The Indianapolis journal., 1886-07-21
ADVOCATES OF LOCAL OPTION
The Anti-Third Party Temperance Men
Declare in Favor of Local Option.
Resolutions COndemning the Liquor Leagueas
Political Organization and Its Ally, the
! Democratic Party-Cumbacks Speech.

large, the lower part of the theater being filed,
indicating nearly eight hundred persons present,
OF whom not more than dozen belonged to the
female sex. Perhaps third or more or them
were men past fifty years of age, and who, while
looking back to the great events OF quarter
Iof century ago and the years succeeding the
war. are yet young enough to do battle IN the
cause Of human progress in the conviction that
the triumph will come in their lifetime.
. The meeting was opened with prayer by Rev
Il. L. Carpenter, of Wabash. Hon. E. B. Rey-
nolds, of Hagerstown. Wayne county, called the
meeting to order Mr.. Reynolds said he was
glad TO look into the faces of so large company
of temperance Republicans belonging to party
Itself as any political organization
that has existed since the history of
man began-a party in whose administration
the country has made progress in all that char
acterizes the progress and welfare of mankind
It has offered to the friends of this movement an
opportunity to voice their opinion on this liquor
question: traffic which Mr.. Ingersoll has char
acterized as the sum of all vilainies. We came
together as members of that party, believing
shat By iudicious. wise and practical methods
we may make use of its machinery to the
of intoxicating liquors within this State. The
cry that there is not any difference whatever
between these two political parties-the Repuo.
Hcan and the Democratic--except the spoiis OF
Office, will not be believed as true. People some
how or other will believe that there are great
political issues not yet settled In this country.
and these voters will stand with their respective
political organizations, and If we get any ad
vance in legislation we will have to get it through
the political parties-the Democratic or the he
publican party--thare will not be man OF any
other political faith in the next Legislature of
Indiana. [Cries Of '"That's so, That's true.
Let each temperance Democrat and Republican
in the different legislative districts to it that
they are on hand to nominate the right kind of
men for the Legislature. Send them up as they
are going to send me up from Wayne county,
and in twelve months we can carry fifty counties
for local-optiop in Indiana. We can concentrate
the whisky traffic in such goddess counties as
Marion, and l believe, in FIVE years we would
see Marion county wheeling into line
The following were then named as the perma-
nent officers of the convention:
Presdent-Hon. Will Cumback Greensburg.
-presidents-Hons Robert Mitchell, Thomas
Rice Horace Green. Thomas Redding, DR.; Mitchell,
Peter s. Kennedy, w A. Nelson and J. B. Conner.
50sn KY baan Pa,sb
ing John Stout and @ w. Wright.
Upon taking his place, the permanent chair
man, Hon. Win Cumback, was greeted with
much enthusiasm.
Mr. Cumback spoke as follows, being FIRE quent-
1y interrupted by applause
Ladies and Gentlemen-I am satisfied, after
much thought and observation, that for our
State local option is the best solution of the tenn
perance question; that it does not violate any Of
The provisions of our State Constitution, has
been decided, time and again, by our Supreme
-. ~
celebrated case of Maze VS.. The State has been
overruled by our Supreme Court by affirming
the ccnstitutionality of the option given town
ships to vote tax in aid Of railroad building.
Under general law, counties have the option
whether cattle shall be allowed to run at large,
and nobody doubts its constitutionality. That
focal option Is practical and will be effective has
been very thoroughly tested in several States.
That it il both Democratic and Republican is
manifest in the fact that it places the whole
question under the direct control of people af-
fected by the liquor business
Every Legislature since Indians has been a
State with the exception of the last) has in some
form or other placed the brand of criminalty
on the retailing of intoxieants IS beverage
The majority OF the last Legislature was elected
on platform declaring that the saloon business
was an innocent business. and 1t could not
geasonably be expected that they would do any
thing to cripple or hinder harmless thing.
But this single exception does not change the
business but that it is a standing menace to the
peace and happiness of every home in the State.
The people of the State should have the right,
and an early opportunity, to free themselves
Local option gives them this chance
It takes the question out of
party politics, and the naked question comes to
The people in their wards and townships, whether
they will allow this criminal business to be car
ried on in their midst If they decide as most
of them would, that they would not tolerate the
drrnkard- making business, then it, in defiance
of the will of the majority, it should be attempt
ed to carry it on, the indignation of the offended
eoveregns would be more ready to enforce the
law than if general prohibitory law had been
passed by the Legislature without consulting
them.
No law is effective if it has not the consent and
approval of the people. A prohibitory law in
this State in some localities where the majority
are opposed to it, would be dead letter and
would be a serious hiudrance, rather than a
help to the cause of temperance In commu-
mites where the Liquor League can dictate nomi
nations for judges. prosecuting attorneys and
sheriffs. and elect them; where the league can
have the officers to select the iuries, grand and
petit, any law will be violated with impunity
that in any degree cripples the saloon business.
In such places all that can be done is to do as
the general government does impose a tax
on the business, and the county officers
are bound to collect that tax or their bondsmen
will be responsible. 1t is mistaken notion that
this puts all good people in partnership with
the saloon keeper in the business of selling
whisky. The circus comes to town, and the mu-
nicipas authorities make 1t pay a tax for showing
in the place. but that does not put the sins of the
circus on the conscience of every saint in town.
de may make himself participant of the evil,
VI any there be, by paving his money aud at
tending and encouraging the performance.
Inere IS good deal OF nonsense, as 1t seems to
me- in this objection. that if we tax the busi
ness. We are in some way criminal participants
in it, The tax does not create the license The
license comes from the common law and if the
third party man is in earnest in his demand
that he shall not in any way be responsible for
the continuance of this business then let him aid
US In procuring the enactment of Law so framed
that the people may in their sovereign capacity
declare, IN their township precinct, that this
common law privilege shall not prevail. and then
AhR tenderest conscience will be at ease if the
sulng powers decide against the saloon. If thew
do not SO decide, and the law places tax on the