New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-10-25
FACTS ABOUT CONSIITOU ONAL PhOHI
BITION.

An Albany correspondent of THE TRIBUNE
furnishes this morning an interesting anu
h;yhlr significant interview with General
n. NJ. Curtis concerning the defeat Oh 'ne
nrohibi,icn amendment TO the constitution at
The last legislative session. Oenerai GURUS
al.s st,t.ments in this interview which
shvw the true inwardness of tie f'ohlDi'loh
relations to that event, AMI when prove tne
;nsinceritv, thickness and self-seeklng OF the
leaders of the third party movement In this
State The posltinu of the Republican party
nm the question is well known. Temperance
feeling in he party is strong. majority
were in favor of high lice nse or local option as
s,.,s i, q progressiee policy. The Republican
members of the Legislature respected the
pedge to give the people an opportunity 10
vote on the prohibition amendment. AT such
;,rctnc. when the certainty of exciting che
ennity of the liquor interest was obvious there
should haze been no dnubt as to the hearllness
of the support given To the friends oil Tue
amendment by the ProhlblIlonlSts. lhis sup
| mort was naturally and of necessity sought !;
| but AS General Curtis shows, II was not gwen.
| On the contrary when the Prohlbltio leaders
| saw that the resolutions were likely 10 pass
| tb.v at once went over to the Opposition, ana
nat m,,ely retus n To support the Republican
| members who desired To pass the RESOLUTIONS.
| ian hestirred themselves 10 quicken and con-
| centrut. the hostility of the liqror interest To
the submission of he amendments. Ihey even
vent further not hesltail To declare that
tbev did not want the resolutions passed unless
they were passed through the direct agency OF
the third party thus frankly admitting mat
| # he tpI utr,i
secondary consideration with them, and that
tbeir prime object was the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT "i
the third p,rty. more cynical and shameless
exhibition of the b,sest motives ever ascrIoed
to u machinen politicians it would be difficult
To find The adoption OF the amendment as
means to prohibition has no value In the eyes
of these men. The obvious and inevitable IN
ference must be that their true objection was
and is the personal and purely selfish advan-
| tages and gains to be obtained by their manIpu-
latIon IF the third party NOV emcnt.
The Voice, whose lofty virtue and philan-
| thr,uic enthusiasm compelled it to set up Its
tent outside the Republican party. AMI whose
righteous Impotence IF vi compromises led II
70 demand brand new party as the only
hone of prohi btlon, was active IN TINS under
hand @knifng" of the constitutional amend
ment. 1t deliberately allied itseit with the
brewers and dlstill-rs in opposition 90 The
passage of the resolutions at Albany. IL sent
| ont circulars inviting and suggesting the ex-
| pressiop Of hostile aud dlscouraglng sentiments
on the question. And when the members VINO
| desired to vote for the resolutions had been
paralyzed by the united opposition OF the
! Prohibtlonists end the liquor interest, this can
uid, upriph t and single minded journal turned
round and pointed To the defeat of the resolu-
lions which it had done much To bring
| about no evidence that the Republican part
could rot be trusted Personal greed and ambl-
| tion are Door aux liarIes to humanitarian move
ments. AS this Case clearly shows. The = OH
bitionist organ and leaders have been from the
6rsr fighting, like Dugald Ddlgetty, for ,hen
own hand Prohibition sentiment Is simpl,
them stock-In-trade They play upon In,
gulhbiity Of simple, earnest people wh'
believe IN their sincerity because they ale 81
LOUD and instant in profession. This exposure
may open the eyes of some oil theIr dupcs
however General Curtis Is unimpeacnaDl'
authority. rhe trlcksters cannot disprov'
their own acts. They fought and beat TIE
| prohibition amendment which the Republicans
would have given the people an opportunity u