The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1885-04-25
ANOTHER DANIEL COME TO
,HTDGMENT.

important, SO tar as they justify the past
and foreshadow the future course of
those whose views and opinions he as
leader is supposed to reflect.
Mr.. Daniel complains with some feel
ing of the "hostilty'' of those whom he
terms extreme" Republicans. If we
were disposed to be satirical we might
truthfully remark that the hostility to
which he refers is not confined solely
to those so designated. Our object,
however, being to provoke legitimate
inquiry on an important public ques-
ton, and not to indulge a censoriouS
spAk, we shall serve present purposes
by considering briefly, whether or not
Mr.. Daniel and the class of prohibl-
tionists whom he represents have de-
servedly earned the hostility not only
of extreme Republicans, but of all
classes of them.
We lay down what we think is a prin-
ciple generally applicable, that a con-
sistant man always accepts the ineylta-
bic consequences of his deliberate and
premeditated acts. Mr.. Daniel in COM
mon with his school of pronibitionists
in every other state, did everything in
his power during the late presidential
contest to provoke the hostility of Re-
publicans by advocating hort-sighted
and impracticable policy of action.
Why should these prohibitionlsts-of
the national school-now whine at the
reasonable result of their acts?
Tacitly assuming in the recent cam
paign that they held TIE balance of
power in the pivotal states, they insisted
upon masquerading IN the garb of a
National Party, but in reality threw
their ballots only to help to place and
power the Democratic party, organized
and maintained, 50 far at least as its
voting masses are concerned, mainly
through the potency of rum, and from
the ranks of which the prohibitionists
recruited the smallest imaginable per
centage of their votes, and by the lead
ers of which Mr.. Daniel and his tenn
perance co-workers have been habitu
ally held up to public scorn and deri-
sion.
The readiness with which the Demo-
cratic managers accepted this voluntary
and advantageous service at the hands
Of the prohibitionists in the pivotal
states, indicated the value they placed
upon it. They encouraged and pro-
noted it, of course, by every means in
their power. 1t was even charged that
liberal amounts of campaign funds had
been furnished the prohibition leaders
from Democratic sources. The sequel
to the campaign showed that the Dem
ocrats had not ol errated the import
auce of this indirect contribution to
their strength
OF the five political factors contrib
uting to the defeat of Mr.. Blaine, the
Republican candidate, the prohibition
vote was the most potent.
The figures of the vote cast in the
state of New York sustain this assertion.
Mr.. Cleveland's plurality over the
other candidates in that state, the vote
of which decided the presidential con-
test, was only I,o45 votes. General
Butler received but 1864 votes, while
twenty-five thousand were cast for St.
John. OF these votes received by the
prohibition candidate, what proportion
can it be fairly inferred were cast by
Republicans? Certainly not less than
"a, 900. General Butler drew but few
votes from the Republicans, and the
conclusion is inevitable, that the Re
publican candidate could have suffered
the little loss from this source (Butler)
and the big loss of the Independents,
headed by Curtis & Beecher, and the
large loss sustained through Mr.. Burch-
ards alliterative folly, and would still
have been elcctcd but for the detection
of these twenty-four thousand Repub-
lican votes M1o7tW autur upon a pro-
hibition candidate.
AM with this result accomplished,
viz, the restoration of the Democratic
party, which very large element of
the conservative voters in this country
in every section, except in the terror
lied South, believed would be prejudi-
Ilel W lllC DCSl HllClCSlS vi lllC COUNTY,,
and to which Mr.. Daniel and his CO.
workers elsewhere contributed SO large
ly, do they not by every known rule of
human conduct deserve the hostility"
of which Mr.. Daniel complains?
Or, stating the case differently: If
a large element of our population, en-
bracing commercial, agricultural, indus
trial, and producing classes generally,
constituting in their diversified interests
and concerns the bulk of the active
capital engaged IN the business OF this
country, believed that their enterprises
and interests would be best subserved
by the continued ascendency of the
Republican party, and SO believing
worked to accomplish that end, but
failed of its accomplishment solely be
cause small segment of the political
organization through which they hoped
for this result affected: and became the