St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-09-17
Missing Their Great Opportunity
BY REV. JAMES BRAND, d. d.

BY REV. JAMES BRAND, ID. ID.
The leaders of the republican party
in Ohio are missing their great OppOr-
tunity. The day is coming when the
spectep of a great blunder made in the
interest of short-sighted policy will
haunt them. They have once more
distrusted the moral convictions of the
majority of republican voters, and en-
cOuraged the spirit of the liquOr-Oli-
garchy, by adopting what the New
York Independent calls the cold,
double faced platform" They have
ignored the sentiments of the 223, 900
men who believe the liquor traffic
should be abolished, and have taken
sides with the 10000 who desire to see
it simply taxed. In a word they have
failed to recognize the drift of the NOR
al sentiment of this generation, and
have committed themselves to the ebb-
ing instead of the rising tide. If this
is to be the permanent policy the par
ty will soon be stranded. In OppOsi-
ton to such course | submit the pro-
position that the time has come for the
republican party, both in the interest
of it's own continued success in the
state and in that of the temperance
cause, to take up prohibition and be-
come its champion. In support of this
proposition | venture the following
reasons, which if unsOund can easily
be overthrow
|. 1t is admitted by all intelligent
men that the evil of incompetence,
sustained as it is by the liquOr-traffic,
is the greatest moral evil which now
atflicts the State !; and therefore that
the removal of it is the greatest moral
issue which the government has to
meet. That issue is in our state-pOli-
tics and cannot be kept out. The
democratic party has committed itself
to the theory of license which, if car
ried out, would give the evil the for
NAL sanction of law. 1t is a measure
however, which, probably, cannot be
carried in this state, and, if it could,
would be a calamity. The theory of
taxation, though different, is too near
ly allied, practically, to license to con-
stitute a partyissue with the demo-
Gratis. The only alternative therefore,
if the question is to be politically
handled at all, is some form of radical
prohibition, either state or local. To
this the people are inevitably drifting.
The republican party cannot escape
the issue.
III. 1t is conceded, even by the
enemies of temperance-refo that a
majority of the republican party, as
we'll as il multitude outside of it, are in
favor of prohibition. The 100000
democrats and the 223,0 900 republicans
who voted for the second amendment
have not changed their minds, but
have since then vastly increased their
m 70
which to-day keeps the republican par
ty us such, from espOusing the prohi
bitiOn-cau is not the lack of the ne
cessary sentiment in the rank and file,
but the persistency of its leaders in
their attempts to hold the liquor-v vote.
III. If the republican party should
espOuse the cause of prohibition, its
own life and success in this state
would be ultimately assured. 1t is
morally certain that the drift of senti-
ment among the masses of the people
of all parties is in that direction rather
than the other. The party espousing
prohibition would of course lose the
liquor-vOte, and probably be defeated
for IL year or two to come. But it
would thereby gain moral health which
is infinitely more valuable than present
' y
order loving people, "vOters' unions"
republican temperance movements"
organized scratchers" and the like,
together with the whole third party, |
except it's cranks, would gravitate
toward this new moral position. With |
this change new life, IA new power, a
new motive for existence would ami
mate the party and lead finally to re-
N
moreover, all the other political prin-
to relinquish, would still be conserved |
mighty principle of life giving power.
1t belongs to the republican party in
Ohio to take up this cause.
~. If the party refuses to make
this change, it requires no prophet to
see that its doom is written by its own
hand. Let no man say, with a sneer,
that this is another ''threat." Threats
under these circumstances would be
IOOlishness. The matter is too serious
and mOmentOus for threats. No; it is
4 deduction of reason from the facts of
history and the moral influences which
ire to-day at work among the people.
1t is as certain as that the sun will
people of Ohio, the calm, thoughtful,
earnest temperance men, who are
neither fools nor fanatics, but who love
he Commonwealth, cannot and will
rot very long walk and vote i'm harmo-
~ with the quor-oligarchy and its
The two classes must di-
tide ; they are dividing. The laws of
and the laws of God alike
mpel to this division. The great I
masses of the people, who dread and
rate this horrid wrong of the liquor
rattle, must leave and are preparing to
cave any party that will court and re-
ain the liquor vote. They will not go ,
tut in a pet, or for revenge. They +
will be driven out, if at all, by party +
eaders who blindly attempt to concil- +
ate the salOOn-interest, not because q
hey believe in the liquor traffic, but /
or the sake of present victory at the a
'Olls. In the republican party the ele- :
nent of moral reform is too large. the i,
vii of the liquOr-traffic is too patent :
nd colossal, the temperance agitation .
as gone too far, the moral sense of the +
eOple is too much aroused, the incon- n
ruity of two such antagOnistic ele-
lents working together is too mon i
trOus, to continue any great length of >
me. 1t is clear that no political par :
J in this age, with a strong and grow n
~ sentiment in favor of both law and +
lOrality, can hold together these mu- q
lally repellent forces. One of them :,
lust go out, and our party leaders a
lust elect which it shall be. Multi
Ides of temperance republicans are
aiting to see what the party leaders
ill do and if it finally becomes clear
lat they are waiting in vain-that
Imseilers are to remain and temper
1ce-men are to 90, they will On