The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-24

LET us look for moment at the real
situation. Augusta county has about
thirty-fiye thousand inhabitants, and is
nearly forty miles square There are, we
are informed. in the whole Of this county,
not more than four places where liquor is
sold to be drunk on the premises, by re-
tall : But liquor is freely sold
in Staunton by retail SO it is, but both
parties having promised in their platforms
to give a local option law. which is
the equivalent of prohibition wherever
adopted, Vaadicator.
1t is true that both parties have adopted
resolutions relating to the question of
Local Option. But if our contemporary
has read the one adopted by the Demo
cratic Convention, he has discovered that
it provides for a local option law for the
counties and districts, +" but says nothing
about the cities and tolcns. So that the law
the Democratic party would adopt would
operate in the counties where there is little
liquor sold, and leave the cities and towns
without the pale of it's operation. Where
localgoption is least needed, the resolution
provides for it. while where it is most
needed it is evasiye or non-committal.
Not SO with the resolution adopted by the
Republicans. That places cities, towns,
districts and counties on the same level,
and would leave it with the people of each
or all, TO declare for or against Local OPP
tion.
The Tiasdicator thinks strange that only
in Democratic counties" are the Prohi-
bitionists active and in favor of running a
temperance ticket. There is nothing
strange In the movement wherever it may
be inaugurated. The Legislature of Vir-
ginia, under Democratic control, treated
with contempt the petition Of sixty thou
sand citizens of Virginia, who asked for a
local option law. Instead of granting the
prayer of a respectful petition, the signers
were insulted by the most contemptuous
sneers and irritating trifiing with their |
application. If it happens that it is only |
in Democratic counties that temperance
men and women have indicated a purpose
TO have voice in the legislation. it may
come from the fact that it is there the evil |
of intemperance is the most consp icuous
aad harmful Then it may be question
with some of them as to which is the |
greater evil, Democracy or Intemperance |
They are both bad enough, and Virginia
has suffered from the dominancy of BOTH |
It wonld be blessed thing to abate both. |
Certainly the Democracy has no claims |
upon temperance people anywhere that the |
pretensions of it's leaders should be regard |
ed as paramount to a great moral ques-
ton. 1t would be the exhibition Of the |
baldest insincerity for the temperance
people to subordinate the cause they plead |
to the necessities or purposes of few par |
titan politicians, who care nothing for tenn |
perance, religion, or anything else, so they |
can get the control of power and use gov
eminent for the promotion of selfish ends.
Democracy has been.an absolute curse to
the country, and especially to the South.
Virginia has felt its baleful influence, and
for the temperance people to hesitate in
their plans to accommodate the leaders of
that party would demonstrate the absence of
conviction as to the question they present.
The resolution of the Democratic party,
as adopted in their late State Convention,
is evasive and deceptive. 1t binds the
party to nothing, and especially ignores
the cities and towns. 1t is reflective of
the policy of that party on everything, and
ought to convince every honest man that
1t cannot be trusted, either on the tenn
porance question or anything else.
L :