The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-07-19

not to antagonze the liquor interest as is
the Democracy Certainly. Are states
which have always been Democratic more
given to strong drink than the Republican
ones? No. In 1880 South Carolina had,
in proportion to population, less than one
fourth as many places where liquor was
sold as Illinois Georgia has better law
for The regulation Of the sale Of strong drink
/ than the great state Of Pennsylvania, Pro
Ihibitiouists gain nothing by working with
! the Republican party, except to be deceived.
That party is ripe for defeat Its profess
! ions of superior virtue, Of greater morality,
Of seeking the good OF all, are false and hol-
low, and the sincere advocate Of temperance
cannot longer give it his support
To sum up, the Republicans have nomina-
ted man charged with jobbery aud guilty
of self-contradcion for the presidency, and
ask honest men to support him; they have
nominated coarse, protanc man for gov
ernor, and ask christians to vote for him;
! they have thrown together two absurditics,
and ask thinking men TO accept it rs Q decIa-
ration Of principles and be satisfied; they
pose a. the party Of reform, of virtue
and morality, and yet resort to the worst
. practices of the lowest denagogues for the
sake Of remaining in power. The Demo
cratic party has grand opportunity. If it
can rise superior to the past and nominate n
thoroughly good man for president it has an
excellent prospect of success We might say
! it would deserve it. The Republican party
does not deserve success Defeat should
rebuke its shutting, inconsistent, unreason-
able course. II is time il was given sea.
son for selfexaminalion and fully awakened
to sense Of the degradation into which il
has fallen. 1t may do works meet for re.
pentance. The Democratic party may just
as well claim to be the party of reform as it,
1t is just as likely to give us good admin
istration, to preserve peace and quiet in our
land, and to watch over our interests abroad.
Let no man, then, be influenced by any fear
of evil coming upon US because the Republi-
can party fails to elect Mr. Blaine. Rather
let him regard it national blessing to de-
feat Mr.. Blaine
Since the above was written the Demo
cratic party has done itself honor by nomi-
mating pure, good man for president. 1t
has succeeded tolerably well in platform
building, 1t might have spared some of the
upbraidings administered to- and objurgations
bestowed on, the Republican party, but it
cannot be said that these are not well-de-
served. The Democracy may, on the whole,
be proud of the work Of its convention. Mr..
Cleveland has honored every position he has
filled so far; has shown himself the pos
SCISSOR of wide range of information, and a
careful, painstaking business man, man
who is not carried away by impulse or emo
tion-one whom glitter cannot deceive, brass
impose upon, or threats intimidate. At the
same time, we have new and strong proof
that what we nave sald above as TO the real
attitude of the Republican party toward pro-
hibition-yea, toward the temperance ques-
ton-is true.
Why is not the law of Iowa. thoroughly
Republican state, enforced Why, oh,
why Because, to enforce it is to take votes
from the Republican party. That is ,ohy.
There is Republican state tn which strin-
gent liquor law has recently gone into
force, and yet here, backed by all the prohi-
bition sentiment of the party, the law is
trampled upon with impunity-not secretly,
but in the very face of Republican officials
sporn to en- force the law.
Is not the Republican party strongly, very
strongly, temperance in sentiment Who
doubts a.? F.