The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-11
THE NATIONAL TOPIC.
One That Is Absorbing the Attention
of the Citizens.
The Struggle for the Doubtful Votes
OF the Country Causing
COMMANDMENTS Field
Reviewed.

BALTmoEE, Md, Oct 1.-THE Hon. Will
lam Daniels, nominated for vice president on
tie Prohibition ticket, hns given to the press
his letter Of acceptance He says;
THE necessity for the prohibition Of the
liquor traffic is based upon the wcll-estab
liahCd and conceded facts that this traffic is
the reducing cause of a large part of all the
crime, poverty, insanity, suicides and
diseases that exist in the land
That it renders life, liberty and
property insecure and imposes upon the
community heavy burdens of taxation with
out an equivalent or consent. Upon the
ground Of its legitimate tendency being to
produce idleneSS, vice and debauchery and
to create nuisances, the supreme court of the
United States and the highest courts of the
states have decided that laws entirely pro-
hibiting it are constitutional; that idleness,
vice and dcbauchery being cancers on the
body polite, endangering its very life,
there must of a necessity be an inherent
power i'll it to remove, i'll order
to prevent its own destruction
IN such decisions these highest courts have
also held that these laws are for the protec-
ton of society and not for the regulation or
control Of the conduct OF the individual and
hence in TO sense partaking of the charac-
ter of 'sumptuary laws as they are so often
faI., ly styled by the Eiquor-lcagues and the
politicians Of one Of the great political par
tie; and that neither are they restrictive of
personal, liberty exceptAo far a they restrain
the individual from intlicting injury on
others or society. In all such cases the pub
lie safety must b, supreme"
The writer discusses at much length the
growth and extent of the prohibitory senti-
ment, which he claims has not been properly
utilized, states that Generalization from
drink is on the increase, and that mfaithful
officials fail to enfore the laws regulating the
sale of liquor. He says:
"Ti:c policy of both tho national govern
ment II the great majority of the states i,
that o licensing and fostering this traffic
To change this policy, and the governmental
policy especially, is, therefore, the imperative
duty of the hour, and to effect it requires the
agency of political organization, or party
Just a4 other great reforms have necessitated
the like for their accomplishment 1t there
| fore becomes n national political issue OF
supreme Importance, and cannot be RELOCATED
| to the states alone at the bidding of any
| political leader or leaders, no matter how dis
| turbing this element may be to parties anC
| politicians Necessity, conscience, loyalty
| to God and humanity, therefore, compel u
| to assume the position we have assumed
| LASTLY, the movement offers n grand op
| portlmity of burying forever the sad mem
| cries and bitter hates of the war, and OF
| uniting together the best elements, Christian
| and moral, throughout the land against tht
| worst; and in an organization that viii
| know no north, SOUTH east, or west, it,
| great purTO3e heing the protection of tn
| homes against Saloons