The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1886-10-21

liquor trt fsie the sncsndiary thing IL is.
tie weakness and deprayitY of is
drinking victims, and mainly our agrees
siVe ana criminal system OF its open sale /
These are the powder and the torch /
whose unrestrained contact curses /
society and threatens civilization itself. |
With either factor removed the curse /
and the danger would be yir.usI;y /
ended. 0niy moral pressure acting |
through the centuries can reach the |
former. Only legal weapons, whose |
action may be msde swift |
and conclusive, can reach the |
latter. What shall be done? The |
national anti saloon republican confer |
ence, representing the predominant SEN
timent Of republicans and good .cidz Ems |
everywhere answer that the saloon |
ought 70 be put ont OF existence. That |
the people OF each state and munich
pallfy ought to have the oppor-
tunify, whenever desired, Of de-
Gliding when and how this shall be done,
and that until destroyed the saloon
ought TO be crippled by every restraint
and disability which local public senti
ment viii enforce, and made to re-em-
burse as much as possible Of the public
loss it causes. Is is believed
that this policy, backed by
vigorous enforcement of law,
commands itself to the common sense
and conscience Of the people, and that on
this platform all reasonable friends OF
unite and work. 1, has the merit Of
simplicity. Il is perfectly practicable.
aud adapts itself to the needs and posi-
bilities OF all sections. Ii is hSxibIe
without being indefiDi e. II does
not require community which is ready
for prohibition TO tolerate un.sxed sa-
looms until the entire state, including the
great cities, has reached the game level
of opinion and action. It does not COM
pei cities to submit 10 q riot OF free rum
until they are prepared to enforce the
total suppression Of local tr6ffic
| within the limits. 1t does not attempt
to apply rule uniform and arbitrary 10
| 10000, 600 OF people living under widely
varying conditions. 1t allows for that
| element Of time as factor in this as in
| any other great reform and gives scope
| TO those educating agencies which are
everywhere at work with prod1gious en-
ergy and which are rapidly bringing all
| Is permissible to reach q eOmmon point
by many roads. The saloon has
entered politics with its own methods
and weapons, it has allied itself with the
demOcr. tic party of obstruction ana re-
action, and day rules that party with
rod of iron. While thousands Of dem
Ocrats are hostile TO the liquor traffic
| tnclI SO1CC 10 HAACnOCo WISHES
ignored. The machinery, resources and
votes Of 3 powerful organization are thus
enable to defend and perpetuAte
this cancer of our civilization.
The prestige, resources and champion
ship of q great historic parry are needed
on the side of home and public welfare.
The republican party Ia called to this
place and work, andcalled by mandate
as genuine and majestic as that which
summoned il into existence. Ite origin,
record and composition have furnished
the strongest possible presumption thai
it would at the right time adopt
and carry out all that ls desir-
able and feasible in the polit'
ical treatment of the liquor traffic
1t has from time to time refused to divide
its strength and invite national disas-
ter by espousipg all possible reforms al
once, conse quently il has destroyed In
detail, and &C each success has prepared
the people for another step, and the houI
has struck for the next advance. HsV-
erRi0ns to look back to il
for leadership in every grea
event down to the present time, this pre-
sumption has been fully justified by
events. By the imperious logic of lis
! birth, its surroundings and its mission
the party has been constrained to take
, up and dispose one after another states
, | ~ PROCESSION Oh ponhlca pEODlenS a
| d fiji ;ult as any that statesmanshIp eVei
encountered. It is no reprOach that IL
each epoch OF its career il
has insisted upon performing
reform. The republican party could no
refuse to hear and heed the summons t
this forward movement without ADDICT.
ing its place, and passing at once into
. history; but the republican, party is no
going to retire, and, least OF all, is is GO
ing 10 pass out of existence through The
gateway of cOwardice in the presence o.
greet responsibility, coupled with 6
notle opportunity. The masses of the
! party are ready to move. State
sfter state under republican contro
ia each in its own way already wRgiDg q
successful war of repression and exLir-
mination upon the saloon system, show
ing that the party where most Loyalty
rep ublicans is under wise leadership
most promptly responsive to this imperi-
Gus demand of the hour, and with an in
ere 4se of prestige and vitality. The
anti-sSloon republican conference die
not begin or end the movement OF which
II was the exponent.
The permanent organic atom tor which
, II provided is in the field TO remain, and
IL 6sks the cooperation OF all repUblj-
cans IN placing the whole party or
the right grounds in THU
| VI SIA ktGcliOS Va tSnpeIduIB GAsu TUX
, home in other poliical parties, wherever
: and whenever the republican party il
|. true to this supreme issue, and it doei
this, not as prudential
device to promote party ends
Compared with the value of the cause
Low at stake the interests of any politi.
cal party ia of small imporsence. l. is
the early triumph OF p great reform no.
the transient advantage OF the iustru-
mcnt of that reform, that Is chiefly
sought but ID say that TIT
: republican organization, by taking
jlst attitude 10 this crisis will main.
tain it's character as the party of RICH
AMI of conscience, and in fact assure liz
own prolonged supremacy, is only to SAY
that in stateEmanship, as elsewhere
righteousness and courage are the hes
policy. (SigDed) ALBERT GRIFFIN.