The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-24
The Republican Party the
only True Friend of
Temperance.
PROHIBITION PARTY METHODS
DISASTROUS TO THE TEN
PERAkCE CAUSE.
FACTS AND FIGURES
COMPLIED FROM HISTORICAL AND OFF,
GAL RECORDS BY JAMES w. HINE
AND JAMES w. KING.

1t is charged by political prohibition
speakers, and in their public prints
that the republican party Is not entitled
to the confidence and support of the
true friends Of temperance. TO give
FEASIBILITY to their assertions, they
Outrageously belle and misrepresent
the record of a party which has ever
stood firmly for the advancement and
best interests of the temperance cause
We present herewith to the intelligent
voters Of the State brief but compre'
hensive statement of the facts bearing
upon the case, for the republican party
is not only willing but anxious to be
judged by its record on the temperance
question; as it is willing and anxious
to have its action examined on all the
important questions which have come
before the American people for settle
ment during the past twenty eight
years. Political parties, like individ-
uals, should be
JUDGED BY THEIR ACTIONS,
and not by what they may pretend.
From 1853 to 1875 there was a prohib-
itory law upon the statute books. Since
that time tax law, with strict police
regulations, has been in force. That
this law has not been without good
results, is shown by u table prepared
some time since by g. l.. Randall, an
ardent political prohibitionist of Dams
vile, Ingham county. BY this table 1t
Is shown that the number of liquor
dealers in the State in 1873, under the
prohibition law. was S,SO7, while in
1882, under the tax law, there were
only $3.50, Notwithstanding that the
population of the State had increased
between these dates over 100000, and
many new cities and villages had sprung
up In the northern part of the State.
1t Is not the province of this article
to argue the merits or dement's of pro-
hibitiOn and taxation, but to
DEAL WITH FACTS
as we find them. While more than
nine-tenths of the republican party are
In favor of temperance, and believe that
the people should have the privilege of
settling the question for themselves by
voting upon u prohibitory amendment,
there is difference of opinion in the
party as to the effectiveness of taxation
and prohibition in dealing with the gil
gantic evil. The republican party
stands ready to obey
THE VOICE OF THE MAJORITY
of the people, whether that voice be for
taxation or prohibition.
Much is said by political prohibition
lists about the democratic party having
passed prohi bitory law in Michigan
In 1853. 1t is true that the democracy
passed such measure but not daring
to assume the responsibility they sought
to shift 1t upon Others by providing for
q submission of the question to the peo-
pie. The prohibitOry law of that year
is to be found on page 100 of the session
laws, and the action to shift the respon-
sibility appears in sections IS, 10, 20.
The people ratified the law, but the SUI
preme court, in the case of People v.
Collins I'D Mich, page 343), declared
such action UNCONSTITUTIONAL, in that the
power of enacting general laws could
not be delegated by the legislative body
even to the people. On the question as
to whether the law was constitutiOnally
in force, the court was equally divided.
1t must also be remembered that when
the democracy passed this law there
was but little contest over the question,
and that the better part of that party
the succeeding year went into the re-
publican ranks. When the republican
legislature convened I'm 1866 1t assumed
the responsibility which its democratic
predecessor had shirked, and passed
" An act to prevent the manufacture and
sale of spirituous or Intoxicating liquors
as beverage" and wiped out the DEM
ocratic abortion of 1858. These are the
general facts about early legislation.
The details In regard to the votes on
these bills are as follows: The law of
1853 passed the senate by 81 yeas to !
nay, tho latter democrat. In the
house AZ democrats and 10 wings voted
yes, and 10 democrats and wings no.
rhe bill of 1856 passed the senale by
the votes of % republicans and demo-
Gratis, while democrats and republi-
cans voted against it. The same bill
passed the house by the votes of AZ re-
publicans and democrats, while 20
democrats, and only republican voted
against it. When we take into consid-
Grafton that the democrats in 1858 dare
not assume the responsibility for the
law of that year, Is there any good
ground from the above figures why
political prohibitionists should go into
ecstacies over that first prohibitory
law?"
The charge most frequently made,
however, by political prohibitionists is
this: "The republican party repealed
the prohibitory law" But not one of
these enemies Of the republican party
has ever been fair enough to explain the
circumstances under which that repeal
was brought about, and tax law placed
in its stead. We ask the consideration
of all candid and fair-minded men to
the following facts which can be
sUBsTANTIATED BY THE PUBLIC
RECORDS:
In 1874 the democratic party Of Mich
igan put a plank In its platform for the
repeal Of the prohibitory law. AT that