The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-09-10

found base enough to openly advise
jurors to violate their oaths, and re-
fuse to convict accused parties. It
seems to have always been regarded as
an unreasonable if not disgusting
sentimentality to advocate law and So
briefly, by a good many people who
set themselves up to dispense morals
to the inhabitants of the Paris of
America. The outside world has
looked upon Cincinnati with much
the same feeling that fills the heart Of
a small boy when looking at menag-
erie-wondering what strange and
startling thing may take place next.
Cincinnati-while holding many
thousands Of as good people as the
sun ever shone upon-has largely
looked at religion through the bottom
of beer glass, and measured law in a
bung-hole. Down there they play
baseball on Sunday, and turn out by
thousands to witness a prize-fght.
The word Temperance has ever been
nauseating to many Cincinnatians,
but since the recent Sullivan-McCaf-
frey picnic all past records have been
beaten, and the evil one has seemed to
be out for jolly time Of it. There
have been many instances that were
ludicrous, like that Of the Pittsburgher
who went to see the prize-fght, got
drunk, imagined himself at home, and
addressed and laid down in the street.
But there have been many tragic
scenes, and one has come to be famil-
lar with such announcements as these
headlines in Saturdays paper: can
other CHASTITY Deed-Murderous Nc
Ginty Knifes Mike Ryan-A Hideous
Thrust in the Abdomen" Of course
these things almost invariably occur
at or near a doggery, but as the dog
gerry is an Institution peculiarly fos-
tered in Cincinnati, the only agony
of spirit is regarding the ripping of
the knife-blades, or the penetrating Of
the bullets, and no thought IS given
to the dangerous moral-or, rather,
mmoral-atmosphere which breeds
and nourishes such things.
It would be we'll for the citizen who
feels an interest in the welfare of his
to take a calm, un-
preiudiced view Of the state of affairs
that obtains in localities where man
only has to be moral to be ridiculous.
Much is said in Cincinnati papers
about the third party movement, and
the Prohibitionists come in for
goodly share of ridicule. And the
unwisdom Of the third party move
ment is shown in the experience Of a
place like Cincinnati. Suppose. for
instance, that an amendment to the
Constitution were passed tomorrow,
prohibiting the liquor traffic, do you
suppose it could be enforced in Gin
cinnati, or places Of like character?
The only effect Of the prohibition there
would be to promote perjury as fine
art. But suppose, on the other hand,
Temperance is advocated and taught
as a moral question, the entire atten-
tion of the friends Of the cause given
to working public sentiment up to the
point Of demanding the extinction Of
the traffic, and to that intensity of
earnestness which would enforce the
law. Would not the brewers, distillers
and doggery-keepers in that case make
all possible haste to get out of the
business? Suppose that the Prohibi-
tion party could, by defeating the Re
publican party in the present CAM
paign, compel that party to adopt a
Prohibition plank next year, and sup
pose the combined Republican and
Prohibition forces should then be sue
cessful. Prohibition would then be
enforced upon the people as a matter
of political expediency, to large ex-
tent, and the result would be, such ex-
treme difficulty in enforcing the law
which should result from such COM
bination, that Prohibition would be-
come practically dead letter, not
only next year, but for many years to
come. During the campaign in this
County in 1888, this paper advocated
Prohibition to the utmost Of its ability,
but advocated as a moral question.
Many Republicans and some Demo-
Gratis, did the same thing. The re-
suit was the arousing Of moral SEN
timent which demanded the Prohibi-
ton Of the liquor traffic. In that
year the vote for Prohibition was, in
the County, 1872. Of that number
IA voted for it as political measure.
In other words 3,29S voted for it as
moral question, entirely removed from
party politics, and IA voted for it as a
political matter. This is significant
in the present contest. No party Or
ganization can enforce a single idea
upon the people unless there is de-
mand for it by a public sentiment
which is sufficiently strong to compel
its enforcement when it becomes law.
We believe there is possibility Of
securing, at some time in the future,
stringent prohibitory laws in Ohio,
but we believe the vigorous, bitter
campaigning of third party, advoca-
ting Prohibition as political measure
only retards the cause of Temperance.
By treating this as moral question,
and teaching it as such, the saloon
may in short time be made so utter