Smyrna times., 1886-03-17
The Only Issue.

! Inc huntington EHLCfptSe, winch
was an ardent advocate of the election
of Mr.. Cleveland has during the past
month taken strong stand for prOhi-
bitiOn. Under the head of 1.-THE Only
ISSUE" It last week gave the follow
ing reasons for the position the paper
has taken:
"The time has come when the two
great parties can find no well-defined
dividing issue. The politicians of
both parties talk alike, and the retro
| spective organs read alike. On the
leading questions of the day you can
not distisguish a Democrat from a Re
publican newspaper, and the stump
speakers of both parties talk so much
alike that it is impossible to tell to
what party they belong except they
shall tell you. That is if the leading
questions of the hour shall be discussed.
Each party is divided on the question
of Civil Service Reform within its rep
resentative ranks, and the same NAV
be said of the Tariff question. 1t was
never so easy in all the past history of
parties, to quit the ranks of the other
as to-day. Once such were called
turn-cOats, " but such they cannot be
changed from Republican to Democrat,
or nice UeSrG. There was no change in
the principle, nor in the views con-
cerning leading issues. In both parties
the talk is alike concerning the tariff
question and civil service reform.
Nor does the greatest of the present
issues, the prohibition of the manu-
facture, sale and use, as a beverage, of
Intoxicating drink, becoming a divid-
ing issue in the two leading political
parties. There are thousands in both
parties who advocate prohibition, and
tens of thousands who do not Yea,
while in the ranks of both parties we
may count many who are staunch tenn
perance advocates through thick and
thin, both parties are under the dOmi-
nation of the rum power. The Whis-
key men dictate and enforce their own
terms in both parties. Only superb
cial glance will convince one of the
correctness of the statement. Think
of the late campaigns in New York
and Ohio. Who were the standard
bearers of the contending parties The
chosen men of the rum power in those
States. We may try to think other
are convinced.
Many of us have looked with feel
ings of painful regret upon the forcing
of great question in the arena of poll
itics.-But we ask our readers who
forced the temperance question into
politics ?-The liquor dealers, and no
one else.-We would have been glad
to have seen the party in power
give the growing temperance element
some satisfactory legislation but as
yet they have failed to do it, and espe-
cially has this been true in states where
the parties have been evenly divided,
and why? Because the liquor men
holding the balance of power, have
threatened to crush the party that
dared interfere with their business.
Thus in one way or another the liq-
uor men have forced the question of
prohibition to the forefront, and the
temperance people have read their
trend of events, and have come to see
their duty, and are marshaling every
where to meet this arch enemy in
deadly conflict, inspired with the con-
victiOn, that, under separate organi-
zatiOn, they have it in their power to
throttle it by constitutional enact
ments, both state and national.
I'm the late New York campaign the
liquor men issued circulars warning
the trade against all candidates who
had in any way aided or abetted the
temperance interests. In other words,
they urged their friends in this circular
to defeat such by all means in their
power The circular was chiefly aimed
at a certain Mr.. Thomas, who. while a
member of the State Senate, in years
agOne, had enough courage to introduce
Il prOhibitOry amendment. That circu-
lar closed with the following appeal {:
All friends of personal liberty, whether
they are Republicans or Democrats,
should vote against Mr.. Thomas, and
do all possible to see that his defeat is
so overwhelming that no political
party will seek the suffarges of free in
dependent citizens for a man who de-
sires that one man, or set of men,
shall dictate to others their manner of
living" and yet do you ask who forced
temperance into politics.
Prohibition is the great issue. The
politicians and press alike NAV seek to
cry it down, but this great question
will not down. The liquor power has
combined, and what is more, they have
entered into compact for a definite
purpose and end, and have determined
to keep in the field until that end has
been attained. They ara in the right,
and righ is might, and emphatically is
this true when we learn that Right
eOusness is on their side, and will help
them win, and in this faith the prohibi-
ZIONIST of the are battering. They
seem rent by faction to the eye of rum
power, but by whatever name they are
known, the temperance people of the
country are seeking one common end.
But it is evident that the hosts for con-
stitutiOnal prohibition are receiving
fresh accessiOns every hour, and by this
will the temperance people win. We
desire to say more on this line in the
next issue.