The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-10-24

Of this question and carry it to success
full issue, another party viii rise from
their ashes that win. We do not expect
the Democracy to assume the burden for
while many Of the private members would
favor it, the party as whole in its history,
professions and instincts is opposed to all
sumptuary legislation. The returns show
much the larger per centage of the prohi-
bition vote came from the Republican
party, and while the leaders failed to APP
preciate the supreme moment and omit
ted to give it hearty Endorsement through
fear of defeating the party, at least 75 per
cent of the rank and file were heartily in its
favor. 1t is of no use to complain that the
temperance agitation defeated the Repub-
lican party for the figures show that the
German vote it whichwas expected to alien
ate in the cities stayed with us while the
falling of was quite largely in the country
among those who had lost faith through
the failure of the leaders to declare them
selves in favor of the second amendment.
We believe that if the leaders of the Re
publican party had had the foresight and
the courage to put prohibition in their
platform and boldly advocated it from the
start, the prohibition amendment would
have carried and the Republican party
continued in power. We understand that
all of our Republican friends have not the
same faith, but we will risk our reputation
as a prophet on the truth of the prediction
that the temperance question is to be the
great question that will occupy the atten-
ton of the people the coming years until
il is settled to their satisfaction. There is
IN our opinion large difference between
the Republican and Democratic parties as
to personal characteristics and moral quail
tiles and knowing the disposition of the
latter to blunder, to tinker with the tariff,
finances, currency, and to turn things up
side down generally, we have very decid-
ed preferences as TO which should have
control of the government, but still it
must be confessed that the differences be-
tween the two in principle as shadowed by
their platforms is hardly worth contending
about What the Republican party needs
to unite its scattered forces, to give it new
life and vigor and claim upon the sup
port of the people, is vital, moral question
to fight for, one that shall commend itself
to the conscience as well as the judge
meut
1t is hardly worth while to speak in this
connection of the Prohibition party
which continues to ride its hobby, though
good in itself, to the exclusion of every
other interest, uncharitable, narrow, bigot-
ed and bound to rule or ruin. They poll
ed about 1000 votes this year showing that
they are growing beautifully less and that
their influence in defeating the Republican
party in the late election amounted to very
little. If they had all given their support
to the Republican party it would have
then failed of a majority by 1000 or 5000
and it hardly pays to be disgusted because
they failed to cooperate with party that
had nominated an unexceptional ticket a
party that was willing to give any temper
ance legislation majority OF the people
demand and the only party that ever made it
possible for them to vote on the question
of prohibition and so demonstrate that
almost a majority of the men along. with
four fifths of the women, who have in this
case an equal right to be heard, are in fav-
or of very advanced measures to control
this evil. We sincerity believe that unwill-
ingness to confer or cooperate with other
temperance men, who without presamp-
ton may be regarded as equally wise and
sincere with themselves, they are doing
the cause as much injury as so many open
enemies We can stand anything, but
large number of good men feel so outraged
that they will never cooperate with the
prohibition party in any temperance meas
ure again, and if it were not that we each
have personal interest in the control of
this evil we should record similar reso-
luton. Uncharitableness and bitterness
and bigotry have no place in warfare
like this and those who arrogate to them
selves peculiar wisdom and virtue and sit
in judgment ON the motives of others are
an injury TO the progress of any reform.