The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-06-04
Soft seap for the PrehibitiOnists.

The 1nabating determination of the
Prohibitionists to keep up their separate
party and press their favorite issue
frightens the Republicans, and they are
Dow at their old trick of pretending a
deep and respectful interest in temper
ance. Moreover, the struggles OF the
VETS and the Drys, aud the successes of
the latter in the South, have undOubted-
ly beer carefully considered by the
shrewder Republican politicians. They
want to go far enough 10 OambooZie the
prohibition element in the party without
offending the anti Prohibitionists or
breaking with Republican saloon keep
ers. This is difficult, but the Repuoll-
cans are used to it. The walls OF the
Republican chop are hung with the
chastest temperance notices, but oIsi-
ness is brisk At the bar all the same.
If the Republican party would come
Oat as a party for high license, the pros
poets of rational temperance Legislation
| would be greatly improved. But the
! Republicans are merely talking temper
| ance for political effect, and so only that
! effect need 5e taken into account. sup
! pose there should be general imitation
| in Republican States of the example OF
| the New Jersey Republican politicians
| who held a conferences this week appar-
emily for the purpose Of dlscountlng the
/ effect of the Convention which began
! the next day, of the ProhibitiOnists OF
| that state. Suppose in addition that
| every Republican platform should have
more than the usual Republican quota
| of fair words for temperance reform and
! denunciatiOn of rum, and should go as
far as may be dared toward soothing the
| ProhibitiOnists and keeping restive Pro
| hibition Republicans within the fold.
What will it all amount to
The Republicans are very stupid If
thev do not see that the PrOhibltiOnists
are permanently separated from che Re-
publican party, having been deceived by
it too often. The ProhibitiOnist are
even more bitter against the Repubil-
cans than against the Democrats, for at
least there is nothing hypocritical about
the attitude of the latter with reference
to the question of liquor prohibition.
And the bitter attack of the Republi-
cans upon st. John and his SinjinneTs in
1884 are yet fresh in the recollection OF
the PIOhibitiOnists.
We believe the Prohibitionists to be
wholly wrong in their theory, and that
high license is the correct and rational
solution of the liquor question. AT the
same time it is not to be denied that the
| Prohibltionists are sensible in expecting
! nothing from the RepuOllcahS, ana III
seeking to attain their object by means
of a separate party. The large prOhibi-
ton element in the Republican party
which still hopes that the Republicans
} will some time fairly and squarely make
an issue of prohibition, or which for
purely political reasons is averse to a
separate prohibition party, may still
allow Itself to be received. The Prohi-
bitionists, however, will go On their way
as actively and earnestly as ever, with
out paying any attention to Republican
professions of sympathy with them, and
it may chance that in more than one
close State the ProhibitiOnists may be
able TO have a serious or even decisive
effect upon the result of elections. Ger
tainly it is their cue to beat the Repu5-
licans rather than the Democrats, for
from the latter they can expect nothing,
while the former may learn from the re-
peated cudgelings that the Prohibition
lists mean business, and that the Repub-
lican party must become prOhibitiOnist
in earnest if it wants the prohibition
| yOte-N Y .S7ul