The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-04-03

The Trenton Times suggests that the
Prohibition pape:s are maintaining an
ominous silence concerning the high license
legislation of the solons at Trenton. We
don't know what there is ''ominous' in
the silence. but it seems TO us that silence
is about the only thing suited to the case.
When there is nothing To talk about, the
wiseSt course IS To say nothing. and the
high license measure which has cfcpt
through the legislature, whether finally or
not We neither know nor care. is about as
near nothing as could well he imagined.
We did hope that the Legislature this
winter would do something To promote
the cause of Temperance, bur it appears
we gave that honorable body credit for too
much patriotism. \ member of the Judi
ciary committee OF the Assembly. in con-
versatiCn with 4 friend of ours recently.
said that there was a pre-determinatiol on
the part of the Legislature this winter to
kill all Temperance measures. On being
asked what the motive was for such yigor-
Gus opposition he frankly confessed that it
was because Of the st. John movement last
Fall. lie himself however. voted for the
P~rohibitory Amendment bill. We infer
that sending Il man 10 the Legislature is
not Of itself a means Of grace. bur honor
able representatives carry with them to
Trenton the same petty preiudiccs. the
same narrow views. the same bigoted in
tolerance. and the same incapacity to deal
with questions affecting the welfare of their
constituents as they display too frequently
at home. 1t is very rarely that one of them
rises to the requirements of his official
duty and is willing to sink lis individual
ity and rise to the level Of true statesman
ship. out of mere political vengeance and
spite the parti>anS at Trenton have killed
the prohibition measure. slaughtered the
Hygiene hill. mur tered every temperance
measure bearing the scmblanee Of useful
ness to the community, and to tickle the
Rum Ring have passed a high license bill
which leaves the question just where it
was before. The Republican Legislators
never ldN Il httltT iltiu lldH new bCIStN-
or a better opportunity than the session of
the Legislature just closing to demonstrate
tina the Republican party was what has
been so loudly claimed for 1.-THE true
friend of Temperance. But they were only
human, and in their petty spite they pulled
off the cloak under which the party has
been incorporating. and showed il up in
its true light-for temperance when tenn
perance was necessary to catch votes. for
rum When rum shows the best results at
the ballot box. There have been honora-
BILE exceptions-men of both parties who
voted for prohibition and for temperance
education. not because it was in their party
p~latforms-for it wasn't by a large major
ity-but because it was in their hearts and
on their conscicnces to do what lay in their
power for the right. And their loyalty to
those measures which more nearly affected
the homes and firesides Of their constituents
lid not detract one whit from their atten-
ton 10 the other interests of the people in
other matters Of legislation. Let their
names be held in everlasting remembrance.
Meanwhile the friends of Temperance can
afford to wait and work. The cause they
are engaged in is not for a day but for all
time. 1t will trirmph in due season.