Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-12-09
O. M. RS Hard Knots.

Va nAs Ass HdLu hu0tSs
EDITOR HERALD:-This delayed reply
to lizard Knots in the HERALD of
November Is, Is due to the fact that
the article did not come to my notice
till late. OF the matter of Prohibition
lists voting for Democrats. this: AS far
as temperance reform is concerned, or
the performance of official duties or
the enforcement of law, it was a matter
of almost the least Importance in any
of the three cases cited, which candid
ate was elected. Were it not for a
stupid political allegiance. O. NJ. B.,
who knows each of the six candidates of
whom he speaks, personally. would find |
it difficult and embarrassing to make
a choice between them. Some of the |
Prohibition votes cast for the Demo- |
cratic candidates were doubtless solid
Prohibition votes by men of Democratic |
antecedents. In the absence of a |
nomination on their own ticket, as in |
the case of district attorney in Grant
county, they might reasonably be ex-
pected to vote for a Democrat. Of the
rest, they were not much to blame if
| they voted for the Democratic candid
ates out of anger against the insolent
remarks made concerning them, the at
titude of contempt assumed by Repub-
iicans toward them during the cam
paign, and the calm impudence exhibit
ed by the Republican steerers at the
polls.
| O. NJ. r. knows of these few things
and of many other things he might put
together into good and sufficient reasons
for himself. But he is not the only one
who is disposed to tie hard knots in the
tangled skein of politics, for the sake
of the peace and prestige it gives him,
as well as for the soothing effect this
amusement has on a troubled cons
cience, and he and they know, too,
that to draw from the facts he states
the conclusion that Prohibitionists are
assistant Democrats in bad sense. or
that they are in the least whiskyites,
is the silliest nonsense not to say the
smallest and triekiest dishonesty.
As to what we are reported to have
said,' it. too, has been tied into the
queerest, hardest kind of knot, that
little resembles the plain thread of the
remarks we made on taking view of
the local political situation. What we
did say (f we rightly trace the ''re-
ported to have sadly was to express
this thought. Third party Prohibition
lists are not now at all interested in the
election of Republican temperance
men-even G. o. P. Prohibitiouists.
We were in that business for a long time,
some of US. We quit it because we had
to swallow too much bitter medicine,
when not sick. at the hands of those we
had confidence in-not our enemies,
but our friends(P). We will not say
now that it did not pay us to pass
through such experience, but we came
to the settled conclusion that it would
pay no longer. And now, while not in
terested in the election of Republican
| temperance men, on the other hand we
are not interested in their mere defeat
If ProhibitioEists refused to vote for
Rennick after that dramatic speech to
the convention, the blow was not aimed
at Rennick, but at the policy of the Re-
publican party that puts up 'temper-
ance" candidates without intending to
make any use of them, and that claims
credit for laws that it refuses to defend.
Right here is the secret of the defects
of much temperance legislation. No
party will shoulder the responsibility
and therefor no special effort is made
to elect only men that will enforce its
legal provisions.
Rut the most important view of the
Kennick case is that if he were elected
by third party votes. we would thereby
say that we are all wrong in organizing
a separate party, that it does not amount
to much and is only temporary ex-
expedient anyway-the total of what
some Republicans would have us SUBJ
scribe to.
1t is unfortunate that at any time the
result of an election should show an
apparent vote for whisky from Prohibi-
tionists, but how and why it may occur
is explained above. We do mol believe,
however, that the reasons for the actions
that have so surprised o. NJ. +. are the
best, and confidently predict that third
party voters will learn to control their
tempers and nominate full tickets.
On the free and easy way in which
the writer of Hard Knots disposes of
the gain-and-sale methods of our
recent local elections, comment is I'M
necessary, but upon the known and ad-
mitted fact action is necessary.
j. G.. MILLMAN