The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-12-15
THE PROHIBITION MOVEMENT.
OF THE RECORD:

EDITOR OF THE RECORD:
SIR.--The first thing noticeable in your |
remarks upon our previous article 10 your |
issue of December 1st, Is that you pass
over some of the most important ideas We |
presented. Our suggestion that the anti
prohibition Republicans in our Legisla-
ture, with the aid of Democrats, neutral
ize the Temperance sentiment in the Re-
publican party, and the important ques-
ton as to whether the Republican party |
is so constituted that 1t can become an eff |
fectual Prohibition party or whether in
this State it dare even allow any prohibit |
tory measures to pass our Legislature,
are problems with which you do not
grapple. You advance some ideas, how
ever, to which we wish to reply. You
say ''the anti-slavery party was fighting
an institution, not an Appetite" The as
sumption In this statement is surely not
well founded. The underlying principle
or cause of the slave power was greed for
gain, which is a selfish propensity or ap-
petite, and this is also true OF the rum
, power, while appetite for strong drink is
but one of the results. Craving for In
toxicating liquors is not produced by ma.
ture, but by the barroom and its infiu-
ences, and men sell rum not because they
wish to spread destitution and death, but
because there is "money in it," Such
being the case the Prohibitionists are
fighting and intend to fight not one of the
results but the rum power itself. AS you
undoubtedly know the rum power is now
organized and distinctly states that 1t is
for political purposes, or in other words
its object is to defeat any temperance
party or candidate that the people may
put forward, while on the other hand
men who attempt to enforce present laws
are being shot down in cold blood.
Your statement that slavery would
have been 10 existence to-day If war had
not been made upon the national govern
ment, seems to be simply speculation.
every slave was free. Before slaves s' we're
born-afterward blacks were born but
slaves neyer.'' In this you seem to differ
from James G.. Blaine, who has been us
ing his great energy and eloquent elo-
quence almost ever since the war, to con-
vince the people that abolition existed
only 10 name, that the blacks are still SO
much in bondage as not to be allowed to
exercise the right Of free suffrage, and
that the mission of the Republican party
will not be accomplished until they are
practically liberated. But whether this
Is so or not when we consider that tho
blacks that we're in bondage are confined
chiefly to one section Of the country that
is controlled mainly by The original pro-
slavery party, while the control Of the
Republican party has been and is con.
fined chiefly to another section, is 1t likely
that this party has had as good chance
or as much ability to enforce abolition as
Prohibition party would have to enforce
prohibition In . Esction or sections over
which it had direct control Evidently
it has not.
Won say further: 1T (prohibition) will,
no doubt, come in time, but it will be a
result of the gradual education and up
lifting of the people," In this you are
probably right. 1t will, no doubt, come
IN time, but If we depend upon the rum
men to do the educating and uplifting,
and to help bring it along, it win evident
ly require about as much time as will
elapse between now and the millennium.
What does sentiment against the rum
power amount to, If it is not put in form
in which it can be brought to bear? Tenn
perance men, under the old regime, helped
to keep this sentiment neutral by fight
lug each other under the leadership, d. |
rectly, of crafty politicians, and indirectly |
OF the rum power, hence they are In just
the position in which the liquor men
want them.
Again You affirm that the prohibition
party is practically an ally of the rum
party, in that it defeats temperance Re.
publicans and elects whiskey men TO Of
fice." But why do you say temperance
Republicans By this you seem to admit
that the Republican party is not tenn
perance party. If its candidates are
sometimes personally temperance men,
the same may be said of the nominees
of the Democratic party. The fact is
that the Republican party is no less pro-
rum than the Wing party was o.slavery
When men are sent to our Legislatures
by the Republican party, they are not
sent there to vote for prohibition, and to
contend that men should go to our Legis-
latures to vote for their own principles,
when they are diverse to those of the
party that sends them there, is to argue
that politics and government By the people
should become farce.
You also say, Sensible people will be
willing to take even half a loaf" III by
this You refer to high license, we are pre-
pared to show by facts and figures, that
the effect of this has been to increase the
size Of the loaf, that the co-partnership
of the rum power, State & Co., takes from
our laboring men and other consumers,
rather than gives any part of loaf to the
cause. of temperance.
In regard to political corruption, we
have only to say, that when Office and
spoils become the chief issues of politica,
parties, spoilsmen gravitate to the centre
while men Of honesty and patriotism,