The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-08-20
THE GOLD WATER SAINT.
How uc views the Situation.

Doctor" said the reporter, "hew
do you like being on the same Plat
form with the Cincinnati Volksblstt,
in opposition to the Republican par
typ"
II ana not GA the same platform
with the Vo!ksbltt. The Vslksbiatt
is on the platform of uarestrai ned
traffic ia strong drink, while / held
views directly opposite. ia favor Of
Prohibition. The trouble with the
Repsblican party is that it tried to
straddle both, and the result was it
fell between. The Volksblatt is Oh.
posed to the Republican party because
it does not assert itself on the liquor
question, and we are opposed to it be-
cause it does not assert itself on the
prohibition qaes:iOn."
I'm what way do you expect the
course of the VOlksblatt to be behef-
cial to the cause Of prohibition ?"
I" l do not know that it will be ben.
efieial at all to the PrOhibitionists. 1t
may weaken the Republican party-I
think it will-but L do not think the
success of the Republican party prem-
ises any thing for prohibition. There
is just as much promise for prohibition
in the success of either Of the tive
great parties"
You are accused of saying it was
your object to kill the Republican
party"
"Yes, I am, But L never said it
was my first great object to kill the
Republican party, except when said
1T to contradict iU The first / saw of
it was in the Cincinnati Com msrciaI
Gazette. 1t has been copied all over.
but 1 never made use of that express
sion in my life. The fact is, thab the
Republican party does not need nae
or any one else to kill it. Let Bush
nell manage it awhile, and it will be
dead from suicide. There is another
thing 1 would like you to state. 1t ia
reported through the newspapers that
L said 1 would vote for free whisky
fountain at every street corner before
/ would vote for license or taXation.-I L
never said l would vote for free whis-
ky under any circumstances. I did
say, during the Second Amendment
campaign, that L would not vote for
license or taxation to prevent free
whisky. I regard the whisky traffic
as crime, and 1 will not vote to tax
or license a crime. In Republican
and Democratic administrations, In
Ohio, we not only have fountains at
every street corner, but in several in
stances there are fountains between
the coEners.h
In what way do you consider that
the Democratic party Is more friendly
to prohibition than the Republican
party, that you make your fight against
the Republicans?"
Il do not think the Democratic par
ty is more friendly to temperance or
4, 4. - tI,.. ID Ii
They are both alike opposed to it, but
the Democratic party has more world
ly wisdom in its attitude toward pro-
hibition than the Republicans"
: "TheD why is it that you make your
fight against the Republicans ?"
We are not making fight specifi-
cally against the Republican party.
We are making a fight against the
liquor traffic, and the Republican psr-
ty has placed itself in a position where
it becomes the protector of the Hqaor
traffic.
Doctor, has the course of the Gin
ciDnati Commercial Gazette deteriera-
ted from yeur strength or increased
it,"
"The Commercial Gazette fer the
first two weeks" replied DIR. Leonard,
did splendid service for the cause OF
and Its recent change Of
base in that direetion-eeasiRg tO W.
lily, abuse and slander the Prohibi-
too transparent to deceive
anyone, 1t saw that it had made d
stupid Slunder, and it now attempts
to retrieve its lost ground by aifer-
ent policy. The great trouble with the
Commercial Gazette is that it needs a
new head in its editorial department"
"Are you personally acquainted
with Mr.. Halsted, the editor of the
Commercial Gazette, and is there any
personal feeling between yeu ?"
mo; / have never Met him. There
is ne personal feeling on my part ts-
against nae, that know ef" ..
What de you think of Captain
Bashnell's refusal to allow a discussion
of the question between yourself and
Judge Foraker?n
1" I think it must be humiIiating to
all real intelligent, high-miHded Re-
publicans. The idea that the party
does not dare to come before the peo-'
pie to define its attitude Oh the LIQUOR
question, is simply humiliatiHg, aAd
thousands of Republicans must feel
that to be their situation. / suppose
that Captain Bushnell very well uh.'
derstands that a discussion between
Foraker and myself would result in
pntting the Judge in too close relation
with either the saloon element of the
State or the prohibition element, and
in either event it would be disastrous
to his prospects. If the Republican
party had, at its convention in this
city, put in its platform plank in fs-
vor of re- submissiOn-that is, the
promise of re-submission if they should
get majority of the Legislature-they
would have reduced, in all probability,
the Prohibition vote to its minimum,
and 1 believe they would have swept
the State like a prairie fire"
"What vote do you expect to get this
fall, Doctor?"
"WeII, now, sir, / have never allow
ed myself to fix guess, but from the
information that reaches me from all
parts of the State, there is going to be
a very large increase in the Prohibi-
ton vote more than the Republican
managers are willing to cOncede."
What do you think of that part of
Captain Bushnell's letter which says
that the Prohibition question is not an
issue?" "
1.-The truth is" replied DR.. Leonard,
"that it appears to be the only issue
that is before the people of Ohio today.
The Republicans and Democrats talk
more, through their press, about the
question of the liquor tariff than they
do about all the other questions COM
bined. 1t is the only-the supreme
question, and no attempt on the part
of Bushnell or anybody else to make
it out as being non-pOlitical can sue
ceed."
From the standpoint of Captain
Bushnell, what is the prospect of get
ting prohibition through the Republi-
can party?"
lit utterly dissipates all hope of
anything being done by the Republic
can party, because he says it is nom
political question, and the Republican
party has no opinion about it. There
can be no hope, therefore, of getting
prohibition through a party that re-
jects it as being absolutely non -pOliti-
cal. Besides, if they should attempt
to put it into the Legislature at all, in
any form, it will become a political
question. The legitimate conclusion,
therefore, is, that the Republican party
does not intend to do anything look
ing toward the suppression of the liq-
mar traffic. ~