The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-09-23
DEMOCRACY: PROHIBITIONS
LOCAL OPTION.

says
First-"Prohibltion and local option
are Identical" The reply is that they
are 50 In nature, but not in the matter
of expediency of use, nor in justice OF
operation; and therein turks the fall
lscy that confuses. A precinct, or
county, may be almost unanimous,
under the existing constitutional pro.
vision, for. the abslishment OF liquors
from its limits, and yot tho great ma.
iority Of the State are opposed to it.
Second-"Every prohibitionist has
aligned himself with that wing of the
Democracy favoring local option"
Suppose We grant this, where Is the
harm to result? There arc any num-
Der OF genuine, trus-blue Democrats
favoring local option in their counties,
or precincts, fer certain local reasons,
who would oppose State prohibition
just 30, there are many pure Demo-
crats whs vote as they please In mu-
nieipal election, but invariably adhere
rigidly to the State and National tick
cts
Third-''ln everv prohibition and
locsl-option issue the fight is sgainst
Democracy" Not at NIL tho case.
There now lies before US one of the
leading daiies of Maino, complaining
bitterly that "the Republican party
has in every way opposed prohibit
tion| and giving facts as to
such ond. PROFESSOR HOPKINS, In
the "Hand-Book of Prohikltion,o
says: "The beer vote is essential to Re.
publican success, as the whisky vote IL
to Democracy. Imperative to both par
ties, the saloon is upheld by both, and
will DO closed by neither. Twice have
Republican tricksters thought TO fool
temperance mon In this State of New
York. they are not to be trusted, and
we accept the inevitable" Further
than this, will our correspondent be
pleased to recall the immonso colorsd
and Republican vote against prohibl-
tlon and local option In AcLennan aud
other counties?
Fourth--"Princlplos, not men, m sko
Democracy, and the tact that good
Democrats favor localoption does not
make 1t Democratic doctrine" That
is true, but be 1t always remembered
that men formulate principles and
policies. And, to DO logical, our
correspondent Is bound to show
that local option Ia anti.Dsm-
ocratlc, on principle. This will be a
Herculean tagk for him, whom tho
Democracy is, in tho fact, divided on
tho question, and strong Democratic
States, under Democratic Legislatures,
are almost unanimously against him.
The moment we mako local option
pure sumptuary law, that moment
confusion worse confounded boils oyer
with ell manner of Intricate incon-
sistencies and laughs Mt tho antsg.
onisms 1t creates. The police regula-
tlon doctrine adjusts all difficulties.
Fifth-"Parsons have not made pol
tiles a study, and hence are not safe
leaders," All, but, "Anti," neither
had they made the "mllitsry"s study,
and yet, when the time came, they
proved the safest, SID bravest, and
best OF leaders, MS evidenced By Polk,
LEWIS, GANo, and host Of Others.
And our party hailed tho vic.
tory when BIncHER proclaimed
for CLEVELAND. But those "par-
sons" have nado study OF
moral science, out OF which political
economy is evolved, aud nbsut walsh
they know infinitely more than the
untutored foreigner, on homo lsborer,
or colored citizsn, whose time Ia ull
absorbed by that constant toll re-
CURED for his family's daily bread.
Nay, do not paddock the parsons lip,
when his right hand from SCARED
body brought us victory.
Sixth-Ho "fears tho Democrats will
wander away uncsnsciou.ly." We
have nothing In response to this.
We trust tho soundnesa OF our princl.
pies, and tho fidelity and good sense
Of our household more than that. We
must bo In sad way as against pro.
II this lattor can entice 49,, ZOO
Democratic majority from our ioli.
Seventh--"It is tho great political
question to-day" Yes, with the pro-
In their Poter.ths.Hermlt
against tho "accursed Jeruse-
lem." But II shsuld not loo party issue
with the Democracy, and We will but
hurt ourselves to make lt 40. We
simply want to let tho local option law
alone, ~ 1t now stands, and knock
State prohibition IN tho head eyory
time 1t hobs up seronoly, or othorvi,e
like BANeso's ghost.
kigh,h-"In 1859 and In 1850 the De-
moci acy yielded up a principle for tho
sake of peace. aud got nothing In re-
turn" This is not warranted by tho
facts Of 1857. wo compromised OK
tremc views thcn on State rights, and
secured ono Of the hest governments
the world ever saw; whereas, the old
"Confcderats League" idoa would
have ruined tue young nation. BE-
fore 1860, wc used TO think "secession
right" was n "good principle invlols.
ble;" In 1866 we cone Iidod /, was n
"bad policy burslod."
Ninth--"i have never hoard Demo-
crat say that local option 10 not
sumpluary In IT, character just ~
nuch ~ prohibition" Ar, You not a
little oblivious aud mixoi herein,
good "Anti'" Columns OF articles
proclaim otherwise. Walk into our
library, and wc will overwhelm you
with treatises by leading Democrats
that say otherwise. VIII you reaa
MIR, NONpIfOIr Mn prnpy .oa ta.