The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-09-23
LOCAL. OPTION.
An Able ana Interesting Letter From
Lancaster on the Pro-

o7p'. -l.-l EDITOR HER.
ALp:l j am aware OF the disadvantages
that labor under in Joining issue
with 50 distinguished q writer Z, your-
self, and that, in the columns Of your
own paper; nevertheless, knowing
your fairness, viii venture 10 TAXA
issue with you on an editorial which
appeared IN TItE HERALD YESTERDAY.
under The ca piion of ssThs Democracy
and the Liquor Question" Ihad n on.
"a 10 nave she great influences OF vnnr
able Journal exeited against prohibi-
ton in all its phases.
In my article,vhioh appe AIRED in The
HERALD OF the l7th, took the posi-
ton that prohibition and local OPTION
were identical. In the shorl time in
tervening then and now l have seeu M
reason which would induce me, AZ IA,
moment Democrat, 10 cnange NV views,
however, am not one OF those who.
especially W hen the question isyet on
dsbatable grounds, would ettsmot 40
foolish thing as reading any Demo-
Graf out OF the party who Aay eon,oi.
entlously differ with me You assume
that the issue as to local optiap il not
between Democracy and prohibition,
but between members OF thS Demo.
cratic parry. Grant that there is An
issue on this subisct In the very heart
OF inc democracy, yet it must bs ad.
United that every prOhibltionist in the
State has aligned himself with the
wing iayoring or advocating locsl
option' Moreover, every extreme pro-
hlbluonlats is ii radical Republican,
ana that wing Of the party c0nsorting
with them is. to say the least
IN pau company. Yon fur
tner kay: "lb ls absurd to
say that 9 good Democrat cannot DO a
prohibitionist, and vice versa, for tho
facts retute the charge" To get at
The trnth o. this declaration we must
go TO principles, noe to men. You
give number OF names OF gentle
men who have ever been good Demo-
Gratis, but who now favor local option.
Judge Hare is claimed to bs one OF
these. He is one OF tho best citizens
and one of the ablest irrists in tho
state, but with all that, If my memory
Is not at fsul', tine jud 20 has not always
Deen regarded ~ model Democrat by
some memOers of the party. As to
Parson Carroll, he like ali or most
preachers hss net made politics a
study. Ministers generally regard
drunkenness, not only rs vice, but IA
CRIME, and feel i. their duty to put it
down by ALMOST any means III their
power. They aro not sale leaders for
apolitical party TO follow. Many OF
them, IN sli churches, believing thairs
IS the only tru9 religion, sud further,
That its universal acceptance would
NIT tho American people 60 a moral
altitude they never otherwise cOuld
attain to, would not hesitate to carry
out Ghe same by q union oiChurch sud
state. am aware that IN this [ .p-
proach territory IN which clerical
vengenca may be poured out on nae
without stint but letlt come. 1 have
the truth snd, have no fears sf the
clergy Wills | believe | am right.
Whenever politics ia carried into the
pulpit, ct tue people beware, For =
demonstration Of the CORE ctuess Of The
foregoing NO have only 10 look back
lew years. Know nothing 81 the an
ticedents IL ire other gentlemen You
refer 10. General LoWis, l.uudegstaud,
was u aout nyhleT-sO WAS General
LengElress. L1Uis Ia also prsaener,
and fol thtt roasnu IL AN uu-
safe leader, | h3v1 h0en iuducod 10
say this much bscHusa / he4r of
great deal SuiA t7 yUAloijiouists a8Lo
the rights 81 tfe clergy 70 guier thu
lists on tbls question, etc. do no.
wish TO put The pajiuek OF siieEca On
the lips ~ the CCr.y On this or apy
sthor question, J -jmply hold thai, ~
sgenersl thing, they arc uuhais ls6a-
ers in politics. 1hsy regard the use oi
lntoxlcanta as Sie6, vic9. and con.
alder II their Guty 10 put il down, oven
IL they must sacrifice great and con-
stiluiioual . rty for tRs5 purpose.
Sens,or q kS is, ia my opinion, one
OF the safest leaders IN tho party to-
day. lilo never takes an oxkreme 20.
sition, nor does he yield or cOmpro-
misa Z principle. He Is = brave and
viz lsrt sentinel, Many Democrats
dii,3rrI with hun on tho Blair sduca-
tious Dill, by which Radicals hoped
to get control Of ibe public schOOl sys.
tem in the South, but now it is geuer.
ally conceded that he was right. SOL
believo IL viii DO ON this question.
The greatest danger is thst many
Democrats, having Deon G6cdyed by
the siren, Prohibition, lutD its ranks,
by listening 70 the song, that ~ is no
test OF Democracy, viii bo induced 10
wander away SO Iar that they will
never ret back 90 their home again.
1t is q political question to-day, and IL
is useless TO deny 1t, aud it has been
made SO by prohibitionists. There is
not n constituent necessary to tho
formation o, great political party
that is not in active operation by them
They have their cUnventions-Ssate
and nationsl-thoir platform, tssir
nd n q
fort to get hold OF this reins Of govern
ment, tneir great distinctive feature
being this ono question, prohibition.
In every Instance tho fight is
againsJ Democracy ner can IL DO pre-
dictod with any certainty, Judging
from the signs OF tho times, which the
Democracy Will hsve to meet in the
next great national struggle--prohib-
ton or repupl,cai ism. The forNer is
the child, the legitimate aeir, and will
be the successor ot the lattor.
You tell us local option IL g good
compromise. 4 compromise with
whom? IL Win that wing OF tho party
that holds 1t 10 he democratic,
where IL tho compromise? We W h0
hold IL 10 be UndemOcratic
simply yield up everything ier moth
ing In return. II win tho prohibition
party 1T would be like oil compromises
which tho OOns,i utionsl Democracy
has made with the prOgsnitorS Of that
party from the erdiuauce of 1857 down
to the war, including tho Missouri
compromie0, tho compromise of 1850,
etc., in all o. which tho Democracy
yielded M principle for the sake OF
peace, aud got nothing in return. it
thus wont on compromising, so.cslled,
for tho sake OF peace, until 1t bad COM
promised liz numerical power 10 such
an extent that when physical force wes
resorted to, under the many disad-
vantages which had accrued cs are
suit Of its setiea OF compromises, II
was then forced to abandon a great
and constitutional right No, i am
opposed TO any such comprsmises.
Let the fight 10 nov made. Let tho
party ia Stale convention faco tho
question. ~ can no LONGER houoraby
avoid 10. The ust,Jasl democracy lss
already spoken out nyaibtt NUmpluary
Legislation Ltt tho state do .he SANS,
l,ot thn suaafttu Ina ut.fNulttpI fvslw