The Indianapolis journal., 1884-10-25
FUTURE OF TEMPERANCE WORK.
The Question To Be Kept Strictly Outside of
Parties-The Proposed New Constitution.

The result of the election in Ohio, and the di-
vision and bitterness between the two wings of
the temperance people here rs well as there, has
occasioned much surmise as to the future course
they will take. reporter of the Journal called
on j. B. Conner, of this city, yesterday, who is
opposed to separate action, as~wen party ac
ton at all on the temperance question In re
sponse to the question as to what course the tenn
perance people of the State would take in the
future he said:
1.-The temperance question ought never to be
made party question. The late election in
Ohio shows that the temperance people very
generally hold to this view, and it will prove the
same in this State. The separate temperance
State ticket in Ohio this year, received only
little over per cent, Of the vote cast in that
State, last year, for the prohibition amendment
AS to what course the temperance people of this
State ought to take, and probably will.
take, it seems to me very PLAIN. You can
say, if you like, that they won't be
committed to n separate party scramble, nor
any other kind of scramble for the offices. They
will probably take very early steps to forestall
the usual hasty action OF the inconsiderate, and
thus get rid of the empiric and mountebank as
we'll"
"What will likely be the future plansy"
'As have already said, they will not involve
party action. That is only disaster and ruin
More than twenty Democrats in the last Legsla-
ture, Notwithstanding their State convention and
platform Of 1882, voted to agree to and submit the
prohibitory amendment then pending in that
body. They obeyed their home constituency on
md hon 10 ti,a Inv tn fhc hol
situation and the future. The draft of petit
ton to the coming General Assembly is well un-
der way, and many thousand copies of it will be
sent to all parts Of the State, probably one to
three to each township You remember
that many prominent Democrats, as well as Re
publicans, have been for several years favorable
for various reasons, to calling a constitutional
convention. There will be several Democratic
members in the next Legislature who voted in
1881 for the Brown bill for calling such con-
vention. The needs of such a convention and
revision of the organic law will be briefly set out
IN the petitions. Under our present Constitu
ton the benevolent institutions foot ball
between the parties, Leading members Of the
bar have urged revision in behalf the Judiciary
branch OF the government. The State surely
needs the treasury system, like other States
have, that will put public officers, county and
all on stated salary. and compel them to turn
all fees into the treasury, so that the possibility
for corruption may cease, and yet public
officers be fairly paid There are other
Important economic questions demanding atten'
ton. And the petitions will ask the General
Assembly to embrace in the revision and sub
NIT to vote of the people of the State separately
section prohibiting the liquor traffic. You see
the reasons for such convention will tersely be
set out, and will touch the wishes and desires of
ali classes"
But the Democratic party has resolved against
convention; and suppose they have one or
both branches of the LegislatureN
Il have already mentioned that the constitu
ency at home was the key to the situation. as
the Democratic support of the amendment pend
ing in 1883 showed, and neither party action
for nor against will decide what the peo-
PIE themselves want. total disregard
of all party and party action, you see, is to be
the basis of our work Democrats and Repub-
llcans alike want to put the benevolent institu-
tiOns, the judiciary, the fee and salary question,
and the temperance question above and without
the pale of narrow party action and dictation,
and reckon if they do, they know how to do it,"
How will the Democratic opposition be over,
comeP
81 say these petitions, touching all sides of the
demand for convention, will esent to several in
each of the one thousand townships of the State,
for signatures. Already considerable number
of fair-minded Democrats have signifed their
Willingness to canvass actively for the names of
voters-vOters, remember, will only be asked to
sign the petitions, and we shall avail ourselves
of whatever advantages there may be in secur-
ing persons of the right party complexion to do
the soliciting of signatures in the various sec
tions and neghborhoods 1t will not be hard to
explain and impress on all the Importance of
this move when it is brought to their attention
that the way of making amendments by two
consecutive Legislatures involves two bitter
party campaigns and many years struggle, and
possible defeat at last, in the last attempt in
that way and especially wher these reforms
can be had inside of year by the convention
method"
is it the purpose to undertake this work in
the strong Democratic sections of the Slater
Yes; not neighborhood should or will be