
Ously aud that it would arrest instantly
the increase of population in the State
1t would parali2e nearly every branch
of trade; IL wOu d throw tens of thOus-
ands of wOrkmrn out of business and
crowd every avenue of manufacture
with idle men. 1t would injure, if not
destroy, the business of industrious
cOOpers; it would strike crushing blow
to the blacksmith, the wagon makers,
the cOppersmiths, the ice trade, the har-
ness makers. 1t would stop the sale in
the State of over six million bushels of
Oarl6y annually ana mduy millions
more of corn ana rye as we'll as of more
than 100000 pounds of hops. Who
would make good these losses to our
farmers for the sudden drop in the
market price of the products of their
farmsp Who would find employment
for this army of idle men, or who would
come forward willingly to pay the taxes
needed for supporting the vast increase
in our paupers that such social up
heaval would inevitably produce? Would
you, OF you, or you?
If barley could not be matted and
brewed it would be no more valuable to
feed stock than corn. If corn could not
be distilled it would have to fatten pork.
If pork is raised in excess of the de-
mands of our people for consumption
its price would decline to unremunera-
tive rates. If our farmer, who now
from the surplus of their crops, can ed
ncate their sons and daughters, and
clOthe them in silks and fine clothes,
could not sell their pork, barley and
corn and cattle except at less than it
cost them to produce these articles, they
could buy no silks nor broad cloths, nor
hooks nor nianos. Their daughters