The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1885-02-18

cut out the dispatch aud sent It to Rev. J
L. Simmons, Presiding Elder Of the Kso
kuk District asking him Tor the facts IL
the case as to the present status Of prohibi
ton in Iowa. This gentleman has been IL
the State Of Iowa for over thirty years, is 9
wide awake, strong man, having minut,
acquaintance with the temper Of the peopl,
and the Affairs Of the State. Our T. T..
was there a few days, Mr.. S. thirty years.
Mr.. s. writes me as follows:
"The temperance war in Iowa is likely to
be warmer than ever in the near future.
As for Keokuk the authorities are in rebel
lion and have taken a very offensive posi-.
ton" Remember Keokuk is a river towu
in the extreme southeastern corner Of the
State, with Illinois and Missouri license
States almost within gunshot. As to the
general condition Of the State he says:
81. The Republican party Of Iowa stood
true to their pledges and gave us the law,
and are pledged to its measures.
"2. The Democratic party took part with
the rum interests and are urging everything
to defeat the law They do not hesitate to
encourage almost any means, even nullia.
cation as in Keokuk.
"3. Cleveland's election aud the victory
of the Democratic party have given ooca.
sion for boldness and coming to the front
Of the rabble elements, aud temporary
intimidation Of the temperance people.
"a. The demagogism Of St. John, to-
gether with Blaine's defeat, have whether
right or wrong speak only Of the effect in
Iowa. disgusted and really maddened q
great many good temperance men, and
acted as a sumner to any immediate action.
But there are already evidences Of the re-
action which is sure to come.
''5. There is and has been a good deal Of
effort to enforce the law. But whenever
anyone has been arrested the Courts have
rather insisted on trying Ms lao than the
criminal OF course this can only be a
temporary evasion, and already the Courts
are getting down to business, and numbers
Of cases are being dealt with. In this city
OF Ottumwa, some six persons have been
arrested and iued, and their liquors seized
and conhscated this last week, and under
stand that the Grand Jury now in session
are indi5ting"
A late item in the Commercial Gazette,
elling Of fines amounting to nearly so, ,OOC
assessed on saloonkeepers in an Iowa town,
chimes in with this part of my friends
statement Hear him again
&c. 1 believe that outside Of nine or ten
towns in the State where the rabble holds
all municipal politics under the heel Of the
saloons, and proposes to, and does control
county and city offices, believe that out
side Of these the prohibitory law is as we'll
enforced as any other law in the
State.
~. We in Iowa have studiously refused
to so into any separate party effort, be-
lieving (and even now stronger than ever
before) that we can do more by using par
ties in existence. And seeing the Repub-
Iicau party stood manfully and true TO the
temperance work through all our three
years of hard fighting to get the law, any
breach Of faith anywhere along the line
can only be a misfortune. The canvass
last fall pitted thousands of our young men
against the saloons and drew the lines of
party strife on the saloon interest in such q
way as wonderfully quicksned the public
conscience. 1 have no doubt that so soon
as the smoke clears away and the St. John
matter is aired, that the bad blood engen-
iered by defeat will settle, and we shall
'gain be in line to push the battle. .
The Republican leaders of Iowa have more
sense and believe the most Of them are
better men than to desire a. rupture with
the temperance element. don't
know as have written what you wanted,
but have written what is the present con-
dition Of affairs. have worked with the
people Of Iowa thirty years and I know
them. Don't fear.
Yours for the right
]. i. SIMMONS"
II is no more certainly true in Iowa than
it is in Ohio, that the Republican party
can win in no contest save with the help Of
that portion Of the party that Iabors and
prays for the destruction of the dramshop.
A very large majority Of that party voted
only one year ago to utterly destroy the
alcoholic beverage traffic in the State.
What conummate folly it is then for it's
patty leaders or it's press to declare that
this element has no rights which the whis-
ky aud beer minority is bound to respect.
That majority ia told dangerously often in
these days that they and their highest con-
victions must stand aside for an indefinite
period. But that element which demands
the speedy suppression of the dramshop, is
as intensely Republican as tour glorious
German Republicans" or these party lead
ers. It is true these leaders have the ad-
vantage Of holding the machinery, and,
very largely, the press, but these abused
temperance men hold ballots which the
leaders must haze or fail forevermore. Win
those gentlemen insist on disintegrahug
the party by an anti-prohibition shibboleth ?
or, will they re-adiust their steerags and